On August 30, 2021, I received a call requiring my presence at a series of stakeholder meetings. There was a humble insistence in the voice on the other end of the call. Tasks needed to be closed and documents required updating. Some instructions conflicted with my daily responsibilities, but one thing was clear: an acquisition and merger between KCB Bank Rwanda and Banque Populaire du Rwanda by KCB Group was on the horizon. ALSO READ: BPR at 50: New loan products unveiled, commitment to financial inclusion reaffirmed What followed was a concentrated mix of spreadsheets and video calls. I wasn't aware at the time that there was an undercurrent blending history, ambition, and reconstruction. Two banks, both deeply embedded in Rwanda’s changing financial landscape, were being purposefully united. I wasn’t just an observer; I had a front row seat. Through concerted effort and a shared belief, we created the foundations of what KCB Group represents in Rwanda today: a confident step into the future, built on resilience, service, and scale. When KCB Bank Rwanda and BPR merged in April 2022, it wasn’t just about combining over Rwf600 billion in assets or increasing the total number of branches to 154 at the time. It was about connecting two philosophies; BPR’s strong community roots and KCB Group's broad vision to be the continents preferred financial services provider. This merger came at a crucial time when Rwanda's economic landscape needed an injection of funding. BPR Bank met this challenge enthusiastically, backing key sectors like infrastructure as the lead arranger for funding of the New Kigali International Airport, providing bridge financing with syndicated partners, and facilitating guarantees worth US$322 million to advance construction. Small and medium-sized enterprises in agro-processing, textiles, and logistics, were able to receive tailored working capital and digital payment systems. Banking became both accessible and responsive. With Rwanda being the regional hub for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE), the bank supported hospitality projects, including hotel construction and development of major event spaces in Kigali. Several structures in the Kigali skyline like the Marriott Hotel, Ubumwe Hotel, Park Inn by Radisson, and Kigali Heights, to mention a few, were financed by BPR Bank. The next challenge was climate-smart banking. BPR Bank currently dedicates a little over 20% of its credit portfolio to green loans, particularly focusing on alternative energy, green mobility projects, and various components of Rwanda's circular economy. Beyond the balance sheet though, there are more significant stories to tell about the BPR Bank brand. The BPR Foundation’s IGIRE Program by close of 2025 will have vocationally trained and empowered over 1,000 Rwandan youth with adaptable skills, seed capital, and mentorship. The aim now? Train 10,000 youth by 2030. This represents a vision of what real bankable change looks like. In accounting for our success over the past few years, it's critical to reflect on the deployment of several hearts, hands and minds of Rwanda's most intentional workforce. We brought together over 1,300 BPR Bank employees, who aligned and came together to create systems that were mapped to create an unforgettable customer experience. We rebuilt the financial infrastructure of the organisation without skipping a beat. We have learned that balance sheets alone don’t create real impact. People do. Cultures do. Dreams do. And when this is done purposefully, a lifetime of reproducible value is bestowed on all our stakeholders in a meaningful way. On August 4, 2025, BPR Bank Rwanda turns 50. We are not only celebrating five decades of service, we’re launching 50 Forward, a plan of action for the next 50 years. On August 4, we will return to Nkamba, the village where it all began. This time, to invest in our community and its social programmes. It will be a moment for us to take note of our growth and look forward to the next 50 years. We are putting together the building blocks that will stand the test of time, and I am confident that future generations will place their unrelenting trust in a futuristic and customer-centric BPR Bank brand. I’ve always believed that the best way to honor a brand, especially one so carefully curated over the past decade, is to create versatility for its future composition. We have done that. What we build with purpose, stands long after we are gone. It has been my absolute pleasure constructing and narrating the brand thus far. This is undoubtedly one of the most memorable and community-invoking emblems in the country. The BPR Bank brand today is a promise to deliver prosperity for all its customers, shareholders and communities now and for the foreseeable future. Upward and onward to 50 Forward! The writer is the Head of Marketing, Corporate Affairs and Citizenship at BPR Bank Rwanda PLC.
