RWANDA: Green City Kigali Pilot Phase for A Green Capital Is Launched

The government of Rwanda is launching the pilot phase of the “Green City Kigali” project. Conceived in 2020, but interrupted by Covid-19, the initiative will enable the implementation of sustainable urban infrastructures, including green housing for around 8,000 people in the capital Kigali.

From technologies, electric vehicles, renewable energies, sustainable waste management and urban forests, no ecological dimension escapes the “Green City Kigali”. This green city project covering an area of 620 hectares in the suburb of Kinyinya Hill is entering its pilot phase. It is within this framework that the Green Fund of Rwanda (Fonerwa) has appointed the firm Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios (FCB Studios), to carry out the master plan of Green City Kigali. The UK-based engineering firm will work on part of the 16-hectare site, in partnership with the Royal Institute of British Architects.

The project, worth a total of US$5 billion, is supported by several partners including the German Development Agency (KfW) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF). Green City Kigali will house 1.7 million homes built from local materials and powered by solar energy. These buildings will also be connected to a wastewater and storm water collection system.

“Rwanda is committed to promoting sustainable cities and the Kigali Green City will demonstrate that it is possible to achieve sustainable urban development on a large scale. It will undoubtedly serve as a catalyst for change, not only in Rwanda, but also in the region,” says Teddy Mugabo, the managing director of the Rwanda Green Fund, which also plans to build commercial and connected office facilities to accommodate “innovative” business.