In his acceptance speech following the announcement of provisional presidential elections results, which confirmed him as the winner on August 5, 2017, President Paul Kagame thanked Rwandans and vowed to continue transforming Rwanda as well as ensuring a dignified life for every citizen.

He said that for the next seven years, the Rwandan government would continue “to take care of issues that affect Rwandans and ensure that we become real Rwandans who are [economically] developing.”

Six years later, a lot has been done. Notwithstanding the global economic breakdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, the country strived, remained resilient, and made significant development progress.

 

Rwanda initiated and completed various projects which boosted the country’s economy and played a big role in improving people’s lives as well as contributing to the country’s development in many sectors including tourism, sports development, rural development, transportation, and health.

 

Listed here, in no particular order, are 10 noteworthy, ongoing and finalized, infrastructure projects within the seven years of President Kagame’s third term.

BK Arena

Constructed and finished in 2019, the state-of-the-art BK Arena was a joint project between the government of Rwanda and the Turkish Investment Company, Summa, which was completed at the cost of $104 million.

 

The 10,000 seater sports arena which can also sit an additional 5,000 people if fully packed, is the biggest indoor arena in East Africa. The facility is multi-purpose as it also hosts meetings, conferences, exhibitions, and concerts.

 

Since its inauguration in August 2019, the facility hosted numerous big events which created jobs and business opportunities for many, generated revenues for the country, and improved social life in general.

 

Kigali International Airport expansion

 

The suspension of aviation travel due to the pandemic allowed the government to embark on upgrades of of Kigali International Airport (KIA) allowing it to fully comply with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.

 

The expansion activities finalized in 2020 have seen KIA get a new apron, three taxiways, a hangar, an upgraded terminal and airfield lighting.  

 

The airport’s parking capacity increased from accommodating 26 aircrafts to 44, and the arrivals processing area increased from 0.7 square meters per passenger to 1.2 square meters.

New international airport in Bugesera

As of June 2023, the construction of the new Kigali International Airport in Bugesera District had surpassed the halfway mark, standing at 50 per cent completion.

With an estimated $2 billion in investment, the facility which is located about 40km to the southeast of Kigali, will have a terminal building capable of handling eight million passengers annually and a cargo terminal that can accommodate 150,000 tons of cargo a year.

The country’s mega project, which is expected to be operational by 2026, will not only benefit Rwanda but also the entire Africa. It will address a critical problem of a fragmented network of routes that often require passengers to travel via Europe or the Middle East when flying between African countries.

Amahoro National Stadium renovation

The Amahoro National Stadium expansion project started in March 2022.

 

After its upgrading, the multi-purpose stadium will accommodate 45,000 spectators up from 25,000, enhance the comfort and experience of spectators, and contribute to the growth of sports and entertainment in the country.

Slated for completion in end 2024, the revamped facility will cost Rwf160 billion. It will be the largest stadium in Rwanda that hosts football matches, concerts, and public events.

Nyandungu Eco-Park

The Nyandungu restoration project was a six-year initiative aimed at responding to environmental challenges such as pollution and flooding through the conservation of wetland ecosystems and eco-tourism.

Opened for visitors in July 2022, the once-degraded wetland is now an educational, recreational, and touristic place.

Nyandungu Urban Wetland Eco-tourism Park contains 17,000 trees made up of 55 indigenous species, more than 100 bird species, a medicinal garden, a Pope’s garden, five catchment ponds, three recreation ponds, an information center, a restaurant as well as 10km of walkways and bike lanes.

The 121-hectares park was completed at a cost of Rwf4.5 billion. It is projected that it will generate over Rwf1 billion profit in the first 12 years of operation.

BioNTech Vaccine manufacturing facility

After the Covid-19 pandemic exposed Africa's huge dependence on imported vaccines, Rwanda was among the three-selected countries to host Africa’s first mRNA vaccine plants along with South Africa and Senegal.

