Elected Mayor of Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda in August 2019 for a 5-year term, Mr. Pudence Rubingisa carries out his duties with excellence and determination. Since his arrival at the head of the municipality, he has resolved to make the protection of the local ecosystem one of his priority fields of action. His ambition is to transform Kigali into a smart city while meeting the ecological challenge.

In three years, the municipal team of the city of Kigali is on the right track to achieve this roadmap. This is despite the COVID-19 pandemic which has forced local elected officials on the continent to adjust their approaches to take this new factor into account. On 18 January 2022 Kigali was selected by Bloomberg Philanthropies as one of the 15 winning cities in the “Global Mayors Challenge 2021-2022”.  These cities are rewarded for having designed the boldest and most ambitious green urban innovations that will emerge from the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The Rwandan capital city is being recognized for its initiative to introduce a smart waste management system that improves sanitation and water quality in the city, particularly in informal settlements. The objective of adopting proven rainwater harvesting technologies in informal communities is to provide an alternative water source and smart waste management solution for a green and resilient recovery in Kigali’s informal areas, to improve the livelihoods of residents.

An award that delighted Mayor Pudence Rubingisa who emphasizes the inclusive aspect of the project.  “I am deeply honored to receive this $ 1 Million Grand Prize from the Global Mayors Challenge 2021, on behalf of the City of Kigali. I wish to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Awards Committee for believing in the potential of our sustainable and innovative solutions to improve the quality of life for Kigali’s informal dwellers while enabling them to adapt to the impacts of Covid-19. Our project will actively engage residents in ongoing informal settlements upgrading projects, helping them to leverage green technology to harvest rainwater as an alternative source to meet their daily water needs in addition to providing them with smart waste management facilities.”, he said.

77.8% of households in Kigali agreed that rainwater harvesting would help reduce water bills, which will help residents have more money to feed their children.

As the winner, the city of Kigali will be supported for three (3) years in the implementation of this project.

Short Bio

Throughout his professional career, Rubingisa Pudence has been involved in the world of academia and finance: he was Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Administration and Finance at the University of Rwanda, before that he was Vice-Rector in charge of Finance Administration at the Higher Institute of Agriculture and Livestock, he was also Director of the Public Investment Technical Team at the Ministry of Finance. Before being elected Mayor of Kigali, he was the Managing Director of Intare Investments Ltd. In March 2020, as Rwanda faced the onset of a major health crisis related to the Covid-19 pandemic, he was able to bring the crisis under control in Kigali, with major screening and preventive measures throughout the City. Rubingisa holds a Master’s degree in Finance from the University of Saint Louis – Belgium and a post-graduate diploma in Public Procurement from the ILI. Rubingisa Pudence’s topics of interest include public finance, urban planning, affordable housing, land use planning and decentralization. He is very interested in sports, especially running. He is also very passionate about Car Free Day, he joins the people of Kigali every time and actively participates in this car free day.

Sources : 1, 2, 3