Keypoints:
- Kigali stages Africa’s first cycling worlds
- Event aims to refresh Rwanda’s global image
- Critics question human rights and high costs
RWANDA will make sporting history on Sunday as the first African nation to host the prestigious UCI Road World Championships. Kigali expects around 5,000 cyclists and 20,000 spectators, and the government has upgraded roads, built cycle lanes and held extensive police drills to ensure a smooth event, according to an AFP report.
The landlocked east African country, still often linked with the 1994 genocide, sees sport as a way to recast its international image. Rwanda has invested heavily in global sponsorships, including football partnerships with Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain, an agreement with the NBA’s African league, and a bid to bring Formula One racing to Kigali.
Reputation and criticism
While officials hail the championships as a milestone, some campaigners have called for the event to be relocated, citing Rwanda’s alleged role in the conflict in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.
Kigali-based lawyer Louis Gitinywa told AFP that Western critics show double standards: ‘When the World Cup was hosted by Qatar there was a lot of criticism about sports-washing, but now the World Cup is being hosted by Miami no one is bringing up white supremacists or the assassination of right-wing political activists. Rwanda is not white as snow… we agree its human rights record is problematic, but who has the moral authority to accuse others and deny them opportunities?’
Mixed returns on ‘Visit Rwanda’
Despite the global exposure, Rwanda’s tourism figures have not surged. The Rwanda Development Board reports that after a brief rise to 1.6 million visitors in 2019, arrivals dipped to 1.36 million in 2024, despite the high-profile ‘Visit Rwanda’ football shirt sponsorship launched in 2018.
International branding expert Simon Anholt told AFP that while sports sponsorships can help, they are costly and often fleeting. ‘A cycling event is better PR than most sports since it shows off spectacular scenery,’ he said, but argued that sustainable positive perceptions require ‘enlightened foreign policy’ rather than ‘blowing a lot of money on propaganda’.
Local anticipation and concerns
In Kigali, residents are both excited and wary. ‘There is general anxiety that the race will cause major traffic jams,’ said Jeanne Manirunva. ‘I am not a fan of cycling but the amount of preparation put into this competition has got me curious… I will stay to witness it.’
As the world’s elite cyclists take to Rwanda’s newly polished roads, the event offers the country a chance to showcase its organisational skill and striking landscapes—while inviting scrutiny of the politics behind its sporting ambitions.
