On the 6th of April, 2024, a significant step was taken to solidify the bond between the City of Kigali and Addis Ababa through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

This agreement, endorsed by Mayor Dusengiyumva Samuel of Kigali and Mayor Adanech Abiebie of Addis Ababa, aims to enhance the relationship between two cities on the foundation of equality and mutual benefit.

The MoU is a testament to the shared vision of both cities to collaborate in various sectors, including urban planning and development, sanitation, waste management and recycling, ecology, sports, education, information technology, culture and tourism, traffic management, and urban settlement and rehabilitation. It also emphasizes the promotion of home-grown solutions.

Through learning and knowledge exchange, the City of Kigali on different occasions hosted delegations from Addis Ababa and discussions focused on a wide range of topics including sustainable urban planning and development.

The City of Kigali and Addis Ababa through the World Resources Institute’s (WRI) programs jointly work together to enhance urban water resilience. This partnership is part of the Urban Water Resilience Initiative, which aims to build sustainable, adaptive, and resilient urban water systems in response to the challenges posed by rapid urbanization in Africa. The initiative has led to the development of the African Cities Water Adaptation (ACWA) Platform, a coalition delivering technical assistance and capacity-building support.

This platform supports cities in designing, financing, and implementing innovative solutions for water resilience. The collaboration involves a diverse group of stakeholders, including city leaders, research institutes, civil society actors and development agencies, working together to address water quantity, quality and governance challenges.  

For more pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/city_of_kigali/53646769500/in/album-72177720316141561/