Nyabugogo Unfiltered: Reflections From Kaizen Hotel
It’s Friday evening, and I’ve just rolled back into Kigali after a week in the Northern Province. An hour ago, I crossed into the capital through the ever-bustling Nyabugogo junction — a place I’ve always had a complicated relationship with. Part of me finds Nyabugogo too chaotic, too loud, too intense. Yet another part can’t help but love its unstoppable energy: the hustle, the zeal, the endless movement that defines Rwanda’s busiest economic artery.
Nyabugogo is not just a neighborhood; it’s a gateway. From here, you can reach all 30 districts of Rwanda and the rest of East Africa by road. Traders crisscross the area day and night. Buses rumble in and out. The suburb barely blinks — it has long established itself as a 24-hour economy. For someone who often drives in and out of Kigali through this very junction, Nyabugogo feels like the city’s front door, the threshold that reminds you you’re home or that a new journey has begun.
Strangely enough, I rarely stop to really feel the pulse of the place. The last time I lingered here was in 2018. I had arrived from the Southern Province aboard Volcano Express, and the friend meant to pick me up was running late. With time to kill, I wandered into Deluxe Bar and ended up playing pool. A pro humbled me that day — the worst loss I’ve ever suffered in any competition. That defeat taught me a simple lesson: if someone plays a game to make ends meet, don’t challenge them unless you’re ready to lose with grace.
Deluxe Bar no longer exists. The building was demolished as part of Kigali’s ongoing infrastructure upgrade — expanded roads, modern bridges, and a long-term vision to restore wetlands. Today, that area is being reimagined into an urban ecotourism park: a green strip that will blend nature, recreation, and sports facilities for Kigali residents.
Nyabugogo is not just a neighborhood; it’s a gateway. From here, you can reach all 30 districts of Rwanda and the rest of East Africa by road
Right now, as I write, I’m seated on the rooftop of the building that houses Kaizen Hotel, nursing a sugarless soda and soaking up the view. Kaizen is one of those establishments that catches your eye from a distance. Its façade is striking, and the ground floor buzzes with shops and small businesses — a microcosm of Nyabugogo’s entrepreneurial spirit.
What drew me in, though, was the bar set up on the top floor. With its well-thought-out design and open verandahs, it invites patrons to enjoy fresh air and marvel at the scenery from a vantage point. From where I sit, Mount Jali rises like an immovable guardian. Next to it stands Mount Kanyinya, forming a rugged duo that towers over the city.
The road I used earlier from the North snakes through the landscape. Streetlights and headlights merge into a shimmering display, dazzling like Christmas decorations. Closer still, the famous junction churns with motion. Traffic flows with the same fluidity as the Nyabarongo River. Buses maneuver in tight choreography. Horns, footsteps, vendors’ calls — everything blends into the unmistakable soundtrack of Nyabugogo.
The DJ inside the bar is spinning, but from where I sit, the true rhythm of the night comes from the street below. Nyabugogo’s pulse is louder than the music. Its spirit is more vivid than the neon lights. And from my table, I can see it clearly — raw, unapologetic, and alive.
Kaizen Hotel is one of those establishments that catches your eye from a distance. Its façade is striking, and the ground floor buzzes with shops and small businesses — a microcosm of Nyabugogo’s entrepreneurial spirit.