As Ivugangingo.com keeps you up to date with the origins and place names of various places in Rwanda in order to make people more aware of the history and preserve it, it has compiled some of the history explaining the origin of the name Kigali.
When you mention the name Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, most people immediately think of it as the most developed city in Rwanda, with the cleanest city in the country. The name of the capital city of Rwanda is derived from the mountain of Kigali known as Mont Kigali between the 14th and 15th centuries during the reign of King Kigeli Mukobanya. Rwanda’s capital has expanded both in terms of infrastructure and geographical area since its founding. The poet and historian of Rwanda, Nsanzabera Jean De Dieu spoke to Ivugangingo and announced the origin of the name Kigali
This hill of Mont Kigali was where a Bugesera man named Cyilima Rugwe lived and wanted to fight against King Nsoro Bihembe of u Bugesera to attack him. This time Nsoro Bihembe was angry with him, which led to him later to take his wife Nyanguge za Sagashya and marry her with Mukobanya, which is why this Nyanguge was said to be the wife of King 2 because she was married to King of Bugesera Nsoro Bihembe and King of Rwanda Kilima Rugwe. Nsanzabera says that after the surrender, King Kirima Rugwe was succeeded by his son Kigeli Mukobanya, during this reign, the Noro had the largest kingdom in the area and made their first attack, attacking Rwanda through two parts, passing through Ndorwa Eastern and reaching all these parts without any walls before opening in Bwanacyambwe.
Then the king of that place, Nkuba the Good-for-nothing, sent them by night to the king’s palace, which was called Gora on the hill that is now known, and they burned the king’s palace. The battle continued until Rwanda defeated the Oromo. King Mukobanya, who had a number of skilled warriors, continued to harbor resentment against Ubwanacyambwe, which had opened the way for the Abanyoro army to invade Rwanda”.
And the king of the Amorites, who dwelt in the land of the Amorites, took the bow and the javelin, and smote the king of the Amorites with the edge of the sword, and with the edge of the sword, and with the edge of the sword; Kigeli Mukobanya stood on the summit of the hill of Kigali where he had looked at Uburiza conquered by his father Cyilima Rugwe and looked at the part of the old Gasabo and then looked at the whole length of Bwanacyambwe starting from mont Kigali, crossing Kicukiro to Nyarugenge and Rwamagana to the East and said: “The country is no longer the seven hills but has now become Kigali since then the hill that bears the name is called Kigali of Bwanacyambwe. The name Kigali was first mentioned during the reign of King Kigeli Mukobanya, who ruled Rwanda from 1378 to 1411. This is the origin of the name Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. The name Kigali embodies the concept of expansion, meaning something that is expanded. In addition to being on the hill of Mont Kigali, which still displays the gifts of the Emperors, there was a ritual to pray for the heart of Rwanda, Nsanzabera continued. “They wanted the heart of Rwanda, saying, ‘Let the Rwandans have heart, let Rwanda have heart, let the country be peaceful, let it be prosperous, and let it be long-lived.’
Today, the mountain is a popular tourist destination, with many people visiting it for sightseeing and relaxing. Mount Kigali is active at the foot of Nyamirambo, Mageragere, Kigali and all Kimisagara in Nyarugenge.
