The owner of the newly opened Ryanz nightclub is a devastated man. Reason? The club, which only threw its doors open in July this year, has been forced to close because of the ongoing auction of Hotel Okapi, its home.

"The hotel is up for auction and I have no option but to close or else the new owners will take over my establishment too,” Pamphile Gasana, aka DJ Puff, the owner of Ryanz said. The club is housed in the basement of Okapi Hotel located in Muhima. 

Gasana said he was not aware that the hotel was about to be auctioned at the time he opened his club. "It seems everyone knew that the auction would be coming soon apart from me, I was surprised to learn about it the other day,” Gasana said.

The 200 capacity club opened its doors in July 2013, adding colour to Kigali’s fast thriving entertainment.

The club, which had theme nights including the first rock night in Kigali, had become a favourite spot for revelers because of its comfy lounges, well stocked bar and unique music equipment.

The proprietor, who just returned to Rwanda from abroad, said the latest development will not shatter his plans to invest in the country.  

"I love this country and the people; I will go ahead and get a new place for my club. As a determined investor from the Diaspora I am willing to invest home no matter what it takes,” DJ Puff said.

At the launch of the club, a month ago, Gasana said he had invested ‘a lot of money’; having transformed the place from a rugged storehouse into a classy hangout which most Kigalians had fallen in love with.