How Rwanda’s Kigali became the cleanest City In Africa | Rwanda : One of the cleanest countries in the world

Kigali Rwanda : Photo Credit Shutterstock

Have you heard the news? Rwanda, a country in central Africa is making headlines. Rwanda is Africa’s cleanest city and probably one of the cleanest in the world. If you know Rwanda’s history, then you will understand that this is a major achievement that the country has been making. Clean, peaceful, safe, beautiful, Rwanda has also been growing economically. It’s safer than America or India. It is also ranked as one of the least corrupt countries in Africa. In Africa, it is topped only by Botswana, which is far richer and the least corrupt country in Africa. Rwanda has one of the highest life expectancies in Africa up from 25 years ago when the average Rwandan had a life expectancy of 28 years.

A country with a challenging past, Rwanda gained its Independence in 1962. Kigali became its capital after independence. In 1994, Rwanda went through a genocide in which nearly a million people were killed. Following the civil war, the country has taken massive steps to heal and rebuild itself. Nicknamed Singapore of Africa, Rwanda is not only known for being one of the cleanest places in Africa but also the world. Rwanda is a landlocked country, bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo. It is also one of the smallest countries in Africa. Considering its small geographical capacity, Rwanda has a huge population of 12 million people, making it the most densely populated country in Africa. Its official language is Kinyarwanda. The big question is, how did Rwanda become so clean?

First, Let’s Take a Brief Look at Rwanda’s Government

Its President is Paul Kagame and he has been in leadership since 2000. Whilst it is not perfect, the government has been working hard to improve the living conditions of Rwandan people. Rwanda has a Presidential system of government. Its national Parliament is one of only 3 countries in the world with a female majority. Dupped as a nation that will be the Singapore of Africa, the government has taken strides in

• Making Rwanda the cleanest country in Africa. Not only Rwanda’s cities are clean, but also the rural area.
• Introducing policies and legislation that conserve the environment and restore ecosystems
• Banning importation and use of plastic bags
• Restricting street vending for cleaner streets
• Improved transport system to encourage people to use buses and reduce congestion from cars on the road
• Introduction of cleanliness awareness programs in schools
• Becoming ranked as Africa’s second least corrupt country, coming second after Botswana

Rwanda’s Economy

Ranked as one of the fastest growing economies in Africa, Rwanda’s economy relies heavily on agriculture and the tourism industry. According to the World Bank, Rwanda has the highest ease of doing business index in Africa. The World Bank tracks this index to determine a country favourability for external business investment. Rwanda ranks as the 29th in the world, which is by far the highest score in Africa, followed by Morocco ranking as 60th, Kenya 61th, Tunisia 80th and South Africa 82. With a growing airline whose mission is to connect Rwanda to the world, Rwandair’s fleet has grown to make travel convenient and connect Rwanda to important business hubs around Africa making it desirable to investors. Rwanda’s president declared that one of Rwanda’s missions is to become the Singapore of Africa.

Why Singapore ?

100 years ago, east Asia was not as developed as it is today. Singapore sits at the top of the indicators, not just for Asia but the world.

• It is ranked 8th safest, 3rd richest, least corrupt, 3rd longest living country in the world. Singapore has the highest political stability and absence of terrorism/violence sitting at the 99th percentile. This makes it the safest country in the world and attracts more business investment.
• Rwanda sits at the 48th percentile for the political stability indicator. This is higher than the sub-saharan average of 31, making Rwanda the safest country in Africa. This despite it being the most populated country on the continent.
• Singapore ranks number 2 in the world on the ease of doing business index score, ranking behind New Zealand. It is followed by Denmark, Hong Kong, South Korea.

Introduction of Umuganda

A key factor that has led to Rwanda being ranked as the cleanest country in Africa is Umuganda. In Rwanda’s national language, kinyarwanda, Umuganda means coming together for a common purpose. This practice is of cultural significance and has taken place amongst the people for a long time even before Rwanda gained its independence. After the civil war and genocide which ravaged Rwanda, Paul Kagame mandated Umuganda in 2009 as a means for the country to get itself back on its feet and clean up the damage. Umuganda is a national cleaning day on the last Saturday of every month. Shops close and traffic stops for 3 hours as all citizens participate in cleaning, building and community projects. Even the President, Paul Kagame participates in Umuganda which is sometimes used as a forum for the community to hold discussions on various issues with the president. The police monitor and stop people who are not participating in the clean up, giving spot fines.

