It’s lunchtime and the bustling activity in Biryogo indicates that it’s a popular spot for town residents to have their meals. The air is filled with the enticing aroma of food and spices as restaurants are packed with customers. We intended to delve into the history of Biryogo and explore its evolution, particularly over the last decade.
We set off from The New Times head office in Gishushu at 11:20 am, just before lunchtime, to capture the activities during that time, as the area is renowned for its diverse cultural restaurants.
Upon arrival, we were received by the village leader, Amani Rudasingwa, who awaited us at the former Biryogo market, currently undergoing construction to modernise its appearance.
The area was bustling with various business activities including shops, restaurants, retail stores, and construction work. Restaurant owners were busy preparing for the lunch rush. There was a lot of traffic from vehicles, taxi-motos, and commuters, as well as some students heading home for lunch.
It took us a couple of hours to accomplish our task, as we needed to visit and speak with various business owners and long-time residents in the area to gather their insights.
Transformation
Haruna Nizerimana, a resident of Biryogo, was originally born in the same vicinity at a place known as ‘Mirongo Ine’ in 1962 but moved to Biryogo at the age of four in 1966. He tells tales of change and incredible transformation.
"When we got here, there was no development. There were a few connecting small dusty roads and farms where people would grow crops up until 1973 when the government changed after Juvénal Habyarimana took over from Grégoire Kayibanda.
"At the age of eight, maybe it was the first time I saw a grader passing through these roads, but that was it. It was dejected, with no planning whatsoever, and there was no drainage system. Nobody seemed to care about Biryogo,” Nizerimana said.
He noted that the area began to change when the current government constructed stone roads in the region, and over the last five years, tarmac roads have significantly transformed the area.
"The current government was able to not only fix the roads, but today, we have tarmac and stone-paved roads as well as street lights. As you can see, many developments are going on. We are very thankful to the government for remembering us,” Nizerimana said, adding that previously, the buildings were old and dilapidated.
A changed place
Much as Yvonne Murebwayire was not born in Biryogo, she has lived in the area long enough to see it evolve into what it is today. Born in Uganda in 1971, she moved to Biryogo because she realised business there was lucrative.
When she moved there, stereotypes lingered, like it was underdeveloped and inhabited by Muslims, but on getting there, she realised everybody was welcome to live in Biryogo, which she describes as an inclusive community.
"When I got here, the place was not as developed as it is today. It started with the roads, first with stone-paved roads and then tarmac roads. We have seen new buildings coming up, replacing the old ones.”
Murebwayire, however, said the value of buildings, especially shops, changed with the introduction of one-way roads and car-free streets, but that does not matter because it was all part of reorganisation.
"Some buildings and shops struggled with access, seeing a reduction in clients, but much as we don’t receive many clients, it is okay, we are adjusting. We are doing business, we are growing,” she said.
One thing that sets Biryogo apart is the varying cost of rent, determined by the shop’s location. Monthly rent for standard shops ranges from Rwf150,000 to Rwf200,000, making it more affordable compared to the central business district.
Rashid Kayitani Habinshuti was born and raised in Biryogo but later moved to Belgium, where he spent two decades before returning home. He knows the story of Biryogo more than anyone else.
"I was born and raised here but after that, I moved to Belgium where I lived for 20 years, and after that, I decided to come back home just like many other Rwandans, to make a difference in my country,” Habinshuti said.
"I started doing business in Biryogo and that’s where I still live. Much as I didn’t live here for a long time, I know the history of this area,” said the 48-year-old businessman.
Habinshuti asserts his familiarity with Biryogo before the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Having observed the area’s evolution over the past three decades, including a period of residency outside Rwanda, he can offer insightful comparisons.
An "impossible” place with a bad reputation
"I have been a witness to the changes here, and many people can see the difference. This place had a not-so-good reputation because it was considered underdeveloped and a home for delinquents.
"It was known as a place where you find thugs and street kids who stole people’s property such as car parts, or a place to buy stolen goods, but all this has changed. This bad history no longer defines Biryogo,” Habinshuti said.
