Rwanda — A Land of Rolling Hills

Uchechi Onuoha
Sep 1, 2018 · 5 min read

I have had the most travels in my life this year — within and outside Nigeria. And I have my job to thank for that. Last week, my job took me to Kigali. If your Geography is warped, Kigali is the capital of Rwanda. You’re welcome!

After enduring a very uncomfortable flight, I rather not go into details for everyone’s sake, I touched down at Kigali International Airport, Rwanda. It was a bit chilly and I was glad I learned from my Botswana experience. I was prepared for any slight cold. First thing I noticed is the airport is small (compared to ours) BUT EFFICIENT! I went through immigration, paid for my visa (oh yes, visa on arrival in Rwanda) and got my luggage in about 15 minutes — unlike somewhere we know. *rolls eyes*

My home for 5 days was Kigali Serena Hotels. It’s quite big and one of the oldest in Kigali, I hear. When I didn’t eat at the hotel, I ate at Repub Lounge, Kigali. I love the ambience and their grilled tilapia fish. Oh and free WiFi. Who doesn’t love free WiFi, huh?

Pictures from Kigali Serena and Repub Lounge official websites

I had planned on visiting a number of places. I already had a list of places drawn. Unfortunately, I couldn’t do that because my tummy chose the appointed day to act up and I was confined to my room for the most part of the day. However, I got to visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial. It was a sad experience as I read about and listened to/watched the narrations/encounters of those that witnessed and survived the 1994 genocide. Let me just say that Hotel Rwanda, if you have seen the movie, is child’s play. A colleague from Kenya who I think worked with/for Reuters said the images shown at the museum were the most decent they could part with. Apparently, it was a moral dilemma choosing what images to show to the public as most of them were gory.

The Kigali Genocide Memorial is home to over 250,000 remains of victims of the war against the Tutsis. It is divided into 2 broad sections — the museum (a collection of narrations and “objects” from the genocide) and the burial site (unmarked, because the graves are mostly filled with unidentified remains, and a wall of names). The museum showcases artifacts from before, during and after the genicide. There is a section that has pictures of some of the victims while there is another section upstairs called The Children’s Room that had pictures, names, hobbies and manner of death of some of the children — some as young as 9 months old. According to narrations from survivors at the museum, people were killed by their neighbours, in-laws, childhood friends and some family members. I couldn’t watch or listen to some of the narrations. I also couldn’t visit all the rooms. It was too much to take in.

Despite all that the people of Rwanda have gone through, they remain warm and welcoming people and this is something I find striking. They have had to build their country from the ground up and they are not doing badly. Though their currency — the Rwanda Franc — is devalued at an exchange rate of 1RWF to $860, the economy seems progressive. If this continues, the country will be a force to reckon with in years to come.

Some interesting things I noted during the trip are:

  • No one is allowed to say they are Tutsi or Hutu, by law.
  • Their “okada” riders are as rough as ours. Okay, maybe not as rough. But the driver advised that I do not get on the bikes because it’s risky.
  • Primus, a beer in Rwanda, is regarded as “women’s beer”. Don’t get caught drinking it as a man.
  • They take security very serious. I noticed there were armed men at different points in the city. In addition to this, major buildings have metal detector doors and you may be required to come down from your vehicle and walk through them while your car is searched.
  • There is respect for authority. On my way to my hotel, a police patrol van was behind us. My driver slowed down and stayed by the side and I noticed the vehicle in front did same. They stayed still till the patrol van passed by. No sirens. No touting. Just respect. At this point, I wondered if I can cope in a place like this because my brain is used to chaos. I mean I get bored whenever I’m in Abuja because it’s too quiet and sane.
  • The hotel where people took refuge during the 1994 genocide still stands in its original location — Hôtel des Mille Collines. Of course, it’s been renovated/rebuilt and is the most popular hotel in Rwanda.
  • Plastic bags are banned in Rwanda. Alternatives are paper bags. I’m sure this is why public litter is almost non-existent.

Thanks for reading. I can’t wait to see where next my job takes me.

Uchechi Onuoha

Written by

A young lady on a quest to improve on her writing skills by documenting personal experiences. Join me by reading an article or two.

Lauranne

Lauranne

A young lady on a quest to improve on her writing skills by documenting personal experiences. Join me by reading an article or two.

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