Africa's Cleanest City

Kigali

In 1994, Rwanda, a small East African country experienced one of the bloodiest genocide in modern African history. This incidence which occurred within approximately 100 days due to tribal conflict claimed 500,000 to 1 million lives (about 20% of the Rwandan population). Its been over 2 decades and the country has found a way to heal and restore its land with sanity, economic growth and environmental cleanliness. Though much of Rwanda is generally clean, Kigali, the country’s capital is commonly regarded as Africa’s cleanest city.

Kigali never made the list of world cleanest cities (Mercer Global Financial list) but still earned a reputation for its methods of enforcing cleanliness. Unlike other relatively clean countries like Singapore, Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, seems to have achieved a litter-free and clean environment without the threat of harsh fines.
According to Julie Mutoni, country manager of DHL Express in Rwanda, this cleaning fosters unity among Rwandans. “Everyone, including the President, partakes in cleaning the city, and cleaning day has helped Rwanda recover from genocide and civil war in multiple ways by creating a sense of purpose and togetherness amongst the people.”