Parliament has recommended that the Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement (MINUBUMWE) revise the 2015 National Cultural Heritage Policy within 12 months to ensure it reflects technological advances, digital transformation and evolving cultural realities. The recommendation was made on Thursday, July 2, as the Parliamentary Committee on Education, Technology, Culture, Sports and Youth presented its report on the implementation of the policy. ALSO READ: Rwandans’ awareness of cultural heritage stands at 76% – Survey This committee said the policy requires updating to respond to changing patterns in development, technology and cultural interaction. The committee noted that the policy had helped make various achievements since 2025. Presenting the committee's findings, MP Emma Rubagumya Furaha, the Committee Chairperson, said the implementation of the policy has strengthened efforts to preserve Kinyarwanda by expanding its vocabulary to keep pace with developments in different sectors. ALSO READ: Inside Rwanda’s 20 newly classified cultural heritage sites In order to enrich Kinyarwanda and align it with development, there have been dictionaries developed in different professions, including the 2026 ICT Dictionary, the 2024 Economy and Finance Dictionary, the 2024 Dictionary of Literature in Kinyarwanda, the 2020 Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Dictionary, the 2019 Biology Dictionary, the 2022 Airport Signs Dictionary and the 2023 Meteorology Dictionary, she said. Rubagumya said these initiatives have helped preserve the language, although its everyday use remains a concern. ALSO READ: Rwanda’s cultural heritage ‘huge and untapped’ An assessment showed that 94.1 per cent of Rwandans indicate that Kinyarwanda is the link of their unity. However, 70.6 per cent indicate that the language is not properly used, she said. The committee also found that implementation of the policy has contributed to research that documents Rwanda's history, improved the teaching, speaking and writing of Kinyarwanda, and strengthened preservation of the history of the Genocide against the Tutsi. It further cited progress in combating genocide ideology and denial, as well as the conservation of Genocide memorials, noting that four memorial sites have been recognised by UNESCO. However, the committee indicates that advancemennts in technology, development and interactions between culture and language make it necessary to revise the policy. It also called for greater efforts to pass cultural values from older to younger generations by promoting proper use of Kinyarwanda in home settings, schools and workplaces, strengthening reading and writing culture, and helping young people distinguish between beneficial influences from other cultures and practices that could undermine Rwandan cultural values. The house committee further recommended improving cultural and historical heritage sites through infrastructure development to enhance their role in promoting Rwanda's heritage nationally and internationally while attracting investment. It also urged government to strengthen protection of cultural creations by registering them and securing international intellectual property rights, organise annual festivals to promote cultural creativity and community-based tourism, and conserve indigenous trees and plants used in cultural activities, including Ficus thonningii (umuvumu), Erythrina abyssinica (umuko), Markhamia lutea (umusave) and Agave sisalana (umugwegwe). On the creative industry, the committee welcomed the enactment of the 2024 Intellectual Property Law and the ministerial order on the collection and distribution of royalties approved by Cabinet in March. There is a need to establish mechanisms for collective management of royalties, the committee noted. The report also identified gaps in archives management despite the establishment of a national archive and library, citing shortages of skilled personnel, inadequate archive facilities in some public institutions and limited digital archiving systems.