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Not long ago, car owners would find themselves in ‘Tarinyota’, a section of Biryogo with garages and car spare parts shops, and often fell prey to deceitful mechanics who pretended to help but ended up swindling their unsuspecting customers.
Habinshuti said that all these and other negative perceptions tainted the image of Biryogo but this is all in the past now, adding that Biryogo cell in Nyarugenge sector is the only cell that does not have a single murram road and boasts of 100 per cent street lighting.
Secret to development
Primarily populated by traditional Muslim families or native-born residents, despite its ‘slum’ label, Biryogo is reportedly home to the largest number of people living in the diaspora.
"Biryogo is arguably the only place in Rwanda where you can find families with the highest number of children living abroad as members of the Rwandan diaspora,” Habinshuti noted.
They either go to study or do business. This, according to residents of the area, has contributed greatly to the development of the area, because the same children remit money back home to support and develop their families.
It is a unique characteristic that created ‘healthy competition’ for families to do what they can to send their children abroad, and it is today that the fruits are being harvested.
"They come back to support their families, they remit money back home to pay school fees for their siblings and it also explains the new buildings coming up and refurbished houses. It is positive input,” Habinshuti said.
As such, development started within families and is now spreading to the entire community, and it also keeps the children focused and challenged when they travel abroad.
This also helps to demystify the notion that Muslims, who predominantly inhabit the area, are illiterate and do not educate their children. Today, they do not only educate their children, they strive to give them the best of education.
"Biryogo today is safe. People can walk around here for 24 hours without fearing for their security. You can come here and find a place to eat at any given time,” the businessman added.
There was also the perception that girls couldn’t attend school and would be married off at 17, but this has also changed.
"Girls don’t just go to school. Today, they are in business — you’ll also find them in offices, in tourism, and hospitality. This wasn’t the case before,” Habinshuti said, adding that this too came under the current government, where all children have the right to education and equal opportunities.
Residents’ views
Today, Biryogo boasts some of the city’s best business minds, importers, exporters and the most innovative and creative minds. Everywhere you look there are shops, restaurants, coffee shops, studios, and trendy fashion outlets.
Suedi Gakara, 80, who has been a resident of Biryogo since 1962, said he has been a witness to the development and growth of the area in recent years.
Back then, Biryogo had the cheapest plots of land, going for as little as Rwf400, but today, it would be a miracle to even acquire a plot of land in the area, as the latest developments and prospects have made the price of land skyrocket.
Fatuma Uwimana, a businesswoman born in Biryogo in 1989, said there are certain things she has been able to see with her own eyes.
"Before, people used to sell land cheaply but ever since this development came, they stopped selling their land and decided to develop themselves. They understand the value of what they have,” she said.
Of course, like any other part of Rwanda going through the development phase, Biryogo still faces some challenges, but Uwimana says these are not unique to Biryogo only, such as people still grappling with poverty and teenage pregnancies, among others.
Amani Rudasingwa, a local leader who has lived in Biryogo for the past 26 years, told The New Times: "The changes are visible for everyone to see, in terms of development and growth. These houses you see here have all changed over time. They were old dilapidated tin-roofed houses.”
He said the current leadership encouraged people to change their way of life, starting by giving them permits to rehabilitate and renovate their houses, while others were connected to banks to get loans to put up buildings.
The government on the other hand built the infrastructure needed, especially roads and access to electricity, schools, and health facilities.
Through the City of Kigali’s Agatare Upgrading Project, Biryogo has been upgraded to a modern urban neighbourhood and a flourishing business hub.
The project seeks to turn around the area with a population density of 220/ha by improving housing, and infrastructure, including roads, footpaths, drainage, buildings, and lighting, to make it more liveable.
The Rwf12.5bn project funded by the Government of Rwanda and the World Bank, started in 2018 and has seen at least 6.66km of roads within Biryogo paved and lit while the drainage system has been established.
The project also integrates other aspects to make it not just a tourist stopover but also an entertainment and hospitality hotspot.
Among other things, Rudasingwa said that a new market is under construction, replacing the old one, where traders will be able to do their business in a more modern setting.