A few days ago a friend was confronted by three well built young men in a remote corner of the now vibrant Remera suburb, close to the Gisementi junction. It was getting to 9.00pm, quite late by Rwandan standards. I am informed that unlike our neighbours, we tend to sleep early. My friend, John, barely managed to put up a fight, as one of the three mean looking ‘gentlemen’ attempted to waylay him. This was like a welter weight boxing amateur fighting Frank Bruno or Mike Tyson. John got a beating that he said he will live to remember. Thank God he survived. He sustained a hand injury and a broken jaw on which he received an upper cut, in the parlance of boxing. After regaining his consciousness, John discovered that there were more losses. His pockets were among the early casualties. He lost an expensive cell phone, a wallet that contained three quarters of his hard earned salary and a watch bought by an affluent relative who lives overseas. The following day, John managed to call me and briefly narrated the ordeal he had gone through the previous night. Surprisingly, he did not sound very bitter. He had the temerity to forgive but not forget those who had robbed him. He said that he was lucky that the incident took place in Kigali. If it had been any of the cities else where in the region, he probably would be history. This incident is not isolated. It is among many acts of pockets of insecurity at a low scale that are beginning to cause anxiety among residents who still consider Kigali the safest city in the region and a paragon of peace and security. I say this with confidence because establishing and maintaining peace and security is something that takes time and effort. I should also think that security should never be taken for granted. It should be guarded and guarded jealously by all of us since we are all beneficiaries. A scholar of international relations once viewed security as ‘the relative freedom from harmful threats’. I would tend to agree with this view. Security and prevention of delinquency in Kigali should be the business of all residents. For instance, if we witness any situation similar to that of John we should immediately raise an alarm or make all efforts to stop the act and report to the authorities. Kigali’s safety as I indicated earlier on is not in doubt. Tourists confirm that this is one of the few African cities in which they enjoy the warmth and hospitality of its residents. Phillip Briggs and Janice Booth describe Kigali as “...bustling, colourful and noisy, but ( for an African city) surprisingly clean and safe.” I am not sure about the cleanliness bit but what I can vouchsafe for is the bit about safety. Not many cities can claim safety to the level of Kigali. Now that our facilities and infrastructure have reached international standards, there is some reason for us to remain vigilant in ensuring that safety and security prevails. This year, Kigali will be hosting major conferences, including an African Union Summit. Hosting such international events involves huge financial expenditure in terms of infrastructure, services and other resources. The short term and long term socio-economic benefits and development spin-offs, which often result from hosting such events, are seen as worth the costs incurred. Kigali city should be seen as an engine of economic growth and a vehicle by which Rwanda can successfully respond to demands, challenges and opportunities that are brought by being a member of the global community. Hosting major international conferences will avail Rwanda with a window of opportunity to market and enhance her position as an emerging important player and, therefore, a safe destination for economic investment. By hosting more important conferences, our city will be perceived as having the ability to compete internationally for opportunities brought by globalisation. This is why, therefore, acts of mugging, bullying and robbery, infrequent as they are, should be dealt with as quickly and decisively as possible. We should not allow a few elements in our midst to spoil an image of a city that is becoming this region’s eldo-rado. Undoubtedly, Kigali’s growth has been phenomenal. Kigali now is home to 10% of Rwanda’s population. Facilities in the city continue to increase to accommodate the ever swelling number of ‘migrants’ from the rural areas in pursuit of greener pastures, and the international community fellows who come to run their businesses. We will need to remain vigilant as residents and work closely with law enforcement agents in ensuring that our city remains safe and secure. I know we have done this several times but we still need to do more as our city grows bigger. oscar.kimanuka@yahoo.co.uk
