The popular Cadillac Nightclub in Kimihurura, Kigali went up in flames on the night of November 17, 2012.

In a fire that lasted for several hours before it was eventually put out, property worth over Rwf400 million was reduced to rubble. Kigali’s premier nightclub was no more. 

Since then, the question on many people’s minds has been that of whether the owner, Eugene Habimana, best known as Cobra, would re-invent himself.

Cobra started Cadillac Nightclub in 1989 in Bujumbura, the capital city of Burundi where he was living with his family as a refugee.

The club’s DJ box came in a unique design – a Cadillac car that Cobra had earlier bought from the American Embassy in Bujumbura, hence the name Cadillac Nightclub.

He moved to Rwanda with his family right after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, and immediately established the Cadillac Nightclub in Kigali. At the time, the facility did not even have electricity, so they had to make do with a generator.

First forward, four years after the fire that gutted the nightclub, many people are still wondering about the whereabouts of Cobra, and whether he still holds the prospects of reviving his club.

"When Cadillac was burnt down I decided to go back to Bujumbura where the club originally started while waiting to be paid insurance so that I could start the club afresh in Kigali, but I was never paid,” Cobra revealed when we met for this interview at the Inzora Rooftop Café at the Ikirezi Bookstore in Kacyiru.

Cobra lives in a large residential property that shares a wall with the bookstore. Pointing to the medium-sized swimming pool at the back of the building, he revealed that he is turning it into a bar and restaurant.

The poolside will be the main centre of action, with glass wall enclaves already being erected. He revealed that live music performances will be the main thrust of the poolside facility, which should be up and running in about a month.

"After Cadillac was burnt down we went to commercial courts twice and now the case is before the High Court and we are waiting for their decision. I hope the court expedites the case as soon as possible,” he explained.

If compensated, Cobra intends to re-establish the Cadillac Nightclub in Kigali.

"The former Cadillac was located in a wetland so I intend to acquire a new location if I get the insurance money,” he explained. "In Bujumbura, I lost a lot because the nightlife was affected by the violent political situation there.”

At one time, Cobra even took a three months sojourn in Los Angeles, US, weighing his business options and sourcing new ideas.

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