In 2017, I started touring different parts of Rwanda and sharing my experiences through a series of short stories published right here. 2018 and 2019 were very adventurous years. I ushered in 2020 determined to discover more but what followed was a dramatic turn of events that culminated in a 43-day nationwide lockdown and an extended period of movement restrictions.
When domestic travel was reopened, I launched a new campaign dubbed 30 Districts Expedition. The new campaign is designed to showcase Rwanda as a destination while creating an alternative platform for businesses to promote their products and services. This initiative has led to the emergence of a digital asset that create visibility, generate leads and converts leads into sales. Known as Exposure Digital, this tool is designed to deliver trackable results.
I am also repackaging the content created by this campaign to publish books. Apart from promoting tourism, this tour is cultivating the culture of reading. In partnership with different stakeholders, I am currently donating books to community libraries around the country.
This grand tour of Rwanda is powered by a 250 cc, made-in-Rwanda adventure motorbike baptized Indakangwa. So far, I have spun its spokes to the tune of 20,000 kilometers. To put that into perspective, that’s twice the distance from Alexandria, Egypt to Capetown, South Africa. I could have done a round trip between the two cities across the continent.
Most of my routes are off-road. I find highways very boring. Yes, I prefer those dirt trails meandering around 1,000 hills. Besides, I am fascinated by the discovery of the hidden gems in the remotest parts of this beautiful country.
Constant off-roading means navigating very rough terrains. However, Indakangwa’s shocks absorb the beating pretty well. Initially, I thought its tires fared poorly on slippery stretches but, as I found out later, it was lack of experience.
Speaking of tires, I was planning to replace them with new ones after a year or 12,000 kilometers, depending on which would come first. 20,000 kilometers and eighteen months later, I am using the same tires. They are still in a good condition. Despite riding in the jungle all this time, I haven’t had a single flat tire incident. This rubber has exceeded my expectations.
Technically, I haven’t had any serious issues so far. At some point, I experienced electrical hickups but the problem was solved once and for all when I replaced the switch.
Then came the day I got stuck at the foot of a volcano namely Sabyinyo. This happened after a throttle malfunction. I found out later that the security lock I had activated earlier was impeding the flow of the circuit. Forcing issues would send a wrong signal to the inbuilt security system and risk a total shutdown. It was a case of high-tech safety features gone wrong.
Assembled by Rwanda Motorcycle Company (RMC), Indakangwa is the only adventure motorcycle available in the market. Although the company is currently focusing on building the e-mobility infrastructure, maintenance services are offered and a reliable supply of parts is assured.
