KICUKIRO - Hundreds of Kigali City dwellers yesterday thronged Kigali International Airport, to receive Mayor Dr. Aisa Kirabo Kacyira as she returned from Angolan capital Luanda holding the prestigious UN Habitat Scroll of Honour award.

Kigali City received the award, regarded as the highest human settlement accolade last week.

Rwanda is the first African city to receive such an accolade.

The mayor arrived only to meet hundreds camped in the Airport lobby while others remained outside all chanting victory songs.

"It is good to achieve something but it is better when someone else recognizes this achievement…the fact that the UN recognized what our city achieved is very important,” said a joyful Kirabo upon arrival at the airport.

Kigali got the award due to the City Council’s efforts to keep the city green, banning polythene bags and progressive settlement policies, among other incentives.

She said that, specifically, the resettlement of people evicted from the lower Kiyovu near the city centre to Batsinda moderate housing estate was highly praised by the UN body.

The UN Habitat week is cerebrated during the first month of every October. During this year’s event, a Mexican city called Ciudad Juarez and three Chinese cities were also recognised.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank our stakeholders without whom we would never have realized this and these include the central government, the citizens of Kigali and other partners,” the jubilant Mayor said.

She added that this award will encourage them to work more aggressively to have not only a cleaner city but also improve the social and financial welfare of the dwellers.

"We want to see our citizens earning a better living than they are today and we have hope and faith in our people that together we shall do that,” she said.

The mayor, who was flanked by the Vice Mayor in charge of Finance and Administration, Dieu Donne Rumaragishyika and Nyarugenge District Mayor, Origene Rutayisire, also thanked the UN Habitat for recognizing the development realized by Kigali.

"We want to specifically thank the Executive Director of UN Habitat, Anna Tibayijuka, for her efforts,” she underscored.

Other incentives that come with the award according to Kirabo will include sponsored visits to other cities that won the award to see their best practices and devise means of importing these practices into Kigali.

The Mayor was escorted by a motorcade that drove from the airport to the City Hall.

"We plan in the near future to organize an event where we shall demonstrate the award to our partners and to the citizens,” Bruno Rangira, the Kigali City Director of Media and Communication said. 

Launched in 1989 by the United Nations Human Settlement Programme, the Habitat Scroll of Honour award is currently the most prestigious human settlements award in the world.

Its aim is to acknowledge initiatives which have made outstanding contributions in various fields such as shelter provision, highlighting the plight of the homeless, leadership in post conflict reconstruction, and developing and improving the human settlements and the quality of urban life.

Ends