Kigali - Post Report Question and Answers
Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
Kigali in particular and Rwanda in general is a very safe country. - Oct 2023
Kigali and Rwanda in general area extremely safe. Of course there is occasional petty crime, but I've never heard of any violent crime during our time here. - Aug 2023
This is a pretty safe city. We didn’t have 24/7 guards in each compound, rather 24/7 roaming security guards. Each home had bars on the windows and a security system. - Jan 2022
Rwanda is a police state and locals follow the rules, so it's a very safe country. Women can freely walk around Kigali, even in the evening/at night (not in the middle of the night necessarily, but even then, they'd likely be just fine), and the biggest personal security concerns would probably be related to traffic: drivers can be careless, vehicles are in ill-repair and hoods can fly open right in front of you, etc. - Jul 2020
The safest country in Africa thanks to a highly effective security state and pliant public. I felt safer here than I do in Washington DC. Be mindful about malaria; hopefully Ebola doesn't come over from DRC. A very rare attack by militants, but you are at least an order of magnitude less likely to be shot here on any given day than you would be in the United States. - Sep 2019
There are police on nearly every street corner in Kigali. With that being said there are still seem to be issues of pickpocketing and theft. I have heard that one thing that thieves like to do is troll conferences, and pretend to be participants in order to steal things on breaks. - Jun 2018
Not really. Break ins, muggings, and burglaries seem to be on the rise and the embassy no longer provides night guards (just a roving patrol) - make use of alarms, exterior lighting, etc. Most crime is petty and non-violent. - Dec 2017
This is a very safe place to live. You can walk around after dark. There's no fear of being alone as a woman. We can't drive out of the city after dark, which is more a reflection of driving/lighting than anything else. - Jan 2017
There has been an increase in crime in the last year (2015-2016) in Kigali in the expat community but again, not that I'm aware of among the Embassy community. - Apr 2016
No big security threat here. You can walk around freely - just be prepared to be starred at. It's harmless. Petty crime/theft is possible in crowded areas or if things are left unlocked. - Oct 2014
There are very few safety concerns in Kigali. Very little petty crime. There are grenade attacks occasionally in the markets, these are generally centered around political shake-ups in country and happen a couple times a year. - Jul 2014
Fighting on the border region with the Congo, and random grenade attacks in the city. - Sep 2013
Just petty crime. Kigali is much, much safer than big cities in neighboring countries. - May 2012
Just bring your street smarts and you'll be fine. Make sure all your car doors are locked before walking off. Hitting the button on your remote lock isn't good enought. - Apr 2012
It is one of the safest countries in Africa. There is petty theft and electronic items are highly sought after. The grenade attacks were of concern, but the police are doing what they can to address the problem. - Jul 2011
None that I am aware of. - Oct 2010
Petty theft. Be sure to use common sense as you would in any city. As long as you don't give anyone the opportunity to rob you, you will be fine. - Jan 2010
Pretty safe in general, need to be concerned about thefts and home burgulary. - Sep 2008
As in other developing countries, standard precautions and situational awareness is the key. However, due to the large Expat community, travelling anywhere in the city of Kigali is safe. - Aug 2008
