The City of Kigali has planned a series of activities aimed at spicing up the festive season and ushering in the New Year in style, including a planned spectacular fireworks display from different vantage points of the city that will cost some Rwf25m.

City Hall clarified reports that the money will come from city coffers, pointing out that it has worked with corporate companies to sponsor the fireworks and other activities aimed at giving Kigali a festive season look, including decorations on all the main streets.

According to Bruno Rangira, the advisor to the mayor, a number of events have been organised, mainly in partnership with different private event organisers, hospitality companies and churches with the aim of giving city dwellers a variety of choices to wind up the year and welcome the new one.

Midnight

The City on its part has planned a fireworks show on December 31 to usher in the New Year, with four locations picked from where the fireworks will be displayed at midnight on New Year’s Eve. A similar activity had been planned last year but it was interrupted by rain.

“For fireworks there are four locations where fireworks will be displayed — Mt Kigali, Rebero, Bumbogo and Kigali Convention Centre. The City of Kigali mobilised the private sector for sponsorship,” Mr Rangira told Rwanda Today.

Mr Rangira said the budget for the fireworks is “around Rwf25 million excluding Kigali Convention Centre because they will do it themselves” and this bill is not footed by the taxpayer but sponsors.

“We sent out letters requesting for sponsorship and got good feedback. This is about giving the different residents of Kigali the fireworks experience during the New Year’s countdown,” Mr Rangira explained.

He further said the City of Kigali partnered with private sector to do Christmas decorations around the city, which also gives them an opportunity to advertise and have visibility for their brands.

Several corporate entities including Cogebanque, MTN Rwanda, Bralirwa, Development Bank of Rwanda and others have taken over streets and roundabout, paying for the festive season decor, but at the same displaying their products and banners.

All the three districts that form the City of Kigali will have a location for fireworks but from raised points where a bigger part of the city can have a clear view — in Gasabo at Bumbogo hill, in Kicukiro district at Mt Rebero and in Nyarugenge district at Mt Kigali.

This, according to the city, will give city dwellers, who will stay up to welcome the new year, a spectacular experience from their different locations.

It will be the second time fireworks will be displayed on three hills and many Rwandans, even beyond Kigali, are expected to have a view of the display.

Last year, the fireworks were marred by persistent rain which went on well past midnight.