As you drive away from Kigali’s airport, there’s a big billboard over the four-lane highway that welcomes guests to this week’s World Economic Forum on Africa. You can feel the big-event euphoria enveloping Rwanda’s capital hours ahead of the kick-off.
The east African country isn’t completely new to welcoming major regional or global events. In recent years it’s hosted the African Development Bank meeting, the Interpol General Assembly, and Transform Africa, among other happenings. But the World Economic Forum on Africa seems to be a step up—and preparations for it have been stretching the small city’s limited resources.
Rwanda is meticulous in its preparations and has a penchant for leaving an impression on visitors. The capital has earned a reputation in recent years as one of the cleanest cities in Africa if not the world. So it’s trying to outdo itself to ensure guests have a memorable stay, while also making sure the economy retains as much money from the visitors as it can.
But sometimes, even in a well-run African country like Rwanda, the best-laid plans don’t always work out.
WEF Africa seemed to be an ideal event for showing off a brand-new, purpose-built Radisson Blu Hotel and Convention Center in the middle of the city. But despite a change of contractors and a revamp of its plans, the center just missed the crucial deadline. READ MORE