The result of this, are clean streets which are litter free. Rwandan people take immense pride in the cleanliness of their streets and country. Umuganda has been so successful that other places in Africa such as Johhanesburg and South Sudan have set up similar programmes.

Plastic Bag Ban

Following concerns regarding use of plastic bags, in 2004, the Rwandan Ministry of Environment commissioned a study on the impact of plastic use and disposal on agricultural production, contamination of water bodies, killing fish and environmental pollution. Rwanda banned the use of single use plastic bags in 2008. With the ban in manufacture, import and trade in plastic bags, citizens began to use reusable bags made of cotton, paper, cloth, banana leaves, papyrus and other biodegradable materials. Tax incentives were given to companies who were willing to be involved in the manufacture of environment friendly packaging and plastic recycling initiatives. Though this ban was faced with initial challenges, people began to adapt as law enforcement zeroed in on offenders. With time, the citizens of Rwanda grew accustomed to this environment friendly initiative and have come to enjoy the benefits of a cleaner country. In 2008, Rwanda was nominated by UN Habitat as the cleanest city in Africa.

Commitment To Build A Green Economy

Rwanda and its government have been active in preserving the ecosystem. Planting trees to clean up the country, Rwanda has a positive afforestation rate. More trees are planted rather than cut down. Every year, Rwandans plant millions of trees in the hope that it will be a climate-resilient and low carbon economy by 2050. Rwanda’s aim is to increase forest cover to 30% of its land area by 2020.

Rwanda has a Green Fund that is committed to funding local innovative projects for building and working towards a sustainable green economy. The government aims to keep national growth in line with protection of the environment. The government has also been investing in use of solar power and sustainable tourism initiatives.

Places to visit in Africa Cleanest and Safest Country

Ranked for its low crime levels and cleaness, Kigali, Rwanda’s capital city is a popular destination for tourists. The young population provides for a bustling arts, craft and entrepreneurial vibe. With visitors reporting on its beautiful cafe’s, markets, galleries and nightlife.

• Safely visit mountain gorillas for gorilla tracking in the Volcanoes National Park. The country’s green initiatives has seen an increase in the number of gorillas. Close to the national park is the bustling city of Musanze set to become one of Rwanda’s biggest cities offering an array of places to eat and a vibrant nightlife.
• Warm and low-lying Akagera National Park has reintroduced lions to its list of the big 5.
• Nyanza — a recollection of the traditional king’s royal residence is set in the administrative capital of the southern province.

Fun Fact :

Rwanda’s coffee is considered the best in East Africa. Be sure to try some when you visit. However, the locals are more into tea. As such, Rwanda exports 99% of its coffee.

What Rwanda is teaching leaders and people all over the world.

• Unlike previous beliefs, clean cities are not just for the rich and developed countries. Smoldering rubbish piles are synonymous with low income countries from plastic use and littering. Since every able-bodied citizen is involved in cleaning up Rwanda, locals do not litter.
• Even though Singapore uses strict rules and law enforcement to keep its country clean, in Rwanda, Umuganda is more a way of life that its locals take pride in. People love to do good whenever they can.
• Following Rwanda’s ban on plastic, Kenya followed suit in 2017, banning production, use, import and sale of single use plastic bags. As an alternative, supermarkets sell reusable cloth bags with Kenyans adapting to life without plastic bags.
• Other people living in Africa, can take the initiative to clean up their countries through responsible use of plastic and waste disposal. Initiatives such as Umuganda can be introduced and implemented at the community grassroots level. Needless to say, such an initiative would be more effective with government intervention.
• School curriculum should include initiatives that teach children to be responsible citizens through green initiatives and proper waste management.

Where do you live? Is your city or country as clean and safe as Rwanda? Let us know in the comments below.