FEATURED: An insight into how Infrastructure in Rwanda is transforming lives and boosting the economy

Urbanization, Housing and rural settlement : An insight into how Infrastructures in Rwanda are transforming lives, boosting the economy 24 years after 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi that left over a million of people dead, thousands of orphans and widows and others fleeing the country let alone a failed state—it might sound too long or short a time to deliver tangible transformation depending on who is arguing and why. In this pictorial series, we will be running a number of selected pictures from all around the country showing how Rwanda has changed since 1994 in different sectors. In the first edition of “Before and after” we look at how the capital city of Kigali has evolved in urbanization, housing and rural settlement since 2007 with a few exceptions of some photos taken before that time. Today’s Green, clean, and safe Kigali city, is boasting with socio- and economic development. This is a result of the choice of the government for a well-managed urbanization and sustainable human settlement development. Until 2004, the urban housing was self-led without any regulation, and the result was unplanned human development, settlement in High Risk zones, and underserviced residential neighborhood. Efforts were made to regulate both the land use and housing, to ensure access to basic services and safety of Kigali citizens. Known for its cleanliness’ and Rwanda’s capital’s distinct charm and security, in this bulletin, we bring you pictures of Kigali city that show how the city looked like ten years ago by comparing them with the changed Kigali skyline of today. Kigali City Tower is a high rise office and retail building located in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. The complex consists of a 20-story tower, the tallest in the country, a four-story commercial center and a car park block, with space divided between leased office space and retail outlets. Major retailers include supermarket Nakumatt, Bourbon Coffee and a four screen cinema. The building, on the site of a former bus station, was developed by Rwandan businessman Hatari Sekoko and built by Chinese engineers. The building work began in 2006 and the complex opened in 2011. The city aims to attract investors from all over the world by focusing on sustainable growth having in in mind that Kigali is one of the fastest growing cities in Africa with the fastest rate of urbanization, and will need to update both its economic and social infrastructure to accommodate this. Kigali Conventional center The Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Center in Kigali is just 5 kilometers from the bustling city center and Kigali International Airport (KGL). Our contemporary hotel is situated in an office park with Kigali Convention Center, which has room for up to 5,000 delegates. It’s just 2 km from several government embassies, the British High Commission, the Parliament and the Supreme Court. The hotel has 291 plush rooms and suites that offer private balconies and free high-speed Wi-Fi. 2 on site restaurants, including one with all-day dining, serve up continental and Rwandan favorites as well The Kigali heights building project delivered world class office blocks in the heart of Kimihurura with 27, 750 sqm of class A office space, 5250 sqm of prime rental space and 300 car parking space. It accommodates retails, education and world class recreational facilities. The facility has anchored development and positioned itself as an iconic location. The sub area is envisioned to be a gateway to the city from the Kigali International Airport and an extremely important symbolic urban space for the Rwanda. Vision City project is the biggest residential housing project in Rwanda to date. It is a high-end residential and commercial development. It is the flagship project from the country’s largest real estate developer Ultimate Developers Ltd. When completed, it will avail 4500 units, ranging from luxury villas and apartments. It will be built in four phases over a period of eight years, with phase one slated for completion early November 2016. In addition to residential housing, the development also has a town center, which will serve as the commercial hub of the estate. The residential and town center facilities will both have Wi-Fi internet connection. The facilities include commercial facilities, restaurants, office complex, a luxury three-star hotel and convention center. The project is being undertaken by CCECC Limited, a Chinese company, with Synergy as the project designer and supervisor/ The government has pursued a plan there as part of the latest efforts to set aside planned settlement sites modernise rural settlements in different parts of the country and As part of modernising rural invest in building ‘model villages’ settlements, every district in the country has set aside at least one planned settlement site where the government can build homes for indigent people living in high-risk zones and other well-off residents can build their own homes there too.

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FEATURED: An insight into how Infrastructure in Rwanda is transforming lives and boosting the economy