This article was first published in June 2018 and updated in December 2019
Kigali is a very different city to some other urban center of the rest of East Africa. It is very clean, in part as a result of a complete ban on plastic, it is hilly, very well organised, with perfectly maintained infrastructure and streets lined with gorgeous trees. It is also a very safe city. Unlike other African cities, there is also a fair amount of things to do in Kigali so you should not skip it on your way to Akagera National Park or the Volcanoes National Park to see the mountain gorillas.
Let me show you some of the best places to visit in Kigali and some of the experiences that made my trip extra special. Because Kigali is not just about going around ticking places off a bucket list but more of a place to soak in the atmosphere and culture. I hope I will be able to convince you to visit Kigali and not just use it as a landing place for your Rwanda gorilla tour.
One fact about Rwanda and specifically Kigali that you may not know is that is that it is safe and clean and roads are all impeccably well maintained. It’s definitely one of the cleanest cities in Africa i have ever seen.
And when you are tired or need a break, Kigali has some great restaurants and cafes where you can sample some of the local dishes or indulge in a cup of locally grown coffee. If you’d like to venture beyond Kigali and explore the rest of Rwanda, here is my complete tourism travel guide to Rwanda and its national parks.
Things to do in Kigali
There are plenty of things to do in Kigali from historic sites to culturally important monuments, gorgeous nature to unique boutique shopping. if you’re wondering what to do in Kigali, you have come to the right place. See my personalised list below for more.
Kigali Genocide Memorial
No trip to Kigali or Rwanda is complete without spending some quality time at the Kigali Genocide Memorial. This is the best place to learn about the worst human tragedy to affect the country and one of the most awful historical times for Africa. If you only have a few hours, one of the best things to do in Kigali is visiting the Genocide Memorial.
You should spend at least 2h at the Kigali Genocide Memorial to make sure that you have enough time to listen to all the audio guide recordings, read the text at the exhibits and walk the outdoor areas.
The visit starts at the reception where there is an introductory video featuring a few Rwandans whose lives were forever changed by the Genocide. You then proceed to the main building where several exhibits and an audio guide will follow a chronology of events across the museum from the time of Belgian colonialism to today’s reconstruction efforts.
Inside the museum there are also some halls devoted to the victims of the genocide where over 100 photos of people are displayed. There is also a section about other genocides around the world and a last hall devoted to the children.
At the end of the visit, there is another short video featuring the same Rwandans from the beginning of the visit on a slightly more optimistic note.
Outside the main museum there are gardens and the actual memorial where the remains of thousands of Rwandans are buried. This is a real cemetery and so it is visited by the family and friends of the many victims who come to pay their respects. If you are visiting on a weekend, you will notice the many Rwandans visiting.
The outdoor areas also include a rose garden and a burning flame memorial that reminds the viewer of all those who died. There is also a library with research documents, a cafe and a small souvenir shop.
The Genocide Memorial is the right place to start your Rwanda travel because it will also set straight a lot of the traditions, customs and way of life in modern day Rwanda. It also provides an explanation and foundation for everything that you will see and notice as you travel across the country.
Talking about the Rwandan Genocide is really difficult. The history is tragic and the many ignored signs that warned the international community about it make one feel frustrated and helpless.
The only hope one gets visiting the Memorial and then traveling across Rwanda is that the country has taken it as a second chance to start from scratch and build a country all Rwandans can be proud of.
As I drove across this country of a 1,000 hills I realised that the sense of community and collaboration has brought about a strong sense of pride and willingness to avoid all the pitfalls that have turned some other countries in Africa to corruption and abandonment.
Rwanda’s infrastructure is in great condition. Locals congregate on the last Saturday of the month to work on community projects in what is called Umuganda. The streets are clean and tidy, pollution is low and even the poorest parts of the countryside or of Kigali have proper sanitation and brick houses with paved streets. Kigali is also safe, even at night and as a solo female traveler and a place that made me feel hopeful about the rest of the continent.
Kimironko market
I really love markets, I find that they are the best way to understand the culture of a place. And no doubt it is one of the things to do in Kigali. What people eat, how they buy their items and what is available is very telling of a culture. So one of the best places to visit in Kigali is of course a market.
