Huye District is positioning itself as a growing investment and innovation hub, with authorities and business leaders showcasing opportunities in agriculture, education, tourism, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and services at an investment forum held in the district.
The Huye Investment Forum, organised to connect investors with local opportunities and the institutions that can support them, brought together public officials, business representatives, researchers and other stakeholders to explore ways of turning the district’s economic potential into viable businesses and jobs.
The forum highlighted Huye’s combination of a strong education and research ecosystem, agricultural production, tourism potential and emerging industrial activities as key assets that could attract new investment and encourage greater value addition within the district.
André Kamana, Vice Mayor in charge of Economic Affairs at Huye District, and Ronald Kabagambe, Acting Head of Investment Marketing and Facilitation at the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), presented investment opportunities while outlining the support available to investors seeking to establish or expand businesses in the district.
The discussions also placed emphasis on stronger public-private partnerships, with participants pointing to collaboration between government, businesses, universities and communities as important to developing projects that can create employment and contribute to Huye’s economic transformation.
RDB CEO Jean-Guy Afrika said the development of strong economic centres outside Kigali is important to creating a broader foundation for national growth.
«“Huye’s role in this development journey is supported by its strengths in education, tourism, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing, creating opportunities for investment, production, and value addition,” Afrika said.»
He added that RDB would continue supporting districts in attracting investors and helping turn identified opportunities into businesses that create jobs and contribute to Rwanda’s growth.
Huye’s investment proposition is also closely linked to its position as a major education and knowledge centre. Dr. Didas Kayihura Muganga, Acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Rwanda, said the district can use its universities, researchers and technology partners to convert knowledge and innovation into commercially useful solutions.
He also pointed to skills development, technology and artificial intelligence as areas that could strengthen Huye’s capacity to attract investment while supporting sustainable economic development.
Agriculture emerged as another area with significant room for expansion, particularly through processing and value addition.
Brigitte Mukakarangwa, CEO of KOGIMUWAKA Cooperative, said coffee presents an opportunity for Huye to move beyond agricultural production and develop a stronger value chain through processing, branding and partnerships with investors.
Such investment could increase the value generated locally from agricultural products while creating opportunities for farmers, processors and businesses along the supply chain.
The forum further underlined the importance of ensuring that investment benefits extend beyond individual businesses by creating employment, strengthening local enterprises and improving livelihoods.
Ange Sebutege, Mayor of Huye District, said the district remains committed to working with investors and other stakeholders to create an environment capable of supporting business development and positioning Huye as an investment destination.
With opportunities spanning traditional sectors such as agriculture and tourism as well as knowledge-intensive areas linked to education, pharmaceuticals and technology, the forum presented Huye as a district seeking to translate its existing economic strengths into larger-scale investment and value creation.
The discussions also reflected Rwanda’s broader strategy of strengthening economic activity across districts and secondary cities, reducing concentration of investment in Kigali while creating more local opportunities for businesses and young people.
“Positioning Huye as an investment destination requires creating opportunities for businesses to grow and ensuring investors can see the potential of this region. The private sector has a key role to play in developing sectors such as hospitality, tourism and local value chains.
By working together and building on Huye’s strengths, we can attract more investors, create businesses that generate jobs, and contribute to making Huye a competitive destination beyond Kigali.” says Gervais Butera, President of the Private Sector Federation in Huye district and a hotelier.
For Huye, the challenge now is to convert the opportunities identified at the forum into concrete investments, stronger value chains and enterprises capable of generating sustainable jobs and long-term economic growth.
