ENVIRONMENT DAY: NCBA Bank, Green City Kigali seal landmark partnership to advance sustainable urban living

NCBA Bank Rwanda and Green City Kigali (GCK) have formed a strategic partnership to promote affordable, inclusive, and environmentally friendly homeownership. The agreement sets up a multi-year collaboration to help turn Kinyinya Hill into a model green neighborhood—one that empowers current residents to take part in and benefit from its growth. This collaboration brings together NCBA’s expertise in affordable, sustainable finance and GCK’s mission to pioneer climate-smart urban living that leaves no one behind. A core element of the partnership is the creation of mortgage products tailored to low- and middle-income households—enabling wider access to homeownership in Kigali. The initiative aligns with NCBA Group’s regional Change the Story sustainability strategy, which includes deploying electric vehicle infrastructure, planting 10 million trees by 2030, and eliminating single-use plastics across its operations. “Across the group, we’ve committed to raise USD 230 million and direct it towards green financing,” said Maurice Toroitich, Managing Director of NCBA Rwanda. “We firmly believe sustainability and affordability are inseparable if we are to build cities for generations to come.” Green City Kigali is a bold, government-led effort to rethink how African cities grow. Set on 600 hectares of land in Kinyinya Hill, the project is part of the City of Kigali Master Plan 2050 and aims to create a vibrant, inclusive neighborhood for up to 200,000 residents. Its first phase will develop 1,700 to 2,000 homes through public-private partnerships. “The Green City is more than a housing project—it’s a model for how cities can be affordable, climate-resilient, efficient with resources, and rooted in local culture,” said Basil Karimba, CEO of GCK. To bring this vision to life, the partnership with NCBA Bank will focus on breaking down the barriers to homeownership—especially for low- and middle-income families. It will also invest in people, offering financial literacy, skills training, and community programs that empower residents—particularly women and youth—to fully participate in and benefit from the city’s transformation. Beyond buildings, the partners will help restore the local environment by planting over 10,000 trees each year and rehabilitating the landscape of Kinyinya Hill. “We stand behind this initiative because it provides a blueprint for homegrown sustainable and inclusive development. Today, we have corporations, the government, the youth, a bank, and the community coming together—because no one can do this alone,” said Dr. Jack Ngarambe, Director General of Urbanization, Housing, and Human Settlement at the Ministry of Infrastructure, during the event. “We are trying to develop a 600 hectare of Green City in Kigali today, but the real vision is to replicate this model across Rwanda and, ultimately, to see it replicated across the continent, he added. Among the planned youth beneficiaries of this partnership is the Kepler College Environment Club, whose members attended and spoke at the event. The partnership will support the club’s climate action, civic engagement, and environmental stewardship. Their ongoing projects include plastic and e-waste collection and community awareness campaigns that involve residents of Kinyinya as well as other universities across the country. “As students of Kepler and members of the Environment Club, we’re excited about this partnership because we are both participants and beneficiaries,” said Binama Jessica, President of the Kepler Environment Club. “We’re already living in the Green City Kigali, and now we’re helping to shape it—both here on campus and beyond.”

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ENVIRONMENT DAY: NCBA Bank, Green City Kigali seal landmark partnership to advance sustainable urban living