Kimironko market is a large complex where all sorts of items are available for sale. Here you can find handicrafts and souvenirs, colourful baskets, fabric and seamstresses ready to make you a dress, fresh vegetables and exotic fruits and a host of other household items. Pretty much anything you may ever need can be found here.
The market is however a real maze and you can very easily get lost in which case, just find an exit and come out. Or hire the services of a porter who can walk you around and bring you back to where your car is parked. These porters can be identified by their yellow shirts with the name of the cooperative on their backs and have a number so you can recognise them in the crowd.
Visit a milk bar
If you’re wondering what to do in Kigali to experience it like a local, then this is your answer. Milk bars are a very interesting feature in Rwanda and an experience to check out. While you drive across the country maybe to Akagera or to the gorilla parks, you will often see locals carrying milk on the back of their bikes. They are taking it to the Milk Bar for pasteurisation.
Milk is very important in Rwanda, as are cows which you will see around the country. They are used as dowry and are important source of livelihood for a lot of people. In Kigali, you can find some of them in the Nyamirambo or Kimisagara neighborhoods. They can be identified either by the traffic of locals bringing their milk or by the pictures of cows on the facade. Alternatively, look out for the phrase “Amata Meza” (fresh milk in Kinyarwanda).
Kigali Convention Center
The Kigali Convention Center has completely changed the skyline of Kigali. At night, it is lit in moving lines that look like they are circling the beehive looking building.
While it might not be one of the things to do in Kigali, it is worth driving around it and also stopping for a quick walk around because of how unique the building is. The convention center is attached to the newly opened Radisson Blu Hotel.
Join a Go Kigali tour
I love tours just like I love markets, especially when hiring a local who can show you all the ins and outs of a place. No doubt, going on a tour is also one of the things to do in Kigali.
Go Kigali is a local company that started half and full day tours of the city which include some of the interesting things on this list. This is an easy and good way to cover a few of the best things to do and see in Kigali without having to worry about transportation, finding the place or opening times. The tours also include some things that are not easy to do independently.
Even if you don’t do the tour, you can pop by their store at the Marriott Hotel in Kigali where you can buy local souvenirs.
Visit the Presidential Palace
The Presidential Palace in Kigali used to be the house of Juvenal Habyarimana and Pasteur Bizimungu, the Rwandan Presidents from the 70s to the 90s until the President was shot down at the grounds of the palace. The flight debris of the FALCON 50 presidential plane that went down on 6th April 1994 killing Juvenal and the Burundian president Cyprien Ntaryamira can still be visited.
The event is believed to be the detonant for the Rwandan Genocide and started the chain of events that led the anti-Tutsi militias, the Interahamwe, in slaughtering hundreds of thousands of Tutsis. The Palace also has a museum where Rwandan history and the events are displayed.
Inema Arts Center
Kigali today is an explosion of color, art and creativity. This can be seen in the many local designer shops, the art galleries popping up at every corner and the hip and chic restaurants and cafes. If there are any art lovers that are wondering what to do in Kigali, then a visit to the Inema Arts Center is your answer. It’s a mixed purpose building where concerts, art exhibitions, workshops and performances are held.
The center was founded in 2012 by brothers and self-taught painters Emmanuel Nkuranga and Innocent Nkurunziza to bring Rwandan art to light. There are 13 artists in residence showcasing their work and lots of participatory activities like workshops and trainings available.
If you are in Kigali, you should make sure to check out their events section for any of the above activities, especially the traditional dance performances or the famous Happy Hour every Thursday evening. I was sad to have missed it!
Buy some Rwandan souvenirs
It’s not like Kigali has a lot of shopping malls, this is not Dubai or Singapore. But there are a few really nice items you can take home with you and which will always remind you of your trip to Kigali and Rwanda. One of them is the traditional woven baskets that come with a high cover. They are called agaseke in the local language and they have a historically long tradition in Rwanda.
Agaseke baskets have been used for decades and are some of the most pervasive household items in Rwanda. At home, they are used to keep anything, from money to food, and on special occasions, they would be used to present someone with a gift in the most honorable manner.
There are a few places to buy the baskets and other souvenirs in Kigali. The first one we already talked about, for affordable and colourful handicrafts, nothing beats the Kimironko market which has it all and is also one of the things to do in Kigali. You can buy the beautiful handwoven baskets that come in bright colors or perhaps a piece of fabric to make a table set or a sarong.
