Kigali City Tower Since his accession to power in 2000, President Paul Kagame has sought to transform Rwanda from an impoverished country dependent on subsistence agriculture into a middle income country with a strong service sector. This policy, which is based on liberalising the economy, privatising state owned industries and reducing red tape for businesses, has led to a strong GDP growth between 2004 and 2010 of per year. The changing economy has prompted a construction boom as the need for office and urban residential space has increased. The Kigali City Tower project was begun in 2006 by Rwandan businessman Hatari Sekoko, through
Kigali matatus to bigger city buses, which are connecting the most important sectors. These buses use a cash-free payment system called Tap&Go. In 2017, matatus were still used to connect the more remote areas of the city. In contrast to the national express buses, these services wait to fill up before setting off from the terminus, then pick up and drop off frequently en route. Kigali has many taxis (known as 'special hire' or 'taxi voiture'), which are generally painted white with an orange stripe down the side. Even more popular are motorbike taxis ('taxi moto'), which offer a service similar