Rusizi District will host the national Umuganura celebrations on August 7, marking the first time the district has been chosen to stage the country’s annual harvest festival since its revival in 2011. The Rwanda Cultural Heritage Academy (Inteko y'Umuco) said the decision reflects Umuganura’s role in promoting unity, resilience and cultural values, while supporting ongoing efforts to strengthen social cohesion. This year’s celebrations will be held under the theme: “Umuganura, a source of unity and a foundation for self-reliance.” ALSO READ: How Umuganura is transcendental and unifying in Rwandan society The theme calls on Rwandans to deepen unity, work together in their daily lives and uphold the values associated with Umuganura, including cooperation, patriotism, hard work and self-reliance. Rusizi will become the second district in the Western Province to host the national celebrations since the festival was reinstated in 2011. According to the Rwanda Cultural Heritage Academy, the choice of Rusizi also aligns with efforts to strengthen national unity and resilience, values that are central to Umuganura. The academy noted that the 2025 Rwanda National Unity Barometer, published by the Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement (MINUBUMWE), showed Rusizi recording comparatively lower scores on indicators related to unity, reconciliation and resilience. The district ranked 30th with 92.1 per cent in the unity and reconciliation index and 21st with 89.6 per cent in the broader assessment of Rwandan unity. Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement Jean-Damascène Bizimana said the results remain encouraging despite Rusizi ranking lowest. ALSO READ: Not just sorghum: What’s Umuganura in our time? Although Rusizi comes last, all 30 districts scored above 92 per cent, which is a very encouraging level, he said. Bizimana attributed some of the challenges to the district's location along Rwanda's borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi. Because Rusizi and Nyamasheke share borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi, many residents engage in cross-border trade. Some may come into contact with individuals who hold genocide ideology, which can negatively affect their understanding of unity and resilience, he said. He said the government will continue promoting dialogue on Rwanda's history and strengthening cultural values to reinforce unity and resilience. ALSO READ: Rwandan history: The revival of Rwanda under the leadership of Ruganzu II Ndoli The findings show that Rwandans are increasingly improving their social relations, their sense of belonging to the country, their willingness to work together for its development and protection, and their satisfaction with the country's governance system, which places citizens at the centre, Bizimana said. He added that educating citizens about Rwanda's history and encouraging them to reject genocide ideology remain key priorities. Unity index continues to improve Rwanda's national unity and reconciliation index rose to 95.3 per cent in 2025, up from 94.7 per cent in 2020 and 82.3 per cent in 2010, according to the latest National Unity Barometer. Kayonza topped the rankings with 98 per cent, followed by Ngoma (97.8 per cent), Ruhango (97.5 per cent), Nyanza (97.4 per cent), Kirehe (97.1 per cent) and Rwamagana (96.9 per cent). Rusizi and Nyarugenge recorded the lowest scores at 92.1 per cent each. Bizimana said the differences among districts are relatively small, noting that Nyarugenge's large student population highlights the need for continued civic education among young people. ALSO READ: Umuganura and the values behind it About Umuganura Umuganura is Rwanda's traditional harvest festival, celebrated on the first Friday of August each year. The ceremony traces its origins to the monarchy, where it was one of the 18 royal rituals (inzira z'ubwiru) performed to celebrate harvests and pray for agricultural prosperity. The word Umuganura comes from the verb kuganura, meaning to celebrate and share the first harvest. The tradition was abolished by colonial authorities in 1925 but continued to be observed informally by many families after independence. The Government of National Unity reinstated Umuganura in 2011 as a national celebration to promote unity, self-reliance and collective action in national development.
