One week in Kigali
Rwanda and Burundi are sister countries that share a border along with many cultural, language and historical similarities. Kigali is only a 25 minute flight from Bujumbura- so as soon as you hit cruising altitude you are packing it in and landing!
Rwandans speak Kinyarwanda which is similar to the Kirundi of Burundi, so i was able to use my VERY limited Kirundi to impress some of the locals- Murakoze chane! (Thank you very much).
The first thing about Kigali that stood out to me was how clean and organized the city was. The paved roads and traffic lights are vastly different from the pot holes and dirt roads of Burundi. Secondly, while Rwanda is a francophone country, the majority of people do actually speak English quite well (This is not the case in Burundi). Perhaps because there is a vibrant tourism sector in Rwanda, and this brings the need for communication in English.
What is there to do in Rwanda?
If you mention Rwanda , the first thing that comes to mind for most people is the 1994 genocide (more on this later), but this country has come a long way since these devastating years, and it is NOT the country of 1994.
The big excursion in Rwanda is heading to one of the stunning national parks for gorilla trekking. I was in Rwanda for work, so i didn’t have time to see the gorillas on this visit. Keep in mind however, this is not a cheap excursion- around $1500 per person for the gorilla tours. If you are a gorilla enthusiast it may be worth looking into excursions in Uganda, which has notoriously cheaper options but is a bit more off the beaten path.
The second thing Rwanda is known for is Coffee. There are coffee tours and excursions as well. The two that were recommended to me were Gorilla coffee and Question coffee- which i now have a freezer full of! The food scene is also quite good in Kigali. There are a lot of international cuisine options. I was especially excited for Ethiopian and Thai food- neither of which you can get in Burundi. I had an absolutely amazing time in Rwanda and I would definitely come back- maybe next time we will even drive!
There is so much to see and do in this part of the world if Africa is calling- just book a trip and DO IT! Just to give you an idea of distances…… There are direct flights from Nairobi to Kigali (about 90 minutes)- so you could easily do a Kenyan Safari trip and tack on Kigali. From Nairobi you can also fly to Zanzibar (90 minutes) or Nairobi to Seychelles (3 hours), Nairobi to Cape Town (5 hours).
Weaved baskets and handicrafts galore! The handicrafts in Burundi have a similar style.
These flutes were used in earlier times to store grains, but now are a popular souvenir for home decor.
Indabo Cafe in the adorable Kimihurura neighborhood.
Views of the city from the unique “Choose Kigali”- which is a restaurant and art gallery.
You can’t come to Rwanda without visiting the genocide memorial.
The 1994 genocide: where an estimated one million people- majority Tutsi, but also some moderate Hutu’s-were killed in 100 days. Every year there is a 100 day memorial to remember the tragedy that devastated the country.
On April 6th 1994 the plane carrying the presidents of Rwanda and Burundi (both Hutu’s) was shot down. This set into motion a calculated revenge campaign against Tutsi’s. The sometimes forgotten part of the story is that the genocide also occurred in Burundi- albeit on a smaller scale.
“Remember, unite, renew” was the theme of this year’s commemoration.
“Kwibuka 29” signs were seen all over the city. Kwibuka means “to Remember” in Kinyarwanda, and this year marks the 29th year since the genocide. The commemoration begins on April 7th, and concludes July 4th on liberation day.
The genocide memorial was informative and absolutely heart breaking. Neighbors and family members turned against each other resulting in complete and utter devastation. The remains of an estimated 250,00 people are kept here, and as remains continue to be found across the countryside they are brought to this final resting place.
I think what was most striking about the genocide memorial was the anti Tutsi news propaganda that began years before the genocide occurred. Essentially scapegoating the problems of a country on a particular ethnic group. It was on a similar thread to the hate speech that politicians across the globe propagate towards marginalized communities to this day. A reminder that our words matter, stoking hate has consequences, and genocide can happen anywhere.
Below is an excerpt from President Bill Clinton’s speech to the people of Rwanda, acknowledging the worlds failure to intervene in the Rwandan genocide. Taken from the book, “We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families”.
“These events grew from a policy aimed at the systematic destruction of a people…. And this mattered not only to Rwanda, but also to the world, because each bloodletting hastens the next, and as the value of human life is degraded and violence becomes tolerated, the unimaginable becomes more conceivable”
May we remember so as not to repeat.
