The morning after New Cadillac was gutted by fire, the owner promised that the club, one of Kigali’s most popular and oldest night spots, would be back within months.

But seven months later there is no sign of its return.

It is about 7pm on a warm Friday evening as the security guard flings open the heavy metallic door to let us into what was once Kigali’s most lively nightspot on such an evening.

A deathly silence looms at the ruins of the multi-million-franc structure which housed New Cadillac, the newly opened VIP section known as Kibota, Mama Africa Restaurant and a children’s amusement park, among others.

There is no sign of life. Overgrown grass has taken over what once used to be well trimmed lawns and an adjacent children’s park. There is no indication of works to restore the once vibrant hangout that employed 90 people and was a beehive of nocturnal activity—for the clubbers, beer lovers and “ladies of the night” who operated from across the road. Everything is gone.

It is a painful predicament for the owner, Eugene Habimana, commonly known as Cobra. The damage to the nightclub, which was a source of livelihood for him and hundreds of others, is estimated at Rwf400 million.

The entertainment mogul had invested about Rwf900 million in Cadillac since its establishment in 1994. The facility underwent a series of facelifts and expansions between 1995 and the time it caught fire last November.

“I am still waiting for a response from the insurer, Sonarwa. I cannot talk much about it because the process is still ongoing,” Mr Habimana told Rwanda Today, expressing fear that he could jeopardise the loss assessment if he divulged the details.

Stand-off with insurer

However, there have been reports that the Cadillac proprietor has been involved in a standoff with Rwanda’s oldest insurance firm; hence the delay in the compensation and renovation.

There have been unconfirmed reports that the insurer, whose majority shareholder is Nigeria’s Industrial and General Insurance (IGI), has “tightened purses” to the frustration of local investors and businessmen.

The head of Corporate Communications at Sonarwa, Allen Karungi, however told Rwanda Today the allegations were not true and that claims are paid after thorough investigations.

“We pay,” Ms Karungi stated. “We are the biggest insurance company in Rwanda.

“We have the money to pay. Even Cobra will be paid as soon the investigations are over.”

She said Sonarwa hired a Kenyan firm to do loss assessment on its behalf.

“The assessment was done but a report is yet to be submitted,” she said. “They will be the ones to determine how much the insured will be compensated but, once they do so, we will pay.”

A night guard at the club who declined to be named because he is not allowed to speak on behalf of Cadillac told Rwanda Today that the fire consumed almost 80 per cent of the facility, especially because a bigger part of it was grass-thatched.

Fire started from the kitchen

“I was here at the time of the fire,” the guard recalled. “It started from the kitchen and quickly spread to other parts of the club.

“There was no time to salvage property. The fire spread so quickly that we only rescued a few important things.”

The guard added that it is thought the fire was started by an electrical fault.

Among the items destroyed were music equipment, heavy-duty kitchen appliances, interior décor, sound-proofing and furniture.