Rwandan capital Kigali unveiled a vehicle that uses technology to sweep and clean the capital’s roads on Monday.
The city’s spokesperson, Emma-Claudine Ntirenganya, stated that the vehicle’s capabilities include using built-in brushes to sweep tarmacked roads in unclean areas.
“It also has a method of cleaning roads without raising dust by using a vacuum or suction system to remove dirt, debris, and loose materials from the road surface. The vehicle is equipped with a tank specifically designed to collect and store the waste it gathers, which is then transported to a designated disposal site,” she explained.
Vehicle automatically releases waste
The vehicle automatically releases the garbage it gathers.
“It is also fitted with high-pressure hoses that can be used to wash a vehicle — such as cleaning the tyres when necessary or washing the entire vehicle when it has come from a dirty area before entering paved roads,” she added.
She said that current road-cleaning employees, particularly the women frequently seen on the roads, would continue to perform their duties and assist the vehicle in its operations.
“The workers will remain in their roles because the vehicle does not enter drainage channels or clean other road edges. It also does not clean around roadside flowerbeds. The vehicle operates from midnight once traffic has reduced.”
Africa’s cleanest city
Kigali is regarded by many as one of Africa’s cleanest cities.
Among the 30 cities evaluated for the African Smart City Index 2023, Kigali was acknowledged as Africa’s leading smart city. Third on the list of travellers’ favourite African cities in July 2024 was the City of Kigali.
Jeune Afrique, a French-language pan-African weekly magazine, and The Africa Report, a pan-African media platform, named Kigali the second most investable and liveable city in Africa in November 2024. Kigali was commended for its inventiveness, safety, and cleanliness.
“From urban planning to quality of life and business appeal, Kigali continues to set the bar high,” Ntirenganya stated, adding that the city’s unparalleled safety, impeccable cleanliness, and innovative forward-thinking are what made it famous worldwide.
Second most popular city for hosting international conferences
Rwanda was ranked third among African nations by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) in May 2025, while Kigali was ranked as the continent’s second most popular city for hosting international meetings and events.
For the fifth year in a row, the capital of Rwanda has held onto this position.
According to the Rwanda Convention Bureau (RCB), Rwanda hosted more than 52,000 delegates for conferences and events in 2024 alone, bringing in over $84.8 million in MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) revenue.
