More than one hundred mayors from around the world have been invited to grace Kigali City’s centenary celebrations that climax next week. 

Kigali mayor, Dr Aisa Kirabo Kacyira, said that over one hundred invitations had been sent out for the grand festivals due November 13-17.

Dr Kirabo said the mayors will contribute to the theme on the role of cities in the achievement of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

"Many of them have confirmed that they will attend the celebrations; this is also a sign of how cordial our relationship is with many cities in the world,” she said during a workshop at Petit Stade, which brought together hundreds of leaders from Kigali city.

So far Nairobi, Kampala, Mombasa, Dar es salaam and Tswane in South Africa have confirmed that they will attend the grand celebrations.

Kirabo explained that their main goal was to celebrate the centenary while showcasing the city’s vision and transformation.

She defended the Miss Kigali beauty pageant held Saturday night, saying it won’t affect Rwandan culture as its critics claim.

The beauty contests, first to be held in Rwandan outside universities, were part of the city’s 100 years celebrations which started mid this year.

The city is celebrating a century of existence, since a German doctor Richard Kandt, the first European resident set up an administrative residence in Kigali.

The city’s genesis goes way back in 1907 as a small colonial outpost with little link to the outside world.

Today, Kigali has come of age as the capital, making phenomenon strides in growing into a modern metropolis and pride of every Rwandan.

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