Kimironko's 'Carriers' in nation building



BY GEORGE KAGAME


According to most official documents in Kigali Notes, Rwanda's economy currently stands on the pillars of the service sector, most authorities in development economics have stated that this is due to the emphasis of the government on work ethics. The ethics are enshrined in wordings such as Vision 2020, performance contracts-Imihigo, to name but a few.


The improvement of the service sector, is important to you that by buying this copy of the newspaper you are reading, you have contributed your share in nation building. And it is because of such a simple transaction that simple people like added up to Frw 173 billion to last year's GDP figures from the service sector.


But you did more than buying pierces of paper, it is likely that yesterday, you were in a restaurant, internet cafe, church fellowship, in a Twegerane, or your favourite market. It is the market place that in more ways than one brings in a big share of the Frw 173 billion last year. It is your duty to spend more this year such that together, Kigali's blessed people can beat that figure by the end of this year.



And where else to indulge ourselves to be other than Kimironko market. The market is not built to good quality standards, it also doubles as a food and other accessories products. The accessories range from hardware materials to fashion and design. This also where-for the most part-all the Kigali people-big and small-accross all sectors of EDPRS and Vision 2020 come for their shopping.

Here you can find drivers, their bosses, taxi hires, salon operators, gate-men, each contributing their accorded share in nation building. On the sidelines of the market are several young-men dressed in green and or blue aprons with black numbers written on their backs.


The young men are normally involved in outrageous arguments, the topics can be as colourful as the clothes the arguers wear. This is before a vehicles comes into sight. Any vehicle that is. They will run towards this blessing hoping whoever is inside is moving along with some sort of luggage for them to carry-towards anywhere. The absence of vehicles, on certain days for hours explains the outrageous arguments and sometimes, even passersby can be drawn into the rage.


RUNNING after a mini bus just arriving at the market Tomas Uwambere, a luggage carriers gets entangled with three other carriers in a fight that would ultimately prove who among them saw the luggage first-and therefore deserves the right to carry it for the owner-whom non of the three carriers has identified so far!
Manfred Mondo, another passenger in the same bus observes the ensuing debate among the luggage carriers at the market and tells it as it was:


Carrier one: i saw this van first, am the one carrying the luggage at the back.

Carrier two: No, you are lying, i saw it first,besides, you took the previous van, logically this one is my turn.

Carrier three: You all weak, can you not see that this too large for any of you to carry?


Robel Mupenzi: (the owner of the luggage clears his voice and says) don't worry all of you, i can carry my luggage.


Mondo: (upon emerging from the bus), the service sector is indeed very important to our economy.