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52 | The SERVICEMAG October - December 2011
Raising awareness about
Rwanda’s history
and heritage
ByDavid Kezio-Musoke
Museums are meant to enable people explore collections for inspiration, uplifting, learning, provide enjoyment and build confidence
for wide future prospects. They are meant to be institutions that collect, safeguard and make accessible artefacts and specimens,
which they hold in trust for society. In striving to deliver these standards and fostering international culture exchange, Rwanda
museums are preserve, archive and display a historical collection of signs in their many types and forms. David Kezio-Musoke
talked to Alphonse Umuliisa, the chief custodian of the Institute of National Museums of Rwanda on what is being done to serve
this purpose. Below is the verbatim.
A brief history of museums
in Rwanda
Museums came to Rwanda in August 1989.
There was one that was referred to as the
National museum of Butare and was offered
to Rwanda by the King of Belgium King
Baudouin. In 2007 there was a plan to expand
it and have more museums however this plan
was implemented in 2008 and as a result we
have five museums right now and we are
building environmental museum in western
province. We have introduced another
museum which is called the ‘Mobile Museum’
of Rwanda.
The uniqueness of the ‘Mobile
Museum’ in Rwanda
This project is meant to educate the young
generation on Rwandan Culture. Institute
of National Museums of Rwanda goes out
in different communities or schools. Mobile
Museum reaches out to the community and
to schools. With this kind of museum, we
started what they call the ‘art of conversation’.
We reach out to people who really can not
physically access the museum.
The art of conversation was stopped in
1959 after the miscellaneous death of King
Rudahigwa. Anything to do with traditions
back then was perceived to be divisive and
anything to do with the kingdom was not
good. With the art of conversation Rwandans
would gather and talk together and resolve
their conflicts together.
Every Rwandan would talk about cows
and poetries among neighbouring families
and villages, this was entertaining and
very informative. Since 1959 when “the
centre could not hold, things fell apart”
then Rwandans wouldn’t talk about their
own traditions, would not look at a culture
together. Many historical sites were abolished
or changed, ‘Inyambo’ traditional cows
were not talked of, and they were rather
perceived as of one group. Young men and
women brought up with the aid of the ‘Art of
Conversation,’ referred to as ‘invugo nziza’.
The traditional cows ‘Inyambo’ as
a uniqueness of Rwanda museums
Cows are traditionally for wealth, marriage,
friendship, christening, knowledge, friendship,
dancing, entertaining thru poems…this is all
embodied in the ‘Art of Conversation’ ‘invugo
nziza’. Cows every where are important,
but for Rwanda are much more than just a
treasure. People were named after cows even
when they did not have them. Names like
Kalisa, Mulisa or Kabalisa, Murore Unkwere,
‘see her and bring cows’ and many more were
derived from the tradition of breeding cows.
The beautiful girls of Rwanda are named after
cows and milk for example Gilamata, Zaninka
which literally means, ‘give me cows’, even
traditional dances.
All this tells a lot about the Rwandan
culture in relation to cows. So basically at the
moment where we are climaxing on receiving
revenue from trekking Gorillas, we can look
at other animals which also has a lot to do
with our culture. Introducing Cows and all
necessary traditional skills in museums make
our museums and heritage generates revenues
as such traditions create employment and
add value to our nation. Its another way of
communicating knowledge and ideas.
In UK, Hyde Park there are snakes and
in our museums we do not have them. Such
animals are so entertaining but this is not
limited to the West only, we should have
these different animals in accessible areas
for our children and families to learn? More
objects and images are on the way for people
and families’ entertainments and education.
In museums with research teams we always
look out for kind of objects that will attract
individuals and there is none other than
‘Inyambo’.