When Kigali hosted the UCI World Cycling Championships from September 21 to 28, 2025, the spotlight was not only on the cyclists racing through the city’s streets but also on an invisible, yet vital, element of urban life “air quality”. An analysis by the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) revealed that the temporary closure of major city roads during the championship week led to a remarkable improvement in Kigali’s air quality. With nearly one thousand cyclists competing and traffic restrictions rerouting passenger vehicles while trucks were diverted to alternative roads,…
SOMA INKURUBreathing easy: How Kigali’s air cleared during the UCI World Cycling Championships