If you’re looking for something more upscale and pretty, Heaven restaurant has a nice shop called Azizi Life Boutique where you can buy local handicrafts or honey made in the area around Kigali. The Marriott Hotel’s souvenir shop run by the Go Kigali team also stores a lot of the best souvenirs in Kigali.
Get some Rwandan fashion and jewelry
I would highly recommend going to the Kigali Cultural Village, a recently open shopping mecca where you can find all the local Rwandan brands selling clothes, jewelry, bags, accessories, etc. in their own dedicated stalls.
This is not just a souvenir place but a congregation of all that is locally made under one roof and so it is a fantastic place to buy something unique that nobody among your friends will have. You can find some of the best designers and local artists here, but their individual shows elsewhere might have a larger selection of products. This is nonetheless a great place to see them all under one roof.
Aside from the village, there are a few individual designers that are worth checking out also separately because their shops will have more choice. I loved the beautiful jewelry from Inzuki, really pretty and colourful with a rich Rwandan accent and a more stylish look. As you can probably tell, I bought three necklaces, a pair of earrings and a ring.
Another very famous Rwandan designer is Abraham Konga. He is well known and when you ask anyone in Kigali about a great place to buy higher end souvenirs or items to take home, he is always mentioned. He has some jewelry like Inzuki and also woven baskets and other items.
Ride a Boda-boda
Nothing says East Africa like a ride on a motorbike, or boda-boda as it is locally known. Boda-boda get their name from the English border-border and its humble origins taking people across the border from one country to the other at the time when there used to be a buffer zone that could be as long as one kilometer.
People would jump at the back or a bicycle and cross this emptiness. The term evolved and today it mostly refers to motorbikes although bicycles are still available. I have a really funny story about a boda-boda in Uganda years back when I was stuck in traffic and had to get to the airport on time to catch a flight from Entebbe to Nairobi to Amsterdam and Paris for a wedding.
I ended up jumping on the back of a boda-boda in the rain, with my cream color suit, my laptop bag and a pair of shoes offering the driver to pay him $100 to get me to the airport in less than 45min. And he did. The ordeal didn’t end there, but you can read the entire story here.
Even if you don’t end up with such a crazy story, taking a ride on a boda-boda is one of the most fun things to do in Kigali. Mind you, the ones in Rwanda are proper with helmets and safe driving so you are in good hands.
Try brochettes
Unlike other countries, East Africa is not particularly known for food and Rwanda is no exception. The food is rather undefined and it is hard to pinpoint at anything truly Rwandan. Even the locals don’t know what to say when asked what is a typical local meal. But they all seem to agree that brochette is very Rwandan. I bet the Malay, Turkish or even Americans also think that skewered meat is their signature dish. Even the food in Azerbaijan includes quite a lot of skewers.
And so this is probably the most common Rwandan dish usually served with some ugali, a thick mashed potato like paste that is pretty tasteless, flavourless and odourless and which needs to be cut with a fork or spoon and dipped into some sort of sauce to add some kick to it. Or put some chilli.
Brochette are available across Kigali and Rwanda so you just need to look for the painted walls of a local garden style bar with the beer brands on it: Mutzi or Skoll. You are then sure that brochette will be served there. And be patient, they are cooked to order in a typical laid-back style so be ready to wait for a while. All the foodies considering what to do in Kigali to full their tummies, should definitely try these chillaxed places.
Visit the 1000 Hills Distillery
1000 Hills Distillery was started by an American expat in 2014 and is the only distillery in Rwanda. So beer lovers worrying that their wont be any things to do in Kigali concerning the brew, you’re mistaken. The tradition of distilling alcohol is not very strong in the country so the founder had to spend some time talking to the government and discussing the industry’s regulations, all the way helping to shape them based on his experience elsewhere.
Daniel was a fun guy to chat to. You can book one of two tours: the distillery only or a distillery tour followed by some tapas at the restaurant. While the tour is a casual chat about how the various spirits are made followed by a short tasting. It is quite an interesting way to spend an hour and you will leave knowing how Whiskey, Vodka, Gin and a coffee liquor are made.
The distillery’s location is also stunning, up on one of the many hills of Kigali with views of the valleys below, worth a sunset drink or a dinner even if you don’t do the tour.
