Underground legacy: Integrating heritage into Rwandan development

For centuries, Rwandans have shared a common culture and history, rich with unique relics and cultural imprints closely connected to their natural surroundings. Yet many people remain unaware of this heritage’s origins, components, and locations. It is often underestimated, despite its crucial role in human survival. Among Rwanda’s most cherished cultural assets are excavated materials—important traces of past human activity found underground. However, rapid urban expansion in Kigali and other Rwandan cities is putting this rich, untapped underground heritage at risk. As buildings rise, roads are paved, and large industries expand, the threat of destruction grows. The taller the building, the deeper the foundation; and the deeper the foundation, the greater the risk of destroying precious cultural heritage. As a practicing heritage expert, I see this dilemma with mixed emotions. Culture and development can sometimes be uncomfortable neighbours, but they can coexist when planning is integrated and inclusive. This process should bring together key stakeholders, including the heritage and tourism sectors, urban planners, city engineers, architects, academic institutions, non-state actors, and, most importantly, local communities, who are the custodians of this heritage. However, coexistence requires more than simply identifying these actors. It also requires thorough stakeholder analysis, clear communication maps, and appropriate communication channels. In short, a well-coordinated and robust governance structure is essential for building trust, strengthening accountability, and fostering a sense of ownership and pride in heritage management. Preserving cultural heritage is challenging. It requires substantial investment, collaboration, and co-creation to build mutual trust. Rwanda’s heritage landscape, like others across Africa and around the world, must have clear value and purpose for its stakeholders. For this reason, I strongly advocate integrating archaeological preservation into Rwanda’s rapidly expanding urban development projects. Major projects should be required to conduct Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs) and rescue excavations to prevent buried cultural artefacts from being lost during construction. Protecting our history requires coordinated action across Rwanda’s heritage governance, post-colonial institutional reforms, decentralisation processes, and the active involvement of local communities and non-state actors. For institutions of higher learning—particularly the University of Rwanda and other academic bodies—conducting research is only the first step. There is an urgent need to share cultural heritage research findings widely with the public. Without the understanding, engagement, and support of local communities—especially those living near physical heritage sites—conservation efforts are likely to fail. At present, a significant gap exists between national policies and local realities. This disconnect contributes to a loss of cultural authenticity, weakens community ownership, and undermines maintenance practices. True local ownership of cultural heritage can only be achieved when surrounding communities understand its value and share a strong commitment to preserving it. To address these critical conservation challenges, universities must invest in public outreach. This includes translating and sharing scientific research in formats the general public can understand, as well as working with local communities to co-create active, engaged, empowered, and well-supported conservation initiatives. By building shared ownership and understanding among local residents, higher education institutions can make a lasting contribution to preserving cultural heritage for future generations. Preserving cultural heritage also requires highly specialised professionals with broad knowledge and practical skills. For this reason, universities have a direct responsibility to strengthen local capacity and support scholarly knowledge production across all heritage-related disciplines. The writer is a heritage professional with background in philosophy and history.

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Underground legacy: Integrating heritage into Rwandan development