26 Jul
26Jul

While in Nyanza, I visited Nyamagana Dam and Christ the King Catholic Parish. Then I spun my wheels to the King's Palace Museum. On my way to the museum, I saw a handful of head-turning buildings. The imposing structures include the Institute of Legal Practice and Development, Nyanza District's headquarters, and Kwigira Museum - Rwesero.

According to oral tradition, Nyanza had been the site of bloody battles and intense power struggles way before the establishment of the capital of the previously mobile monarchy. Today, visitors to the King's Palace Museum revisit the past by touring the replica of the traditional Rwandan king's court. The set-up provides a glimpse into the Rwandan royal residence and its meticulous organization.

Within the same premises stands a colonial-style mansion, built by King Mutara III Rudahigwa in 1932. Unlike his predecessors, King Rudahigwa lived in a modern palace. His residence wasn't the only thing that distinguished him from his father, King Yuhi V Musinga and those who reigned before them. As dissected in my previous post, he was the first Rwandan king to convert into Christianity. His conversion and the ensuing dedication of Rwanda to Jesus Christ led to a wave of baptisms and wide-spread Catholicism within the protectorate.     

The Westernization of King Rudahigwa didn't end there. He had a collection of imported suits in his wardrobe. In addition, he drove a car and consulted European medical doctors. In 1959, he died under mysterious circumstances in the hands of his Belgian doctor in present-day Bujumbura.

After a tour of the two residences, I reflected on events that shaped both the pre-colonial and colonial eras. Furthermore, I pondered what transpired during the transition from one era to another.

Before I left the establishment, I spent some time in the backyard admiring the majestic long-horned cows, known as Inyambo. The famed breed used to be paraded in front of the king during royal ceremonies. 

Finally, I had a stopover on the neighboring Mwima Hill, where the royal tombs are found. King Rudahigwa, Queen Rosalie Gicanda, and King Gigeli V Ndahindurwa were laid to rest on the said hill.