Ever heard the saying, Cities are built by unconventional visionaries? Building a city demands audacity, innovation, and a touch of imagination. Transforming Kigali from a shanty town into a world-class metropolis exemplifies this spirit. As one of Africa’s cleanest, safest, and most forward-thinking cities, Kigali is now setting its sights on becoming the continent’s premier sporting hub. The spotlight is on the youthful new leadership at the Ministry of Sports (Minespoc). The trio—Nelly Mukazayire as Minister, Rwego Ngarambe as State Minister, and François-Régis Uwayezu as Permanent Secretary—has been tasked with a monumental mission: to elevate sports from leisure to a transformative business that empowers lives. The toughest task is the heavy lifting of Resource mobilisation that includes building and managing relationships with resource providers. What makes this seem heavy is combining it with the mundane responsibilities still lingering at the ministry. The team needs to fix the petty issues and focus their eyes on the bigger trophies of realization of key project ideas in the pipeline, like the Bugesera Grand Prix, the Silverback Sports School, a charter sports boarding secondary school being promoted by Silverback International Inc, and more importantly developing talent development at the grassroots level. Coming back to Kigali’s sporting vision of turning the city into a sporting hub, it is no longer a “sound” of wild ambitions. Take a closer look, and it’s clear this isn’t just a dream; it’s a strategy and the new team at the ministry, are coming in when it’s taken shape. From the iconic BK Arena to the revamped Amahoro Stadium and the Kigali Golf Resort and Villas, Kigali is building more than infrastructure. The golf resort, a masterpiece of world-class design, has put Kigali on the map as a global destination for golf enthusiasts. But the city isn’t stopping there. Public sports engagement is thriving, with fitness hotspots like the ring road around Kigali Golf Resort drawing fitness enthusiasts daily. Initiatives like the Car Free Day, where streets are reserved for fitness and community bonding, further activate Rwandans to embrace sports. The idea is simple: people won’t love sports unless they experience it themselves. These efforts are creating a culture of active participation, not just spectatorship, and building a passionate audience for the sports industry. Kigali kept a deaf ear when the usual naysayers quickly dismissed the courageous move of investing in sports infrastructure, doubting their potential for success. They thought Kigali was investing in building white elephants. And when the infrastructure was completed and games and events starting looking at Kigali as their home, white elephants changed into sports washing. Again, Kigali chose to keep quiet, letting the achievements speak for themselves as they are proved wrong. More achievements to prove the haters wrong will require thinking outside the box. The trio team must fix the issues in the sports industry starting with sports federations. The debate about the roles and responsibilities of sports federations versus the private sector in sports management has lingered on for so long. Federations should not look at private sector as competitors but rather partners. Private sector companies often have more experience and resources in event management, marketing, and commercialization, which can lead to better-organized, more profitable events. Federations should focus solely on setting standards, rules, and regulations, ensuring the integrity, fairness, and safety of the sport without the distractions of event management. President Paul Kagame didn’t mince words when addressing Minister Nelly and State Minister Rwego during their swearing-in. He reminded them that sports must go beyond leisure—it must be an engine for economic empowerment. Talent, he said, should be a tool for transformation. As the president challenged to stop complaining about lack of resources, innovation, courage and hard work must drive their strategy, not excuses. Therefore, for team Nelly, Rwego and Regis, this isn’t just a job—it’s a calling. They’re not just building fields and arenas; they’re building futures. The mandate is clear: make sports a cornerstone of Rwanda’s development. For Nelly, it’s a good calling because she knows her boss. She knows him as a boss who wants innovation, creativity and imagination. It’s time for her team to reshape the industry and deliver beyond the events. We need to work on the entire ecosystem that supports sports events integrating a variety of leisure and entertainment options to enhance the overall appeal and sustainability of the sports ecosystem. Let’s think wildly and integrate leisure parks and transform Kigali's hills into attractions that can significantly enhance the sports hub vision by providing unique experiences for visitors. Why not utilize the natural topography of Kigali's hills to create thrilling slide attractions, like long, safe slides down certain hills. We can also complement slides with other adventure activities like zip lines, rope courses, and bungee jumping, making use of the hilly landscape. And this vision isn’t just for elites. President Kagame reminded the Ministry to make sure sports development reaches everyone, from city kids to rural youth. Sports must be a ladder—lifting people out of poverty and into opportunity. Imagine a child in Nyamirambo dreaming of becoming the next big basketball star. With the right support, that dream could come true—not just for him but for an entire generation. Sports aren’t just games; they’re tools for education, health, and economic empowerment. Team, Nelly, its game on.
