Bank of Kigali million), with shareholders' equity of RWF:122.8 billion (US$143.7 million). On 29 September 2017, Global Credit Ratings affirmed Bank of Kigali Limited’s long-term and short-term national scale ratings of AA-(RW) and A1+(RW) respectively; with a stable outlook. The bank has won several back to back international and regional "Best Bank in Rwanda" awards, including from EuroMoney, The Banker, Global Finance Magazine, and EMEA Finance. The Bank was incorporated in the Republic of Rwanda on 22 December 1966. Initially Bank of Kigali was founded as a joint venture between the Government of Rwanda and Belgolaise, with each owning 50 percent of the
Kigali new independent nation, but Kigali was chosen because of its more central location. The city grew slowly during the following decades, but retained a small-town feel, with just 25,000 people and five paved roads by the early 1970s. On 6 July 1973 there was a bloodless military coup, in which minister of defence Juvénal Habyarimana overthrew ruling president Gregoire Kayibanda. Businesses closed for a few days, and troops patrolled across the city, but life had returned to normal and the army had left the streets by 11 July. In April 1994 President Habyarimana was assassinated, when his plane was shot