Gallup Poll: Rwanda Is Africa's Safest Place To Live

Chillin' at a Kigali coffeehouse

For four or five years now, I've said that the American media (including the African-American media) has been sleeping on Rwanda. Under the leadership of pro-free-marketeer President Paul Kagame, the East African country now gets the top honor. Amazing considering that not too long ago, Rwanda was infamous for its genocidal activities. From the New Times (Rwanda): "Rwanda is the safest country to live in Africa, the latest report by Gallup Poll shows. The Global States of Mind: New Metrics for World Leaders report says Rwanda tops the list of countries where citizens are most likely to feel safe, at 92 per cent, followed by Niger, at 84 per cent."

People in Rwanda react to the poll: "Moses Kirui, a Kenyan pursuing an MBA at Mount Kenya University (MKU) in Kigali, said: 'It is very true. Ask everyone and they will tell you that Kigali is very peaceful and there is security. In Kenya, no bank opens up to 8 pm, like here. In Nairobi, in fact, all banks must close by 4 pm just because of the rate of crime there.'

The article continues about Rwanda's safe environment: "Ordinary Rwandans who talked to The New Times as well agree, and find comfort in the findings. Ivan Kayonga, a Kigali resident said: 'Rwanda is doing all it possibly can to maintain peace and security as a way of attracting investors for the good of economic development. I have personally asked a similar question [issue of safety] to Americans and Europeans who live here and their response was 'they feel safer here than back home'.' I feel much safer and secure in Rwanda than elsewhere in the region if you compared Rwanda with the crime rate I see on Nairobi or Kampala streets,' he said."