THE ROAD TO RECONCILIATION
Unifying customs such as Umuganda and the
city’s bimonthly Car Free Day, when certain
streets are closed to tra c to allow people
to run, cycle and exercise instead, have been
key to the city’s healing process. As has a
determination not to forget the past — the
Kigali Genocide Memorial on the west side of
town is far more than a museum: it’s a mass
burial ground to which locals regularly return
to remember lost relatives and friends.
Visitors to Rwanda are sometimes advised
against asking their hosts about ethnicity
and genocide, but James Kamugisha, my
guide, assures me that, on the contrary,
questions are welcome. “What we want,
more than anything, is to ensure that history
doesn’t repeat itself,” he says. “There are
people who try deny the genocide happened.
We have to tell the truth.”Essential as it is to getting a good
understanding of present-day Kigali, a visit
to the Genocide Memorial is harrowing.
Video testimonies, snatches of racist
propaganda and photos of some of the
many children who were murdered throw
the harshest realities into focus. Sta hover
near the exit, ready to steer any visitors who
appear particularly distressed into a quiet
room where they can process what they’ve
learned as best they can.
“I was in there for ages. In pieces,” says
Carla Mrotzek, a young legal trainee from
Germany who’s in Kigali on a short-term
placement. We meet at a table laden with
fresh produce, having both enrolled in a
three-hour cooking class in Nyamirambo.
Our classmates are French pharmacists
taking time out from conference sessions,
and an American tourist travelling solo.WHAT’S THE BEST THING
ABOUT KIGALI?
It’s a green city. I think at the end
of the day, either you keep the
place where you live clean, or that
place messes you up.WHAT INFLUENCE DO KIGALI’S
GREEN CREDENTIALS HAVE ON
YOUR CREATIVE LIFE?
I like to explore ideas of
sustainability in my designs, by
upcycling discarded objects and
materials, and evoking natural
forms such as leaves and sun rays.
When I see something that’s been
thrown away, such as a cow horn
or an old brass padlock, I think
to myself: can I make something
beautiful out of that?WHAT MAKES KIGALI DIFFERENT
FROM OTHER AFRICAN CITIES?
It’s not chaotic — in fact, it feels
really safe. We have good roads,
good pavements and plenty of
lights on both public and private
buildings at night. It’s easy to
walk around, even in the dark.
abrahamkonga.comQ&A with
Abraham Konga,
jewellery designer142 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
KIGALI