The agreement was signed on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at the City of Kigali headquarters during a ceremony attended by officials from both cities and a 36-member delegation of business and civic leaders from St. Louis, Missouri.
The partnership is expected to strengthen economic and institutional ties between the two cities through business connections, joint ventures, knowledge transfer, academic exchanges and cultural cooperation.
Speaking at the ceremony, Vice Mayor of Kigali, Fulgence Dusabimana described the agreement as more than a formal expression of friendship, saying its value would depend on the opportunities and benefits it delivers to residents.
“Today’s event is much more than just a formal expression of friendship. It is a strategic commitment to building lasting relationships, creating opportunities and delivering financial benefits to the people of Kigali and St. Louis,” Fulgence said.
He said Kigali was seeking to use the partnership to facilitate business-to-business connections, link investors with businesses and promote joint ventures, knowledge-sharing and investment projects.
Fulgence emphasised that the success of the agreement should be measured by its impact on people’s lives rather than the signing ceremony itself.
“The successful sister city partnership must be measured not simply by our ability to sign, but the difference we make in the lives of our people,” he said.
He added that the cities should work towards initiatives involving their private sectors, universities, municipal institutions, young people, entrepreneurs and professionals.
St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer said the partnership offered both cities an opportunity to learn from each other’s experiences while building connections that could support economic development.
“We have so much to learn from one another, St. Louis and Kigali,” Spencer said.
She praised Kigali’s infrastructure and its focus on economic mobility, saying the visiting delegation had been impressed by the city’s development and the opportunities available to its residents.
“We have been blown away by the people of Rwanda, and we have truly been blown away by the City of Kigali,” she said.
Spencer also cautioned that signing the agreement was only the beginning, emphasising the need for sustained engagement to make the relationship beneficial.
“The relationship and the value of the sister city relationship only starts here,” she said, adding that both cities would need to maintain their connections for the partnership to become fruitful.
The agreement identifies several areas for cooperation, including agriculture and agricultural technology, biosciences, healthcare, information and communication technology, urban planning, infrastructure development, environmental sustainability and workforce development.
It also encourages cooperation between universities and academic institutions, as well as exchanges in sports, tourism and culture.
Fred Blanton, Vice Chair of Sister Cities International, who addressed the ceremony through a video message, said the partnership could create opportunities extending beyond government institutions to ordinary residents.
“One of the things I’ve always appreciated about the sister cities is that these relationships are always about people, creating opportunities for citizens to meet one another, learn about different cultures and respect them, and build bridges of understanding that can last generations,” Blanton said.
He identified cultural exchanges, educational programmes, professional connections and business opportunities as some of the possibilities the partnership could unlock.
The agreement follows several years of engagement between the two cities. An exploratory committee was established in 2023 to pursue the partnership, followed by a St. Louis delegation’s visit to Rwanda in January 2025 to explore possible cooperation in business, healthcare, education and culture.
The latest visit forms part of a trade mission led by World Trade Center St. Louis, bringing together business representatives and civic leaders seeking commercial and institutional partnerships in Rwanda and Kenya.
The agreement builds on the United States Sister Cities programme, initiated in 1956 to promote international friendship and understanding through direct relationships between communities.
Following the signing, representatives of both cities exchanged gifts as a symbol of friendship and their commitment to the new partnership.
With the agreement now formalised, the focus will shift to translating these commitments into practical projects, investment opportunities, and exchanges that deliver measurable economic and social benefits for residents of both cities.
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