First, it was a multi-million dollar sponsorship of English Premier League club Arsenal in 2018, followed by an exciting deal to support French giants Paris Saint-Germain a year later.
Now, a third “famous” club is on the cards for Rwanda, according to President Paul Kagame, who has spent a small amount of money on sports investments that will burnish the international image and diversify the economy of the small central African country.
But the splurge, which includes club sponsorships and hosting duties for events ranging from the 2021 African Basketball League tournament to the 2025 FIFA World Cup, has sparked accusations of “sports washing”, or using sports to hide the country’s dismal human rights record.
Campaigners accuse Kagame of suppressing political dissent and stifling free speech during his more than 22 years in power.
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“The investment does not meet the immediate needs of the majority of Rwandans,” said opposition politician Victoire Ingabire, a staunch Kagame critic.
“I don’t believe the investment will come back,” he told AFP, saying the sponsorship could not help Rwandans.
“It’s a waste of money.”
The impoverished country, whose per capita income is estimated to be only $822 according to the World Bank’s 2021 figures, has spent millions of dollars to improve sports infrastructure and build new buildings.
It is currently renovating the 25,000-capacity national stadium to add 20,000 seats in a project billed at around $165 million and expected to be completed next year.
An 18-hole golf course designed by South African golfer Gary Player and worth $16 million will open in the capital city of Kigali in 2021.
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In 2017, Rwanda opened a $1.3 million cricket stadium on the outskirts of Kigali, following a year later with a $104 million 10,000-seat basketball arena.
– Rwanda ‘improves people’s lives’ –
Government officials have defended the project, arguing that it will improve the country’s reputation as a safe destination for high-profile events.
Rwanda, whose turbulent history was marked by the 1994 genocide, hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) last year, attended by about 30 leaders including King Charles III, when he was a prince.
And world soccer’s governing body FIFA will be in town this week for its 73rd congress to re-elect unopposed leader Gianni Infantino.
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Authorities say the event brings much-needed foreign exchange and provides an economic boost to the landlocked country that depends on tourism.
Pre-pandemic tourism revenue rose 17 percent to $498 million in 2019, according to the Rwanda Development Council.
The board’s CEO, Clare Akamanzi, said at the weekend that the Arsenal and PSG sponsorship deal alone generated more than $160 million in media value. It also brought one million visitors to Rwanda, injecting $445 million in tourism revenue, he added.
“These guests not only leave Rwanda with positive memories; they also play a direct role in improving people’s lives,” he wrote in an opinion piece published on Saturday in an East African newspaper.
“It’s okay to disagree with Rwanda’s governance model, but the campaign to undermine investment in developing countries’ economies, which have a real impact on (people’s) lives is counterproductive and cynical.”
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Ruling party lawmaker John-Ruku Rwabyoma echoed his sentiments in an interview with AFP, saying critics of the deal were “ignorant” and that the government was acting in the interest of the people.
“We are not here to satisfy critics based on agenda. Where are all these critics when Rwanda is suffering?
– Kagame ‘will not be disturbed’ –
For Kagame – an ardent Arsenal supporter – the deal has exceeded “what we invested in”, he said this month, adding. that the government is on the verge of sponsoring the third team.
The 65-year-old became president in April 2000, although he has been considered the de facto leader of the country of nearly 13 million people since 1994.
“I know what we put in; I know how much we will get out,” he said, without giving details.
A foreign diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity told AFP he was skeptical of the claims.
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“I don’t know if it’s cost-effective… if it pays off in the long term, maybe then, but now, I don’t think so,” he said, adding that he had not seen the numbers to support the government’s narrative.
However, doubts raised by “pundits who generally know nothing about Rwanda, and draw on tired tropes” will not stop the initiative, according to RDB’s Akamanzi.
“We’re not going to be bullied into putting a place at the table,” he said.