The City of Kigali and the City of St. Louis in the United States have established a Sister City partnership aimed at creating investment opportunities, improving public services and strengthening cooperation between residents of the two cities.
The agreement was signed on November 10, 2026, establishing a formal relationship through which the cities will exchange knowledge, promote economic development and collaborate in areas of mutual interest.
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Partnership to Promote Investment and Job Creation
Fulgence Dusabimana, Deputy Mayor of Kigali, said the agreement should go beyond a formal signing ceremony and deliver practical benefits to residents of both cities.
He called for the partnership to attract investment, create employment opportunities, encourage innovation and strengthen economic and social ties. He said: “Let us commit to ensuring that this partnership yields tangible results attracting investment, creating jobs, fostering innovation, and strengthening the economic and social ties between our peoples,”
Education and Public Services Among Key Areas
According to the City of Kigali, the partnership will support educational exchanges and the sharing of knowledge and expertise in community development.
It will also focus on improving public service delivery, protecting the environment, promoting cultural exchanges and preserving cultural heritage and history.
The arrangement is expected to provide institutions and residents in both cities with opportunities to interact, share experiences and learn from one another.
St. Louis Sees Opportunities for Mutual Learning
Cara Spencer, representing the City of St. Louis, said the two cities have valuable experiences to share and can learn from each other’s approaches to development. She praised Rwanda’s people-centred development vision and efforts to translate it into practical improvements.
She said: “St. Louis and Kigali have a great deal to learn from one another. As cities that serve as gateways to the American Midwest and to Africa, we share much in common. Rwanda’s people-centered vision and its commitment to expanding economic opportunities are impressive, but seeing that vision put into action is even more remarkable,”
Spencer added that the partnership could strengthen relationships between residents and institutions while creating opportunities to support economic growth, innovation and development in both cities.
Kigali Becomes Second African City in St. Louis Programme
Through the agreement, Kigali has become the 17th city to join St. Louis’s Sister Cities programme and the first to be added since Rosario, Argentina, joined in 2017. It is also the second African city in the programme, following Saint-Louis in Senegal.
What the Sister City Partnership Means
A Sister City partnership is a formal relationship between cities in different countries that encourages cooperation and exchanges in areas such as education, culture, trade, investment and community development.
For Kigali and St. Louis, the agreement provides a framework for building closer relationships between their institutions, businesses and residents while exploring opportunities that could benefit both communities.
