Eugene Nyagahene, an investor who has already established a five-star hotel in Karongi District, has announced that he is set to build 100 apartments in the area, adding that all of them already have clients lined up.
He announced on November 13, 2025, during the opening of a two-day retreat for members of the Karongi District Council, which also brought together investors involved in projects aimed at boosting tourism and supporting Kigali as a major tourism hub.
The retreat comes at a time when investors in hospitality and business in Karongi say they have experienced an unusual surge in clients over the last three weeks.
The President of the Private Sector Federation in Bwishyura Sector, Urimubenshi Aimable, said that after the rehabilitation of the Muhanga–Karongi road, which had deteriorated over time, investors began to see significant growth in visitor numbers.
He said, “Karongi is one of the best places in the country to invest. I encourage you to join us and make a profit. Because the Muhanga–Karongi road was repaired, small cars that used to stay only in Kigali are now coming to our district, and we have seen a sharp increase in people coming to spend nights here.”
He noted that for the past month, nearly all hotels located along Lake Kivu and within the town of Karongi have been fully booked.
To further expand his investments and provide residents with quality housing overlooking Lake Kivu, Nyagahene—who owns a five-star hotel in the district—said investors in Karongi do not struggle to find clients.
He said, “I began by building Cleo Lake Kivu Hotel, and it was an amazing journey. Next to it, I am now going to build 100 apartments, and all of them have already been taken by employees working on the Lake Kivu methane gas extraction project, even before construction begins.”
The President of the Karongi District Council, Ngarambe Vedaste, praised investors in the district’s tourism and industrial sectors, especially those contributing to the development of Lake Kivu’s tourism corridor. He emphasized that Karongi still has many untapped opportunities, including fishing and ecotourism.
He said, “There are also opportunities in agriculture. Our district is promoting potato production and banana plantation rehabilitation. Our beautiful hills offer great potential for tourism activities.”
Ngarambe added that to support investors, the district is working to expand water supply, electricity access, and roads near Lake Kivu.
He said, “We also make it a priority to listen to investors. There are still challenges, especially roads connecting the Kivu Belt Road to lakeshore zones, and water supply shortages in some places. But from this retreat, we are committed to addressing these issues, and many of them are already being handled by national authorities, as you can see from ongoing road construction.”
Karongi is one of the districts designated to complement Kigali as an economic and tourism hub. It lies about 130 kilometers from Kigali and has seen significant development in the hospitality sector, now hosting 14 hotels, most of them located along the shores of Lake Kivu.
