NYANZA - RUDAHIGWA
Nyanza during the reign of Yuhi V Musinga
Nyanza under Mutara III Rudahigwa (1931-1959)
Nyanza After Independence (1961-2001)
Many people who have not thoroughly studied Rwandan history believe that Nyanza has always been the capital for Rwandan monarchs. However, this is not the case. Indeed, the first Rwandan kings established their residences mainly in the Nduga and Bwanacyambwe regions. It was only in the 19 th century that Rwandan kings began to locate their capitals at Nyanza. For instance, the residence of Kigeri IV Rwabugiri was at one time located at Mwima, near Mushirarungu. (top)
Nyanza during the reign of Yuhi V Musinga
King Yuhi V Musinga first resided in the Kamonyi, Gitwiko, Bweramvura and Mwima regions. It was only in 1899 that he chose Nyanza, which became his final residence. Nyanza consisted of 16 huts, each with a specific function, that were built inside a huge compound. The enclosure had only one entrance that gave access to an immense public area called Karubanda . This place was both a venue for big crowds of courtesans and their servants and a place for holding meetings and trying cases.
Also 34 additional huts for the king's servants were built outside this compound. These accommodations were arranged in a half circle according to one's activity.
Apart from the royal residence, other huts were built on the Mugonzi, Gatsinsino, Gakenyeri, Mwima, Kavumu, Gihisi and Nyamagana hills. Some big huts were allotted to paramount chiefs. Smaller huts accommodated servants who accompanied important personalities to the royal court.
Several wives of King Musinga lived in the area surrounding the royal residence. Mukashema, mother of Kigeri V Ndahindurwa, lived at Kavumu. Kanyange, Nyirakabuga, mother of Rwigemera, and Kankazi, mother of Rudahigwa, lived at Mwima, the place where Mutara III Rudahigwa was born.
The royal court was the center of intellectual and artistic life. As a cultural event, literary creations were highly regarded. Among the literary compositions were dynastic poetry, pastoral poetry, war poetry and historical narratives.
Songs and dances were also valued. In this respect, cithara players, singers and dancers daily animated the evening gatherings. During the day, the Intore trained themselves in jumping, javelin-throwing, bow-shooting, and dance.
The Nyanza court was also an area for exchange and redistribution of economic goods such as cattle, food and other items. Many craftsmen who produced baskets, pottery, and other objects made of bark materials, metal, wood, leather, etc. used to meet there.
Under Musinga, Nyanza was the most important center of Rwandan life because it influenced politics, culture, economics, and the tourist industry. However, this position of influence was lost under the Belgian and the White Fathers' rule. The power of the monarch was considerably undermined, and the royal court lost its attractions.
It is worth noting that the early town of Nyanza , called Nyabisindu, coincided with the geographic area of Nyanza under Musinga.
The king tacitly resisted Western civilization, especially Christianity. Consequently, the Belgian administration, in collaboration with the Catholic Church, deposed Musinga on November 31, 1931 , and expelled him first to Kamembe and later to Moba in the Democratic Republic of Congo. (top)
Nyanza under Mutara III Rudahigwa (1931-1959)
At the age of 20, Rudahigwa succeeded his father. He immediately assumed the royal name of Mutara III. Because he was aware of the strength of the Belgian administration and the Catholic Church, he abandoned the policies of his father and ruled in close collaboration with these two white powers.
In 1935 Rudahigwa allowed the White Fathers to build a church at Kigabiro. It is worth noting that this location was an early residence of Musinga and was considered to be the headquarters of resistance against Christianity. In addition, the monarch dedicated Rwanda to Christ-the-King on October 27, 1946 . A big statue of the Christ was constructed at this location, the seat of opposition to the Catholic Church.
The enthronement of Rudahigwa increased the power of the White Fathers in Rwanda and decreased the influence of Nyanza. At the same time Kabgayi, the headquarters of the Catholic Church, became the decision-making center for the country.
Nevertheless, the Catholic Church kept collaborating with the Nyanza court until the end of the 1950s. At that time, the church and the Belgian administration started to prepare the Hutu elite that would end the monarchy on January 28,1961. (top)
Nyanza After Independence (1961-2001)
With the end of the monarchy, Nyanza ceased to be the political capital. However, during the First Republic , Nyanza became so economically powerful that a myth arose whereby people of Nyanza were considered to be the most successful in business in Rwanda . This belief spread all over the country.
Because political authorities of the Second Republic were jealous of the economic success of Nyanza, they reduced the number of weekly markets from six to two, then to one. Nyanza businessmen were unhappy with this reduction of market gatherings because the number of customers per day had also decreased. Many of the businessmen eventually chose to move to Kigali .
The 1994 genocide significantly curtailed the growth of Nyanza's population. Many of them were murdered, others fled, and some survivors went to settle in Kigali .
A number of changes are planned to restore the greatness of Nyanza. These include: the restructuring of the town of Nyanza , the increase in the number of secondary and primary schools, the asphalting of the main road, and the location of Olympic city. The dynamism of the inhabitants and citizens of Nyanza, along with all these assets, will enable the city of Nyanza to become a center of influence and attraction for cultural and tourist endeavors once again. (top)