From the 200 francs his mother gave him to Relax Apartments and C-Plaza, a family seed grown into Kirehe’s pride.
In the gentle hills of Rwanda’s Eastern Province, where red soil glows beneath the morning sun and banana trees sway in the breeze, a young boy was given 200 francs, he bought a single goat. He didn’t know that one small act of hope would one day shape the skyline of his hometown.
“When I bought my first goat with 200 francs,” recalls Siriro Sikubwabo, smiling softly, “I didn’t know it would culminate into a business venture that would one day lead to buildings in town with my name on it.”
Siriro Sikubwabo is a businessman from Kirehe District
Born in 1968 in Mahama Sector of Kirehe District, Siriro grew up in a farming family where every harvest was uncertain and every franc hard-earned. He left school after sixth grade, but his eyes were already fixed on a bigger world.
“At home, our life was farming,” he says. “But I used to see kids selling sweets and biscuits at the market, and I thought — maybe business can change my life.”
When his goat gave birth, he sold it and saved enough to rent a three-meter stall at the local trading center. From there, he sold salt, sugar, and small household items — the kind of things people bought every day.
“It wasn’t much,” he laughs, “but it was mine.”
His mother, unsure of his choices, told him to go live on his own. He did, building a tiny grass-thatched house and molding bricks by hand. With every franc he saved, he bought iron sheets for a stronger roof.
By 1988, Siriro had begun brewing banana beer, a local favorite that became an instant hit. People loved it so much that he realized the power of even small-scale business. The following year, he had built his first iron-roofed house and was ready to start his own family.
Then came 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Like countless Rwandans, Siriro lost everything.
Returning home in 1996, Siriro found himself with nothing. He began selling cassava flour, lending small sums, and slowly rebuilding his life. When families were resettled in Mahama, he saw opportunity where others saw displacement.
“They built us good homes,” he says. “I thought — this is where business can grow.”
He began selling salt and soap, reinvesting every profit. By the early 2000s, he moved to Nyamugari, bought a motorcycle to transport goods between markets, and then a car.
“The motorcycle changed everything,” he says. “I could reach bigger markets and serve more customers.”
Even a failed taxi venture he had invested in 2004 didn’t stop him. By 2010, he owned a small shop, and two years later, he bought a FUSO truck to bring goods from Kigali, a major milestone in his journey.
The Spark of a business study tour in Musanze
In 2018, a business study tour organized by the district authorities took him to Musanze, where local entrepreneurs had joined forces to build a modern market. That visit changed his perspective.
“I realized success doesn’t only belong to big cities but starts right where you are,” he says.
Siriro sold his truck and other assets to build a modern commercial building in Nyakarambi, in the heart of Kirehe District.
“People asked, ‘Why not Kigali?’ But this is my home. Why take my success away from the place that raised me?”
Relax Apartments and C-Plaza: A Town Transformed
Today, Siriro’s signature development – Relax Apartments and C-Plaza, is more than a cluster of buildings; it is a statement of progress. With their bright façades and elegant design, the complexes have reshaped Nyakarambi’s skyline injecting new energy into Kirehe as it steadily grows into a city.
Relax Apartments brings modern hospitality to the area, offering spacious accommodation and outing ambiance, while C-Plaza hosts a range of commercial activities, from retail shops to service outlets. Together, they have created jobs for young people, sparked economic activity, and instilled a renewed sense of local pride.
“If I had gone to Kigali, those jobs would have gone there too,” Siriro says. “By staying, I gave local youth a chance to work and grow.”
He credits his journey to hard work — but also to local leaders who believed in him. “Even when I had little, they supported me,” he says. “They helped me access loans because they trusted I would pay back. That trust pushed me forward.”
Asked about his next move, he grins. “I just finished Relax Apartments and C-Plaza buildings, I’m already thinking about the next project. After a little rest — who knows? Maybe there’s another dream waiting.”
From molding bricks by hand to shaping the skyline of Kirehe, Siriro Sikubwabohas shown what’s possible when courage meets vision.
As the sun sets over the storied complex, its windows glowing gold against the eastern hills, Siriro’s journey offers a quiet lesson. Every enduring legacy begins modestly—with a single step, a single brick, one goat, and a dream patiently carried forward.
