Gasabo District: Where there is smoke, there is fire

The demolition of a section of a Rwf 5 billion hotel complex by authorities of Gasabo District, has caused quite a stir and given rise to many versions of the story. That the Mayor, Claudine Nyinawagaga, had earlier that morning been holed up with senior government officials who tried to avert the demolition and find an amicable solution to the issue, but went ahead and stood her ground is quite something. One might argue that the Mayor guarded her independence in refusing to bend to pressure from the top, but it was a costly show of defiance, to both sides; the investor’s millions went up in dust, and the district earned a couple of frowns.