The construction of the BioNTech vaccine manufacturing facility in Kigali was launched in June 2022, making Rwanda the first to host the mRNA vaccine plant in Africa.

The first of two initial BioNTainers – one for manufacturing mRNA and one for producing the formulated bulk drug product – composed of six ISO-sized shipping containers arrived in Rwanda in March 2023.

The facility will produce up to 100 million mRNA vaccines per year. It will manufacture Tuberculosis, HIV, and Malaria vaccines.  

Volkswagen Rwanda

The largest European motor vehicle manufacturer from Germany, Volkswagen (VW), started assembling vehicles in Rwanda in 2018, following an agreement signed between the Rwandan government and the company, in late 2016.

The VW assembly plant in Kigali assembles more than four models including VW Teramont, Passat, Polo, Tiguan and Amarok models.

The plant is expected to assemble electric tractors that will contribute to boosting agriculture mechanisation and reducing carbon emissions for environmental protection purposes.

On June 8, the Rwandan government signed an MoU with VW to implement GenFarm Project in Bugesera district, which will establish a modern farm utilizing such electric tractors.

District Hospitals

In Rwanda’s vision of enhancing access to quality health for all in its seven-year government programme, the National Strategy for Transformation (2017-2024), the country launched four modern district hospitals nationwide which President Kagame had promised citizens.

As promised by Kagame in 2015, Nyabikenke District Hospital in Muhanga district was completed in 2021 and started operations in mid-2023, costing more than Rwf7 billion.

Munini District Hospital in Nyaruguru district was inaugurated in July 2022, costing $14.5 million.

Completed in 2019 with cost of Rwf3.5 billion, the construction of Gatonde District Hospital in Gakenke district started in March 2017.  It was after President Kagame held leaders accountable for the late delivery of the hospital and tasked them to fast-track the project during his visit to the district in 2016.  

In 2020, Nyarugenge District Hospital was built. The first phase was constructed within 18 months at the cost of Rwf9 billion, and it is now fully operational.  

Water treatment plants

The government accomplished another milestone in its target of ensuring universal access to water by 2024, launching two water treatment plants, and upgrading one.

The Nzove I water treatment plant and Kigali Bulk water supply project in Bugesera district were inaugurated in 2019 and 2021, respectively, while Nzove II water treatment plant was expanded.

Nzove I produces 40 million liters per day while Nzove II upgraded from 25 million liters in 2016 to 40 million liters per day in 2019.

The plants provide over 70 percent of the clean water used in Kigali city.  Kigali Bulk water supply project produces 40 million liters per day and supplies 30 million liters to Kigali and 10 million liters to Bugesera district. 

Roads infrastructure

Kigali city and secondary cities got new roads while some old ones were expanded.

For instance, a Rwf7.3 billion ‘Kigali Infrastructure project’(KIP) is being implemented from 2022 to 2026 covering an area of 215.6km.

Under KIP, 57 new roads will be constructed including one from Masaka to the new international airport in Bugesera District and another from Base-Kidaho-Butaro outside of Kigali.

In 2019, the government launched a project to upgrade the dual carriage 13.8-kilometre-long Sonatube-Gahanga-Akagera bridge road which was completed in 2022, at the cost of Rwf48 billion.

The long-awaited Huye-Gisagara road covering 13.8km was also completed in 2020 at the tune of Rwf 6.5 billion, three years after it was pledged by President Kagame during his presidential campaign in 2017.

Launched in 2019, the expansion of the 66km Huye-Nyaruguru road was completed at a cost of Rwf90 billion. It connects the two districts cutting through Kibeho-Ndago, Ndago-Munini, Ndago-Ngoma, and Kibeho urban roads.

The Base-Rukomo–Nyagatare road project covering 124.3km was upgraded from unpaved road to asphalt. The road promoted trade between the northern and eastern parts of Rwanda through a direct link between the towns of Rubavu, Musanze, Gicumbi, and Nyagatare.