A visit to the Presidential Palace Museum

Kanombe a Kigali city surburb is not your average surburb. This vicinity is home to the biggest airport in the country, Kigali International Airport, a few kilometers from the airport is the military police headquarters, a military hospital, military high court, schools, churches and also a former presidential palace. The former presidential palace is located at about 4 kilometers from the airport. This larger than life house was inaugurated in 1980 and the former head of state occupied it since then until 1994, when he died in a plane crash. In 1995 his successor President Pasteur Bizimungu occupied the house until the year 2000. Entering through the gate of the residence, which once hosted two presidents of this nation, you can’t help but to look around to see if there are CCTV cameras, or presidential guards armed with metal detectors. But today, the empty guard posts outside the gates are the only aide memoire that this was once a regal place. In 2008 the cabinet meeting announced its decision to convert the residence into a museum. Today, gone is the stately aura that once hovered at the palace and its environs. Tourists from allover the world visit this place especially the crash site where the plane carrying the late president and his Burundian counterpart crashed. Though this place has been through ups and downs, it is still holding on to life and holds a lot to give to the citizen. The house got a facelift and was refurnished converting it into a warm lively place. The huge old compound is well manicured but the somewhat overgrown trees; give an ancient and eerie appearance to the one time beautiful and dazzling abode. When you walk to the back of the house, you see a vast garden with modern huts. The place also boasts of a tennis court and huge empty crater that used to be a swimming pool. Today, the house besides being a museum, holds wedding receptions, the tennis court is also open and free for all to utilize. On our visit we found a karate class in session and a traditional dance troupe in practice. However the most fascinating was the museums. Its true one can’t know where they are going until they get to know where they are coming from. A visit to this place can be more than an eye opener. It exhibits hairstyles and clothes Rwandans used to put on, from 1900-1906. And like most Museums, it provides a unique interactive experience of getting up close to things we usually only see in books. In terms of education, visiting such a museum brings what is taught in schools to life. If you are a Rwandan citizen, visiting this presidential palace museum will cost you only Rwf500, students; Rwf200, foreigners; Rwf3000. martin.bishop18@yahoo.com