Rwanda National Anthem

Rwanda Nziza

Beautiful Rwanda

Written 2001

Adopted 2002

Lyrics Faustin Murigo

Music Jean-Bosco Hashakaimana

🤝 Unity 🌿 Nature 🌅 Hope ☮ Peace ✝ God / Faith | Hopeful

Key Facts

1. Law 45/2001 of 8 December 2001 established the anthem. President Paul Kagame launched it together with the new flag and coat of arms at a ceremony on 31 December 2001, and the new symbols took effect on 1 January 2002.
2. The winning entries in the national contest came from Faustin Murigo, who wrote the words, and Jean-Bosco Hashakaimana, a captain in the Rwandan army brass band, who wrote the melody.
3. None of the four stanzas names an ethnic group: at the launch, the BBC reported that the new anthem would refer to Rwandans as one people rather than to Tutsi, Hutu and Twa, and the text praises the shared landscape, the common culture and the language that unites all Rwandans.

Rwanda National Anthem Lyrics

Rwanda nziza Gihugu cyacu Wuje imisozi, ibiyaga n'ibirunga Ngobyi iduhetse gahorane ishya. Reka tukurate tukuvuge ibigwi Wowe utubumbiye hamwe twese Abanyarwanda uko watubyaye Berwa, sugira, singizwa iteka. Horana Imana murage mwiza Ibyo tugukesha ntibishyikirwa: Umuco dusangiye uraturanga Ururimi rwacu rukaduhuza Ubwenge, umutima, amaboko yacu Nibigukungahaze bikwiye Nuko utere imbere ubutitsa. Abakurambere b'intwari Bitanze batizigama Baraguhanga uvamo ubukombe Utsinda ubukoroni na mpatsibuhugu Byayogoje Afurika yose None uraganje mu bwigenge Tubukomeyeho uko turi twese. Komeza imihigo Rwanda dukunda Duhagurukiye kukwitangira Ngo amahoro asabe mu bagutuye Wishyire wizane muri byose Urangwe n'ishyaka, utere imbere Uhamye umubano n'amahanga yose Maze ijabo ryawe riguhe ijambo.

Translations are non-official and intended to convey meaning, not replace originals

Analysis

Editorial

In official use since 1 January 2002, it replaced “Rwanda Rwacu”, which had served since independence in 1962. The words are by Faustin Murigo and the music by Jean-Bosco Hashakaimana; both won a national competition held when Rwanda overhauled its flag, coat of arms and anthem after the 1994 genocide. The text runs to four stanzas of seven lines, moving from the landscape to the shared culture and common language, then to the ancestors and the end of colonial rule, and finally to a pledge of devotion to the country's peace, freedom and progress and to its friendship with all nations.