A tour of the 1000 Hills Distillery is a great activity to do on your way back from the Volcanoes National Park to trek with the gorillas as most flights leave late at night and you are likely to leave your hotel after lunch, having a few free hours to fit the tour and dinner in. And you can maybe even buy a bottle or two to take home.
Have a drink or dinner at Hotel Rwanda – Hotel des Milles Collines
Probably the most famous of things to do in Kigali after the movie came out is to visit Hotel des milles Collines which is the name of the hotel in Hotel Rwanda. It sits handsomely on one of the hills that make Kigali. The hotel is quite an institution, not just because of the movie, and is a great place to enjoy a drink by the pool or a dinner at their Panoramic Restaurant which is only open in the evenings and serves a more refined menu with stunning views over Kigali.
Pay your respects at the Belgian Peacekeepers Memorial
There are always two sides to the same story and the Rwandan Genocide is no exception. The Belgian Peacekeepers Memorial was open by the Belgian government in 2000 and is dedicated to the 10 Belgian UN Peacekeepers who were killed by the Hutu extremists to force the withdrawal of the UN forces from Rwanda and paved the way for a full scale genocide.
The belief is that the Hutu extremist group that planned the attack had very carefully calculated it and estimated that if the Belgian troops, the only Western troops part of the UN peacekeeping force in Rwanda at the time, UNAMIR, were assassinated, the entire country might withdraw and with that, the UN peacekeeping mission.
Their hypothesis was based on the case of Somalia where UN soldiers were killed and their bodies dragged across Mogadishu and that prompted the US withdrawal and the departure of the entire UN mission. And they were correct.
The Genocide Memorial also explains all these events in detail including the informant’s tips anticipating the attack and the recommendations from UN Commander Romeo Dallaire to remain in Rwanda instead of leaving the country, and the Tutsis, to their own fate.
The memorial is located in the old Rwandan army barracks where the soldiers were killed, near the Serena Hotel, and is made of 10 grey pillars, each one with the soldier’s names, plus the remnants of the bullet filled wall and some exhibits talking about the events and other genocides. You can find more details here.
Have a coffee at the Kigali Public Library
The Kigali Public Library is a new building with an interesting design and also a happening social scene. The Shokola Storytellers Cafe, located on the top floor, has beautiful views over Kigali and is a great place to come sample Rwandan coffee.
The library holds several events and workshops and has an extensive collection of physical and electronic books. Come to admire the building and have a coffee.
Learn to cook Rwandan food at Nyamirambo Women’s Center
This is a great option for those wondering what to do in Kigali to help out the locals. This Rwandan NGO is trying to help women through several community tourism activities among which is a cooking class. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn to cook local recipes that you are unlikely to find elsewhere.
The cooking workshops start with a visit to a market followed by a cooking class at Aminatha’s home where the dishes are prepared the traditional way, over coals in the courtyard floor.
The Nyamirambo Women’s Center also organises other activities like a basket weaving workshop or a community walking tour which includes visits to a salon, a milk bar and the local community to learn more.
Go on a day trip to a coffee cooperative
Rwanda is well known for its coffee and, even if you never visit, you are likely to have enjoyed its beans elsewhere around the world. A day trip to one of the coffee cooperatives outside of Kigali is a great way to immerse yourself in the world of coffee.
The local cooperative NGO Question Coffee organises such tours to their coffee plantations and farms where you can see the entire process of coffee making from the beans to the bag.
Question Coffee is a cooperative founded in partnership with the Relationship Coffee Institute, a non-profit public benefit corporation created by the Bloomberg Philanthropies and Sustainable Harvest Coffee Importers dedicated to upscaling the coffee supply chain starting at the source, with training programs for the coffee farmers aimed at improving their livelihood.
What and where to eat in Kigali
Rwanda is not really a country known for its food. There aren’t many dishes to try nor is there a cuisine that is easily and internationally recognised. When I asked the locals what the best foods to try in Kigali were, the answers were underwhelming.
However, after 10 days in the country I did end up enjoying a few dishes and you can easily try them all at the best places to eat in Kigali.
Best restaurants in Kigali
Here are some of my favorite places to eat in Kigali that won’t disappoint.
