Kigali- Capital City of Rwanda
Kigali city is the capital of Rwanda, a small landlocked country, located in the Eastern part of Africa. The Kigali city is the busiest city of this country being the hub of businesses and also being the base of the main International airport, the Kigali International airport. The Kigali International airport welcomes all the international guests flying into the country and also those exiting back to their homes or next destination.
Kigali city represents all the cultures of the Rwanda people, is the center of the economy of the country and also a hub to most of the destinations of the country. Kigali became a transport hub after Rwanda got independence in the year of 1962. The city is also where you will find the residence and home of the President of Rwanda as well as the government and ministerial offices, the major infrastructures and the big businesses like telecommunication offices, banks and the kind to mention but a few.
Rwanda has four provinces and these are the Northern Province, the southern province, the Eastern province and the western province and the Kigali city is independent of these and is located in the middle of these provinces.
The city was previously occupied by the Batwa/ Twa people who are also known as the pygmies or the hunter gatherers. These lived the city in the years between 9000 and 3000 BC. However much the Batwa may have moved out, these are still existing and living in Rwanda. The two ethnicities of Rwanda are currently occupying Kigali and these are the Hutu and Tutsi.
By the 14th century, Kigali was a strong city of its own backed by the neighbors Gisaka and Bugesera. Being in a strategic location, in the heart of Rwanda, the city stood out on its own in 2006 when the country was demarcated into provincial states. Rwanda is a hilly country and this doesn’t leave Kigali out as this city is elevated at an altitude of 1,800 meters, 20S to 300E which is a metasedimentary and granitic region.
The Kigali city is also a known for the Kigali Genocide Memorial Grounds in Nyarutarama, the expansive Golf course on top of the Kigali International Airport. Just like the rest of the country, it experiences two weather seasons and these are the rainy season and the dry season. The city however is generally receives temperate tropical highland weather with low temperatures factored by the high elevation of the city.
The temperatures in Kigali city range between 12 degrees Celsius to 28 degrees Celsius with the dry season months ranging from mid-December to February then later from June to September. The wet months of Rwanda range from October to early December then again from March to May. Visits to Rwanda can be booked any time of the year as the conditions do not affect the daily way of living in the country.
The city is governed by a city council and this council is appointed by the mayor and two deputies who make up the executive city committee. The executive city committee also partakes in the running of the city’s daily activities.
It was once recognized as the cleanest city in the country and in the entire Africa and this is backed by the banning of polythene bags in the country and also the Umuganda gathering to clean the streets of Kigali.
Nyarugenge, Gasabo and Kicukiro are the administrative districts found in the rural area. This city is also the base of the University of Rwanda, the second largest secondary school called Lycee de Kigali as well as the Greenhill Academy in Nyarutama. Most guests who book a visit to Rwanda with us are offered a complimentary Kigali city tour and this is when you get to enjoy the most of Rwanda.
Get in touch with us and let us take you to the great tourism points of the city like the Kimironko market, Kigali Genocide memorial, hike the Mount Kigali, visit one of the museums in the city. We look forward to hearing from you soon for your Rwanda safari.
