We call Rwanda the land of one thousand hills, but they are more than 1,000. It is a land far west, one hour behind Kenya on time zones and was once the kingdom of Ruanda-Urundi, which went through the hands of the Germans during World War I and then Belgians before independence in 1962.
The country is famous for both positive and negative events. The genocide of 1994 and the subsequent recovery have Rwanda on the global map. It amazes me how we can invent differences when there are none for political expediency.
Rwandese speak the same language, Kinyarwanda. Yet Belgians created a difference based on height and other characteristics. In Somalia, the rulers went down to clans to create differences despite one language.
A visit to Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, leaves no doubt it is a country on the move. It is reaping the dividends of political stability. Data supports that with gross domestic product (GDP) growing at 8.6 per cent in 2018. The same year, the service sector’s contribution to GDP reached over 50 per cent.
Rwanda Airlines is one bright spot on services, now being courted by Qatar Airways. Construction too is growing, with a fast changing skyline of Kigali particularly on hills. Agriculture remains the pivot of the economy with 75 per cent of the labour while special economic zones (SEZ) since 2012 aim at catapulting Rwanda into industrial age.
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World Bank Senior Economist Aghassi Mkrtchyan noted on Rwanda‘s economic growth in June 2019: “Supported by conducive macroeconomic policies, Rwanda continues to enjoy a strong economic momentum characterised by high growth and low inflation.”
This is the economic dream of every country, high growth and low inflation. Some Kenyans, mostly professionals, are riding on this growth with jobs. That is why what you study in school matters so much. Can it be useful elsewhere?
You cannot try to be an MCA in Rwanda or elsewhere because you have a PhD in political science. But computer science or accounting remains the same, it does not matter the country. High school students, are you listening?
Rwanda, unlike Kenya, seems to have a moderated capitalism. I have not seen the extremes of Kenyan capitalism espoused by slums and inequality in Rwanda. Maybe I have not explored enough of Kigali and the countryside.
The malls and the skyscrapers of Nairobi hide the other side of capitalism, inequality. It seems so far the Rwandese capitalism has a human face, unlike ours. It is a dilemma every country faces as it develops, how to take care of the disadvantaged.
Since 1994, Rwanda has been going through lots of changes, which go hand in hand with economic growth. One is the shift from French to English as the language of instruction. Rwanda even joined the Commonwealth and will host the 2020 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
Lots of preparations for this meeting are ongoing in Kigali including the sprucing up of the airport.
Shifting to English might seem a small change. But few can dispute that English is the language of business despite Brexit. Instructively, Rwanda’s southern neighbour Burundi still speaks predominantly French, and so does DR Congo. Does it matter?
Rwanda still keep right on the road, which should be adopted by the rest of East Africa - three quarters of the world keep right. That would smoothen inter-country logistics and allow tourists to drive themselves around.
Enough on Kigali. Our visit to Rwanda was academic, a summer school sponsored by Volkswagen Foundation, no connection to the famous car.
The school focus is hybrid entrepreneurship. This has two facets. One is where profitable firms invest in solving social problems while making money at the same time. The other is where employed men and women make money from side hustles. This is very familiar to Kenyans.
The summer school involves National University of Burundi, University of Nairobi, Rwanda University of Tourism, Technology and Business, James Cook University in Singapore, Heinrich Heine University in Germany and EM Strasbourg Business School in France.
We are visiting and interviewing social entrepreneurs on how they started, developed and how they are expanding in Rwanda. We shall replicate that in Kenya starting next week. The programme has both faculty and students, working together, a great learning experience.
Education system
One wishes all students get such an exposure before graduating from the university. They need to leave the comfort of their homes and visit other countries. Such experiences enrich the textbook theories, some of which are outdated or irrelevant. Experience will never get a competitor.
Finally a few observations about Rwanda. Our proposed CBC system has uncanny resemblance to Rwanda’s current education system, 6-3-3-4. Six of years primary school, three years junior secondary, three years senior secondary and four years bachelor’s degree.
Boda boda riders keep the traffic rules and wear green helmets. Our switch moves in the opposite direction - what is on in Kenya is off in Rwanda. Most cars have manual transmission. Toyota is still the king on Rwandese roads.
Multiracial kids are rare in Rwanda. While we think marrying a mzungu is a badge of honour, it is looked down upon in Rwanda - so they told me.
In culture and mannerism, Rwandese and Ugandans are close. Their courtesy mirrors the Kenyan coast. I am deliberately not commenting about beauty in the two countries. Come and see for yourself.
Unlike Kenya which seems to be a free-for-all country, Rwanda and the rest of East African states seem to have their political “owners”. Kenya seems to have only economic owners. Digest that statement before sunset.
Finally, my Rwandese name is Irankunda and I now say Murabeho (good-bye in Kinyarwanda).
- The writer is an associate professor at the University of Nairobi