Hotel des Milles Collines
As mentioned earlier, aside from being one of the interesting places to see in Kigali and the most famous and oldest luxury hotel to open in Rwanda, Hotel des Milles Collines is also one of the nicest places to eat in Kigali.
If you go during the day, The Pool Bar, has a nice atmosphere and serves brochette. But it is at night when Le Panorama restaurant opens and you can enjoy the city lights from a vantage point. Although Le Panorama serves refined fine dining with a strong French influence, some of the local produce, like tilapia, is incorporated in the menu. The Sunday brunch is a great place to sample a few of the dishes that are most popular in Rwanda like brochette.
Heaven Restaurant
Housed in one of the nicest boutique hotels in Kigali, Heaven Restaurant serves a blend of international and local dishes in a very pleasant garden setting. The restaurant and hotel was open by an American couple and has been expanding rapidly adding a shop where you can find lovely souvenirs and local products like honey. Heaven Restaurant is locally identified as one of the restaurants which kick-started Kigali’s food revolution and brought in a new wave of fusion and innovative recipes.
This is a good place to sample local produce as they work with farmers to offer what is in season, and pan-African dishes inspired by the ingredients and dishes of Africa. Try the sambaza, the fried small fish from Lake Kivu, one of Rwanda’s famous dishes.
Poivre Noir
This is another upscale bistrot restaurant in Kigali where you can have a cozy and romantic meal in a more elegant location with beautifully presented dishes. The food is decidedly French but with fusion elements from Italy or other parts of Africa, and the panoramic views in the outdoor terrace are sublime.
Poivre Noir is a good place to enjoy some of the less common produce you cannot so easily find outside of Kigali, like fresh fish (other than sambaza or tilapia) or other seafood.
Afrika Bite
My guide took me to this place for lunch on my first day in Kigali and it was a good restaurant to try the local dishes. Buffets are a popular formula in Kigali and, although Afrika Bite does not have a huge selection, everything available at the buffet is 100% local Rwandan/East African food and at the very affordable price of 3,000 Rwanda Franc per person.
This is a good place to try ugali, the local water spinach, baked beans, sweet potato mash, motoke (unripe banana mash), etc. all of which need to be dressed with the tasty peanut sauce.
Repub Lounge
Another Kigali institution which is as good for a meal as it is for an after dinner drink, Repub Lounge has an African lounge feel and weekly jazz nights on Saturday. There is a happy hour every Wednesday and performances are available almost daily so this is a great place to enjoy African beats and music. Kigali is not really known for partying otherwise.
Best places for coffee and breakfast in Kigali
Shokola Storytellers Cafe
Another great place recommended by our guide was Shokola Storytellers Cafe which, as mentioned before, is the rooftop cafe at the top of the Kigali Public Library. Here the views do all the talking but the food is also quite nice.
There are live performances from time to time, healthy salads, great coffee and some Rwandan dishes although the emphasis is on the location and the casual cafe atmosphere more than it is on showcasing local food.
Baso Patissier
For sandwiches, French pastries and beautiful cakes served with lovely coffee, this bakery cafe is a must try in Kigali. Opened by a Rwandan-Belgian, Baso Patissier is bringing the refined cake tradition of France and Belgium to Rwanda.
Question Coffee
Question Coffee is a local company started to provide fair livelihood to local coffee producers. I talked about it earlier when discussing their day farm tours and you can also enjoy their end product at the cafe.
Rwandan coffee is recognised the world over and used by large coffee chains like Starbucks. Question coffee beans are available internationally and you can even order it online on their US-only store.
In Kigali, you can sample their beautiful coffee at the Question Coffee Cafe. Here you cannot only taste the coffee but also participate in coffee appreciation workshops and masterclasses which will walk you through the entire coffee chain, from the production to the sampling and brewing.
I am a qualified barista as one of the crazy things I once did was opening a cafe in Singapore and find the world of specialty coffee making fascinating. Learning more about it in Rwanda, at the source, is a fantastic way to experience something that is so rooted in the country.
The Women’s bakeries
This social enterprise provides livelihood to women across East Africa by training and supporting them to open local bakeries in their neighbourhoods. The women receive training upfront and also ongoing support after the bakery is live to ensure they are set up for success.
