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Rwanda

Uncomfortable Truths

Roads & People & Robust Institutions

Roads can tell you a lot. Roads tell a lot about Rwanda.
During my first journeys along one of the national highways, I realised just how many

'multi-dimensional' roofs there were. In rural Africa, you get used to the most simple of roof

forms. Multi-dimensional forms are more expensive and a sign of people with at least
some level of discretionary spending power.

After a while, I took in a lot more detail. Down one side of the road, there is a stone or

concrete lined deep storm drain. Storm drains, which throughout my many journeys, were
always clear. That's very unusual in Africa. Most countries build and leave. That's if they

bother to build a proper drain in the first place. Later, I noticed how in some places, the

storm drains were used as a channel for 'last mile' connections for utilities.
What also struck me was the 'all-weather' surfaced pathway that ran down the other

side of the highway. Designed to allow pedestrians and motorbikes to travel separately.
Nothing high spec, but definitely something that would encourage trade between

settlements.

The highways themselves have a solid substructure. They need to. Known as the land
of a 1,000 hills, highways in Rwanda are under constant stress as heavy vehicle after heavy

vehicle, twists and turns, brakes and accelerates, as they push towards their destination.
And on these highways you frequently see cyclists and even riders of some

motorbikes, holding on to the back of the slow-moving lorry in front in order to make use of

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their pulling power. It’s not something m'zuŋ u like to see, but …
And then there are the purpose-built all weather covered market places. It’s as if each
main village has had a roadside market building so that each local farmer can come and

sell their produce. Such markets are all over Africa. Purpose-built, all weather covered
markets are not so common.

*****

Kigali bus station is its own window on Rwanda. To appreciate it properly, it’s better if you
first travel through other destinations, such as the bus station in Lilongwe, Malawi, Arusha,

Tanzania or Kampala, Uganda...or ...

(I once arrived late into Lilongwe. Our long-distance bus had had a puncture. The several hours delay
meant we arrived at night. It was dark. The driver supposed to collect me had gone home. The bus
parking area was simply sun-baked mud. The buses parked higgledy-piggledy. No straight lines. Walking