In her song, famed Rwandan musician Sophie Nzayisenga, also referred to as the “Queen of Inanga”, says that she wishes for cows. “What would give me a cow would really cost me. I wish I could get Inyambo”. She's not the first or the last to express her wish, but don’t we all wish the same? Another famous song ‘Kunda Inka’ (love cows) asks the question “udakunda inka ni nde?” (who doesn’t love cows?”) I will wait. Oh, the people who don’t know Rwanda! You don’t know anything if you haven’t gone to Nyanza District, in Rwanda’s southern province, to see the Inyambo cows’ parade. But I cannot blame you, because this custom was last held more than six decades ago. Understandably, some Rwandans have never seen this historically prestigious long-horned cow in their life. ALSO READ: How Inyambo cows are bred, preserved through generations As I drove to Nyanza District on a Friday evening, I was thinking of one thing only; how beautiful the next morning was going to be, given the hundreds of Inyambo cows that would be paraded. You see, in a colorful event on Saturday, March 23, Rwanda Cultural Heritage Academy (RCHA/Inteko y’Umuco) and Nyanza District, revived the Inyambo cow parade that was last held before Rwanda’s independence from the Belgian colony. Over 200 Inyambo cows were gathered from different parts of the country to be presented at the Kwigira Museum. What’s more, this is how it was done for centuries before independence, although the cows would be so much more. ALSO READ: Why Kagame’s gift to Muhoozi is more than just cows “The long-horned royal cows have traditionally been paraded for and by the kings, presented to esteemed chiefs, and showcased to other honored guests. This age-old tradition is envisioned to continue as these regal creatures are elegantly paraded before visiting heads of state, distinguished guests, and friends of Rwanda, preserving a legacy of cultural significance and ancestral reverence,” Robert Masozera, the Director General of RCHA said. Indeed, for Rwandans, it is better if you don’t refer to the Inyambo as cows, perhaps because they “create” them, unlike other animals created by nature. The cow being the ultimate symbol of wealth, cherished and taken care of just like a person (or even more), our ancestors would use a special breeding method to create a cow that looked just like they wanted. Long horns, perfect backline, big in size, perfectly colored cowhide, and other attributes that they thought would make a cow beautiful. Hence some people say Inyambo are not cows, but Inyambo. These unique cows are sometimes decorated with beads on their head and neck with traditional Rwandan designs. The young and old from Nyanza district and other parts of the country had gathered to witness the beauty of these majestic cows. One of them, Marie-Therese Nyiranziza, 55, had attended in her traditional attire, Umushanana, on top of a t-shirt with a big image of President Kagame. She told The New Times that for the first time, she witnessed something her parents and older relatives would speak of. “We were reminded of our Inyambo that used to exist. Now we know that although we don’t see them often, they are still there,” she said. Nyiranziza who hails from Nyanza also said that her parents told her that during the reign of Mutara III Rudahigwa, Inyambo were still being paraded. “We would be happy to have this event many times. We love it,” she added. In order to eradicate any attributes of the monarchy, the ‘Hutu Pawa’ governments highly discouraged the breeding and ownership of Inyambo, referring to them as ‘Tutsi cows’ since the early 60’s. Later, in 1994, 90 percent of all cattle in the country was slaughtered in the Genocide against Tutsi. These cows became almost extinct in the country. ALSO READ: Amata araduhamye? Where milk is no longer for the wealthy Nevertheless, according to Historian, Gitinywa Rugeyo, President Kagame followed up the efforts to increase the number of Inyambo in the country himself, and Rwanda, again, had herds of them. Besides this, in 2006, Kagame launched the ‘Girinka Programme’ (which literally translates to have a cow/s). It is a “one cow per poor family” scheme where a poor family receives a cow free of charge, and when it reproduces, the first female calf is given to a neighbor who passes on a female calf to another neighbor, and so on. Although not every cattle keeper owns Inyambo, they are always on display at the King's Palace Museum in Nyanza. The district itself has had its share of Rwandan history, from the arrival of Belgian colonies to different political and social changes. It is a beautiful town that is surrounded by green hills. At the Inyambo Parade Festival, young women and men, and children danced happily, and the excitement as the crowd watched the cows was evident. You could see that yes, cows mean so much in the Rwandan culture, but Inyambo mean so much more.
