A professor’s take on promoting social interaction
By day he is a lecturer in social development issues; by night he promotes social interaction in his own nightclub. Meet Martin Kaniu.
Martin Kaniu says Kigali is very conducive for night life. (photo Marie-Brigitte Kabalira)
It is not every day that your prof walks in the auditorium and invites the entire class for a drink in the evening. Yet that is what Martin Kaniu, lecturer and co-owner of the Rainbow hotel, did on a recent Friday. Nobody refused.
Rainbow is a hotel, including a bar, restaurant and a night club. Located in a quiet neighborhood in Kicukiro, the peace and tranquility are very attractive. One wouldn’t even think by entering the hotel that somewhere on the grounds, there is good and infectious music that is luring people on the dancefloor.
So how does a professor become a night club owner? “We were spending money in other people’s bars every time we wanted to enjoy ourselves, and we thought, why not start our own place?” Kaniu explains, adding that Rainbow is a three-man business. “The money we spend somewhere else would help develop it, and even if we don’t get many customers to start with, at least we are assured of three drunkards.”
Kaniu is a full time lecturer at KIE (Kigali Institute of Education) besides teaching on a part time basis in Mount Kenya University. He came to Rwanda five years ago from Kenya and hasn’t regretted it. “There is so much security. I find Kigali to be very conducive for night life compared to Nairobi. There the day ends early as a result of poor security,” he says.
The Kenyan also enjoys the cleanness and order in Kigali, unlike the chaos in some other cities. He also recommends people visiting the country not to miss the opportunity to learn more about the history of Rwanda and the lessons it teaches. “Rwanda is a testimony that you can overcome a terrible past and build a life worth living,” Kaniu remarks. “But above all you should enjoy the country, and of course its people.”
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Posted by Marie-Brigitte Kabalira
on Oct 31 2011. Filed under Entertainment, Other News.
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SIR KANIU is already a hard worker.And it is very interesting to see this that apart from teaching he is running some business here in Kigali which is not even his home city,it shows how other people think of Rwanda.Go ahead lecturer,and from teaching us English try to make our eyes open and see how we can run small businesses and forget this SFAR.
CONGRATULATIONS!