KIGALI - Kigali City Council has announced that the ongoing City World Cup festival will cost Rwf 150m.

The festivities that end Sunday, March 21, at Amahoro stadium, are rehearsals for the World Cup expo due to take place in South Africa during the tournament.     

Speaking during a press conference on Thursday, City Mayor, Aisa Kirabo Kacyira, said that the budget has been catered for by the government, Kigali City and the private sector.

The government contributed Rwf100m

The festival whose theme, Let’s celebrate our achievements,  aims at evaluating the achievements of the city and the country in general for the last 16 years, and sensitizing the youth on the country’s programs and what is  expected of them as the future leaders of the nation.

The funds will also help in organising the pre-World Cup activities that include showcasing Rwanda’s products to be displayed in the World Cup host cities of Durban and Tshwane, in what has been dubbed ‘Rwanda Village’.

Others events scheduled to take place include awarding teams that took part in the Mayor’s Cup tournament and a friendly match between Durban and Kigali youths in a "Mini- World Cup” in Kigali.

Kirabo said that the Rwanda Village, an illustration of Rwanda’s rich culture, achievements and products to be showcased in South Africa, will be inaugurated at the closing ceremony.

"Rwandans will have a chance to publicly see what we intend to showcase in South Africa,” Kirabo said.

The Sunday event will be attended by the Mayors of all East African countries and the South African cities of Durban, Johannesburg and Tshwane.

 "We invited the Mayors of the East African capital cities to celebrate with them the achievements as a community,” Kirabo said

Alphonse Nizeyimana, the vice Mayor in charge of Finance and Economic Development, said that Rwanda’s showcasing during World Cup will help attract investors to the county.

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