Her client had declared that she was going to have English language lessons, today the shopkeeper-on the outskirts of Kigali-asked her client how far she had gone in the project to learn English. The client bemused by the question answered; “the day ‘Anglophones’ learn as much French as the English I can master, that day I will also learn more English. “After a few more jokes the conversation took on different subjects and thirty minutes later, it had turned to the topic of Kigali Convention Centre, whose construction is currently in full gear. KCC is seen as a solution to regional summits and a meeting venue. The former owners of this land are among the many that were resettled or are about to be resettled at the Batsinda housing project set up by Kigali City Council on the fringes of Remera suburb. The tenants were not given any alternative solutions. Currently, construction works are underway to build a new road behind the fence of the main post office headquarters through to the front of the Ministry of Justice offices in Kacyiru. When this bypass is completed, Kigali Convention Centre Airport from the parliamentary buildings to KBC will be closed, sometime in January. The building of the new road was the subject of interest to the aforementioned conversation between client and shopkeeper in Kacyiru. Construction works here because of the poor quality of the soils are causing an eternal cloud of dust over the shop and the building across the road, in which the client worked. “You see, if you refuse to speak English, you will not refuse to see it,” the shopkeeper joked with the client. Claude Sikiofupi, a correspondent with Kigali Notes and a regular customer with the same shop caught up with the rest of the conversation and had his own contribution. Here below are the excerpts; Shopkeeper: “Hey Jane, you see the convention centre is very important, you have to respect the people that are building it. I hear that it will have two roads occupying the space of one. One on top of the other. - an “etage”, of roads. Client: All roads are the same, but the question is, when the convention center is completed, shall I be able to find a job there? I hear there will be a 5 star hotel with 279 rooms and executive suites and a conference centre. Surely, there will be much more for me to gain with these things. I don’t mind the dust for now? Shopkeeper: Are you always looking for a job? I have known you for over six years now, and everything makes sense or not depending on whether it will give you a job or not. Client: You see nothing makes sense to me when I hear are conventions, workshops, conferences and new roads only passing through or in this case above my neighbourhood and taking all its revenue further away from me. My current job is only small enough to make me your customer. I want to be able to do my shopping in Nakumatt. Have you heard about it? Shopkeeper: You are a very greedy woman, what is wrong with you shopping from my kiosk? Sikiofupi: You are all misrepresenting facts here, Kigali is interested in hotels and convention centres because we are the preferred destination of tourists and conferences. Now you know, the new roads, and convention centres are for meetings and discussions, not jobs, unless you are a translator. Ends