Their flagship store is in Kigali and opened in 2018 although there are another 6 bakeries across East Africa and more in the plans as the organisation continues to expand. By stopping at and enjoying some of their sweet breads you are not only tucking into a great breakfast but also contributing to a great cause. If your breakfast does good to you and to others, that pastry tastes so much better!
You can watch the founder’s TED Talk here.
Best Hotels in Kigali, Rwanda
There are a few great hotels in Kigali, Rwanda. From the first luxury hotel to open and world-famous Hotel des Milles Collines to the cozy boutique Heaven Hotel, the East African Serena Kigali Hotel and the flashy newly opened Radisson Blu.
Let’s take a look at a list of the best hotels in Kigali so you can choose the best one for you. Check out my other article of more of the best hotels in Kigali and the rest of Rwanda.
Kigali Serena Hotel
This legendary East African hotel brand owned by the Aga Khan Foundation is a staple of most East African cities and even safari locations. I have stayed at most of them, in Nairobi, Kampala and now in Kigali.
The brand’s earthy colors and signature African look are common across all the locations and kind of made me feel at home given the many nights I spent across all the locations when I was working in Africa. The Kigali Serena is no exception and stays true to the brand.
You can expect good service, reliable quality, great comfortable rooms made for the business traveler in mind and convenient facilities. The food is also exceptional, especially breakfast, with one of the largest spreads you have ever seen, all made in house by the kitchen team. A real treat and something I looked forward to every night.
The rooms are spacious, with nice bathrooms and bathtubs, an expansive desk and balcony. The pool is also pretty large and is surrounded by trees and lush foliage making you feel a bit like being on holidays.
The Kigali Serena Hotel is located next door to the Kigalia Cultural Village, walking distance from Inzuki and the Marriott Hotel and walkable distance from the Hotel des Milles Collines.
Prices start from $160.
Book now on Booking.com | Agoda
Heaven Boutique Hotel and The Retreat
This American-expat run hotel, restaurant and retreat (two properties side by side) is a unique social enterprise in Kigali which combines art, crafts, great food, a boutique hotel and a retreat. The founders started Heaven to help train and nurture Rwandans to grow the hospitality industry.
The Retreat’s rooms are locally built with Tanzania sustainable teak wood and feature patios and indoor/outdoor showers all decorated with local art. The Retreat is eco-friendly and runs on solar power.
The hotel, although small, has a pool, a well equipped gym, a sauna and a hot tub. Breakfast is served at the locally famous restaurant where hot dishes are cooked to order. The Retreat has nothing to envy the larger chains or hotels and is a great place to stay, despite its location in a residential area, not as central to tourist spots as the other larger chains – a great excuse to jump on a boda-boda.
Prices start from $100.
Book now on Booking.com | Agoda
Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Center Kigali
The Radisson Blu in Kigali is one of the latest hotels to open in the Rwandan capital. It is attached to the Kigali Convention Center, a building which has changed the Kigali skyline for good, and brings much bling and modern touches to the city.
Located at the top of one of the hills in the government and embassy part of Kigali, the Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Center is a new landmark. The beehive convention center building is illuminated at night with sparkling moving lights in the colours of the Rwandan flag, swirling around the facade and giving a sense of movement.
The hotel has almost 300 rooms and a small shopping mall. The convention center can accommodate 5,000 people. The entire complex is geared towards meetings and conventions and ready to give business travelers everything they need. This is perhaps not the best hotel to stay in Kigali if you are coming for a holiday, where a more cozy or local hotel would make you feel more relaxed. However, it is a remarkable structure and worth a wander.
Prices start from $230.
Book now on Agoda
The Hotel des Milles Collines
The Hotel des Milles Collines was founded by the now defunct Belgian airline Sabena and sold to MIKCOR Hotel Holding in 2004. Hotel Rwanda, as most people know the Hotel des Milles Collines by, is the first grand and luxury hotel to open in Kigali in 1973.
The hotel was the shelter to almost 1,300 Rwandans who sought refuge during the 1994 Rwandan Genocide and became the center stage to the movie Hotel Rwanda released on 2004.
Hotel des Milles Collines has a conference center, large gardens with a pool, three restaurants and a bar. Its location up on a hill gives it great views over the city. The rooms have balconies and can come with fantastic views. The hotel has a similar air and quality standards as the Kigali Serena Hotel plus the interesting historical past.
Prices start from $110.
Book now on Booking.com | Agoda
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