Every August 15, Kibeho Sanctuary in Nyaruguru District becomes the spiritual heart of Rwanda and beyond. Thousands of pilgrims stream in from across the country, Africa, Europe, Asia, and America. It is a time of prayer, sacrifice, tears, and hope. Faith, as always, was ready. The question this year was whether the services were ready to match that faith.
What worked must be recognised. The Catholic Church made visible improvements. Water was reliably available day and night, a critical change from previous years when access was a major challenge. Functioning taps and water points might seem basic, but for exhausted pilgrims who had not slept and had walked long distances, they were transformative.
Security, too, impressed. The Rwanda National Police handled overwhelming crowds with calm professionalism. The Government's investment in the road to Nyaruguru paid off; movement was smooth and orderly. For a gathering of this scale, order and safety were maintained throughout. Drones buzzed overhead at times; in one light moment, pilgrims cheered, mistaking them for a fresh miracle--an image of shared joy amid the strain.
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Where things fell short was hospitality. After a sleepless night, pilgrims expect the basics: a hot drink, some bread, and a clean place to sit. Instead, too many met empty counters and overstretched staff. At 5:00 a.m., I went to Centre Saint Vincent Pallotti Hotel. The doors were open, but no one was on duty. I waited. Minutes passed. A receptionist appeared just as I was leaving. I suggested hiring part-time staff for the peak season; he nodded, seemingly unmoved by the urgency.
By 6:00 a.m., I tried Hotel Regina Pacis, where ministers and foreign visitors were staying. Reception was staffed, and I paid for breakfast at 6:07 a.m. In the restaurant, the scene was discouraging: tables left uncleared. A staff member for cleaning tried to handle everything alone. It was an impossible workload as the crowd swelled by the minute.
At 6:55 a.m., I received a fruit bowl and bread. When I asked for coffee, I was told it was "not available due to logistics." I pleaded for the simplest solution: boil water, add coffee or tea leaves, and milk if possible. Still, no. I eventually found African coffee at 7:25 a.m and had to carry it with me to secure a seat before the next wave of pilgrims arrived.
The core problem was staffing. August 15 is not an ordinary day for Kibeho. Hotels know months in advance that pilgrims will not sleep and will arrive hungry. Yet staffing resembled a normal weekday: kitchens closed, no night shift, no surge capacity. This was both a service failure and a business failure. Pilgrims were willing to pay. With only three staff serving more than 100 people, everyone pays the price--the guests, the staff, the investors, and ultimately, the government.
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The service gap can be addressed through coordinated surge plans involving Rwanda Development Board (RDB), Rwanda Hospitality Association and Kibeho hotels, including temporary staffing, extended kitchen hours, faster beverage service, and training staff to manage queues, tables, and customer communication effectively.
Despite the improved road infrastructure, Kibeho faced serious littering and sanitation challenges during the feast. To manage large crowds effectively, authorities should provide more bins, educate vendors and pilgrims beforehand, organise daily clean-up teams, and ensure strong coordination between local leaders, police, youth volunteers, and sanitation workers.
Sanitation improved, but existing toilets could not cope with the large crowds. Next year, Kibeho should provide more mobile toilets, clear signage, and round-the-clock cleaning teams, as well as shower facilities for pilgrims staying overnight.
Kibeho has the faith, history, roads, and security but to become a model for faith tourism, services must match the pilgrimage's scale through coordinated planning, surge staffing, and disciplined cleanliness--ensuring pilgrims leave with comfort and pride.
The writer is a finance professional.
