Where Royal Cows Meet Lake Kivu: Inyambo Add a Cultural Dimension to the Kivu Beach Expo

As Rutsiro District prepares for the 2025 Kivu Beach Expo and Festival, the event is set to highlight the region’s tourism potential while offering new cultural experiences along Lake Kivu.

Inyambo Tourism Introduced in Boneza Sector

Among this year’s attractions is the presence of the Inyambo, Rwanda’s traditional royal long-horned cattle, now part of an emerging cultural tourism initiative in Boneza Sector.

The Kivu Beach Expo and Festival, organized by Yirunga Ltd in partnership with Rutsiro District, will take place from December 9 to 15, 2025.

The program includes sports competitions, cultural performances, exhibitions, community activities and tourism experiences on the shores of Lake Kivu.

Ngizimana Amani, who oversees the Inyambo at Ruchel Kivu Beach Resort owned by Hon. Odette Nyiramirimo, said the initiative to develop Inyambo-based tourism began last year.

“We started Inyambo-based tourism in 2024 because people in the Western Province, especially Rutsiro, did not have many cultural tourism activities nearby,” he explained.

Visitors are also given the chance to participate in traditional practices.

“People enjoy tasting milk from the Inyambo because it is different from regular cow’s milk,” he added.

The cows are kept on Bugarura Island, where caretakers introduce visitors to Rwanda’s cattle heritage and guide them through demonstrations, including controlled swimming sessions that will be showcased during the festival.

Rutsiro Positions Itself as a Tourism Destination

Rutsiro District Mayor Kayitesi Dative said the festival comes at an important moment for the district.

“This festival helps showcase what Rutsiro has achieved in tourism,” she said, citing attractions such as Gishwati-Mukura National Park, Lake Kivu, several islands and modern lakeside hotels.

She added that the event also supports the district’s environmental goals: “We want to protect Lake Kivu and promote responsible construction and tree planting.”

Yirunga Ltd Director Yves Iyaremye said this year’s edition will include several new activities.

“We are adding a 20-kilometer hike ending at Palega Beach Inn, boat races, tennis-like badminton games at KaySun Hotel and community sports at Ruchel Resort,” he said.

Boneza Sector Executive Secretary Munyamahoro Muhizi Patrick emphasizes the sector’s unique natural and cultural features.

“We have islands, birds, modern hotels and the Inyambo that can move through the water,” he said, adding that the festival will “elevate Rutsiro, especially Boneza, in cultural tourism.”

Additional activities include a two-day boat party with live entertainment on December 13 and 14, visits to Napoleon Island and coffee-based tourism tours at Boneza Coffee.

The Kivu Beach Expo and Festival continues to position Rutsiro District as a growing tourism destination.

With the Inyambo now part of the experience, visitors will have the chance to encounter one of Rwanda’s historic cultural symbols while exploring the natural beauty of Lake Kivu.

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