The History of Kigali

Kigali was originally part of the many ritual sites along the Nyaboarongo River, which included the Bumbogo, Buriza, and Banacyambwe. There, "cattle kings" lived and performed complex, magical rituals. Written word from the 16th century tells a story of King Kigeri Mukobanya, who conquered Buriza and Bumbogo. He was given Mount Kigali as his home by the King of Bugesera.

However, in 1885, the European superpowers congregated to carve out regions of Africa (known as the "Scramble for Africa"). Rwanda and Burundi were given to the Germans, though the Germans did not colonize Rwanda and Burundi as heavily compared to their European brethren. They had a form of indirect rule with a small European presence, which, given the other European countries, is rather unusual. To the Germans, Rwanda was known as a great breeding ground for cattle and even bees. Their soil was good for growing fruit and with the hills in the background, it was quite beautiful. In 1907, Germany set up their first European presence in Rwanda in Kigali where the Gakinjiro Market of the Cyahafi sector is today. In 1909, houses were built on where the Nyarugenge market while the military camp was built where the prison of Kigali is today. Finally, a small community lived where the field hospital complex of Kigali is today.

By World War 1, the Belgians declared victory over the Germans, thus inheriting Kigali. The Belgians did not like Kigali, and actually set up their administrative capital in Nyanza, where the traditional King of Rwanda lived. After the war, the League of Nations controlled Rwanda, but the Belgians were still operating it at the time. By that time, Kigali was the main administrative location for Rwanda. During this time, Kigali was actually rather small, and did not grow very much. But once it was selected as the capital of Rwanda after their independence in 1962 (because of its central location), the population exploded from roughly 6,000 people to over 150,000 by the 80s. It truly became the economic, cultural, and political center of the entire country.

The city population grew until the Rwandan Genocide, which began on April 6th, 1994. The genocide began with the ethnic tensions between the Tutsis and the Hutus. Approximately one million Tutsis and many Hutus were killed by the Hutu Militia, known as the interahamwe, and by members of the Rwandan army. A famous site is Mille Collines Hotel, which became a refugee site for many targeted citizens of Kigali. It was famously depicted in Hotel Rwanda (though that was filmed in South Africa).

After the genocide, the country did not reach its previous population again until 1999. Fortunately, the infrastructure was minimally damaged, so many of the buildings today pre-date the Rwandan genocide. Today, Kigali is one of the fastest growing economic cities in Africa. With their goals of becoming a middle-income country by 2020, Kigali has truly become a major site for investments. In addition, in the age of globalization, their close relations under the Clinton administration and up until today have truly improved their position in the global market.

Sources:

http://www.kigalicity.gov.rw/