{"id":55609,"date":"2025-09-13T18:13:21","date_gmt":"2025-09-13T18:13:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/amazon-s-robert-kirkland-finds-home-in-rwanda-sees-vast-investment\/"},"modified":"2025-09-16T12:09:37","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T12:09:37","slug":"amazon-s-robert-kirkland-finds-home-in-rwanda-sees-vast-investment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/amazon-s-robert-kirkland-finds-home-in-rwanda-sees-vast-investment\/","title":{"rendered":"Amazon\u2019s Robert Kirkland finds \u201chome\u201d in Rwanda, sees vast investment opportunities"},"content":{"rendered":"

Encouraged by his friend Rodney Boyd, who has visited Rwanda several times, Kirkland traveled to Kigali with limited knowledge of the country beyond the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. What he discovered far surpassed his expectations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I landed in Kigali, I was struck by the bright lights and the warm greetings,\u201d he recalled on the Connected Podcast hosted by the Embassy of Rwanda in Washington, DC. <\/p>\n

\u201cFrom airport staff to locals, everyone said, \u2018Welcome home, brother.\u2019 As a 58-year-old Black American, that sense of belonging was indescribable. I had traveled the world, but I had never truly been home.\u201d<\/p>\n

He described Kigali as a clean, vibrant city, with rolling hills that reminded him of San Francisco.<\/p>\n

{{Rwanda\u2019s resilience and unity}}<\/p>\n

Kirkland praised Rwanda\u2019s recovery in the three decades since the genocide, describing it as a remarkable model of resilience.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe way the people of this country came out of the genocide in 30 years, healing, rebuilding, and taking pride in their future \u2014 most countries could not have done that. Rwandans should understand that they are exceptional,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

As a former soldier, he likened the discipline and unity he observed in Rwanda \u2014 from street sweepers to executives and government officials \u2014 to values he had seen in the military. <\/p>\n

\u201cRwanda\u2019s greatest asset is its people,\u201d he stressed. \u201cThere are skilled workers here who are determined and ready to work hard to improve their lives. I saw it everywhere \u2014 from those cleaning the streets to those leading major investments at the Rwanda Development Board.\u201d<\/p>\n

{{Inspired by Rwanda\u2019s youth and innovation}}<\/p>\n

During his visit, Kirkland engaged with young entrepreneurs at ALX Rwanda, where he heard pitches for innovative projects tackling Africa\u2019s challenges. One idea that stood out was a courier service using travelers to deliver goods across the continent, which he described as \u201can Airbnb for logistics.\u201d<\/p>\n

He emphasized that Rwanda\u2019s youth are not only seeking income but also creating jobs and supporting families. At the University of Rwanda and the African Leadership University (ALU), he said he saw evidence that Rwanda is among the continent\u2019s leaders in technology and innovation.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf an American company or any foreign investor is looking to invest here, the technology sector should be the first priority, because there are tremendous opportunities,\u201d he noted.
\nHe also visited a hospital and was impressed by Rwanda\u2019s nationwide digital health system linking clinics with larger institutions. \u201cOther countries should study this model. There is real investment potential here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

{{A favorable business climate}}<\/p>\n

Kirkland underscored Rwanda\u2019s welcoming environment for investors. After visiting the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), he was convinced of the country\u2019s efficiency in facilitating business.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe RDB allows you to register a company in six hours. That\u2019s remarkable. It\u2019s easier to start a business here than almost anywhere else,\u201d he explained, citing an American entrepreneur he met who had recently launched a company in Rwanda.<\/p>\n

Beyond technology and healthcare, he highlighted opportunities in Rwanda\u2019s natural resources, urging U.S. investors to partner with Rwandans to unlock this potential.<\/p>\n

{{A personal transformation}}<\/p>\n

The trip left Kirkland deeply changed. \u201cWhen I left Rwanda, I felt fuller than before. This is a place full of opportunity, and more people need to know about it. Rwanda is where you find great food, beautiful landscapes and environment, and wonderful people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He admitted regretting that it took him nearly six decades to visit Africa but promised it would not be the same for his children.<\/p>\n

\u201cI told my wife after this trip that I regret it took me 58 years to come home. But for my 19-year-old son, it will not be the same. I\u2019m planning to return to Kigali with my wife and children so they too can see what I saw,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Looking ahead, Kirkland revealed he has already discussed Africa opportunities with his superiors at Amazon. Personally, he is considering relocating or working on the continent after his corporate career.<\/p>\n

Asked to complete the sentence \u201cRwanda is a place where\u2026\u201d, Kirkland replied: \u201cRwanda is a place where opportunity thrives, pride in progress shines, and beauty \u2014 both in its people and landscapes \u2014 captivates. From warm hospitality to innovative spirit, it\u2019s a nation of promise that deserves global attention.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Robert<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Robert Kirkland, Finance Director at Amazon with a distinguished career spanning Stanley Black & Decker, Sysco Foods, and PepsiCo, has described his recent trip to Rwanda as nothing short of transformative. Visiting Africa for the first time at 58, he said the experience reshaped both his personal identity and professional outlook.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":2000094368,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[75],"byline":[201],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-55609","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-homenews","byline-rania-umutoni"],"bylines":[{"id":201,"name":"Rania Umutoni","slug":"rania-umutoni","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":139}],"contributors":[{"id":201,"name":"Rania Umutoni","slug":"rania-umutoni","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":139}],"featured_image":{"id":2000094368,"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/kirkl-2d511.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":0,"height":0,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/kirkl-2d511.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/kirkl-2d511.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/kirkl-2d511.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/kirkl-2d511.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/kirkl-2d511.jpg","width":0,"height":0}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55609","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55609"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55609\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000094368"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55609"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55609"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55609"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=55609"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=55609"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}