Kigali is capital city of Rwanda, for centuries, Rwanda
existed as a centralized monarchy under a succession of Tutsi kings from one
clan, who ruled through cattle chiefs, land chiefs and military chiefs.
The king was supreme but the rest of the population, Bahutu,
Batutsi and Batwa, lived in symbiotic harmony. In 1899, Rwanda became a German
colony and, in 1919, the system of indirect rule continued with Rwanda as a
mandate territory of the League of Nations, under Belgium.
From 1959, Batutsi were targeted, causing hundreds of
thousands of deaths and sending almost two million of them into exile.
The First Republic, under President Gregoire Kayibanda, and
the second, under President Juvenal Habyarimana, institutionalized
discrimination against Batutsi and subjected them to periodmassacres.
The
Rwandese Alliance for National Unity (RANU) was formed in 1979 by Rwandan
refugees in exile, to mobilize against divisive politics and genocide ideology,
repeated massacres, statelessness and the lack of peaceful political exchange.
In
1987, RANU became the Rwandese Patriotic Front (RPF). On 1 October 1990, the
RPF launched an armed liberation struggle that ultimately ousted the
dictatorship in 1994 and ended the genocide of more than one million Batutsi
and massacres of moderate Bahutu who opposed the genocide.
After
Kigali fell to RPA (RPF’s armed wing) on 4 July 1994, RPF formed a Government
of National Unity headed by President Pasteur Bizimungu, bringing parties that
did not participate in the genocide together. In 2000, Parliament voted out
President Pasteur Bizimungu and RPF appointed then Vice-President and Minister
of Defense, Major General Paul Kagame as the President of the Republic to lead
the coalition government. In 2003 President Paul Kagame was elected with
landslide majority to serve a term of seven years.
Rwanda
is a thriving, safe country with one of the lowest crime rates in Africa. All
major attractions are located within 1-5 hour drive from the capital, Kigali,
this according to http://www.gov.rw/home/.
But, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-
Rwanda is a small landlocked country in east-central Africa which is in the
process of recovering from major ethnic strife there in the mid-1990s.
WHAT IS SMART KIGALI?
According to the
website of Kigalicity, http://www.kigalicity.gov.rw,
City of Kigali a gateway to Rwanda
Located
at Rwanda’s geographical heart, the rapidly growing City of Kigali is not only
the national capital, but also the country’s most important business centre and
main port of entry.
City
of Kigali, which started in 1907 as a small colonial outpost with little link
to the outside world, is now 100 years old. Today, City of Kigali has come of
age-as the capital of Rwanda and made phenomenal strides. It is a city that has
not just survived, but has prevailed and has grown into a modern metropolis- a
heart of the emerging Rwandan economy and a pride of every Rwandan.
Among
the safest and friendliest of African capitals, City of Kigali is blessed with
a moderate high altitude climate that belies its tropical location, and is
conveniently located within three hours’ drive of the main tourist sites.
The
Rwandan capital provides both a comfortable and welcoming introduction to this
land of a thousand hills and an ideal springboard from which to explore this
magical country.
City
of Kigali is made up of three districts namely Gasabo, Kicukiro and Nyarugenge.
It is presently inhabited by approximately 1 million inhabitants. Kigali is 70%
rural with a population which is relatively young- the youth make up about 60%
and women make slightly more the 50%.
NOTE:
This is smart
Kigali because of the Involvement, arrangement with good quality
infrastructure building including roads and
electricity
