Muhanga (former Gitarama, renamed in 2006) is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

Rwanda Rwanda, officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda is bordered by ...

, in the

Muhanga District Muhanga is a Districts of Rwanda, district (''akarere'') in Rwanda. It is found in southern province and its administrative centre is located in the city of Muhanga (former Gitarama). Geography Muhanga Districtis one of the eight districts ...

, in Southern Province. The city is situated above sea level. Though officially part of the Southern Province, Muhanga is geographically located in central Rwanda, approximately by road southwest of

Kigali Kigali () is the Capital (political), capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is near the nation's geographic centre in a region of rolling hills, with a series of valleys and ridges joined by steep slopes. As a primate city, Kigali is a relativ ...

, Rwanda's

capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...

and largest city. This location lies approximately , north of

Kibeho Kibeho is a sector and small town in south Rwanda, which became known outside of that country because of reported apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ occurring between 1981 and 1989. It is also known for the Kibeho Massacre ...

, in

Nyaruguru District Nyaruguru is a district (''akarere'') in Southern Province, Rwanda. Its capital is Kibeho, a pilgrimage site of the Catholic Church. Geography The district is the most southerly in Rwanda, lying between the cities of Butare and Cyangugu and al ...

, the southernmost district in Southern Province. The provincial headquarters at Nyanza in

Nyanza District Nyanza is a district (''akarere'') in Southern Province, Republic of Rwanda. Its capital is Nyanza town, which is also the provincial capital. ''Nyanza'' is a Bantu word meaning ''lake'', which probably refers to the small body of water created ...

lie about , by road, directly south of Muhanga.

Overview

Muhanga is the fourth-largest city in Rwanda and the capital and largest metropolitan area in the

district A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

Muhanga Muhanga (former Gitarama, renamed in 2006) is a List of cities in Rwanda, city in Rwanda, in the Muhanga District, in Southern Province, Rwanda, Southern Province. The city is situated above sea level. Though officially part of the Southern Pr ...

. Due to its geographical location, the city serves as the gateway to the west and south of the country. During the 1994

Rwandan genocide The Rwandan genocide, also known as the genocide against the Tutsi, occurred from 7 April to 19 July 1994 during the Rwandan Civil War. Over a span of around 100 days, members of the Tutsi ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Gre ...

, Muhanga was the seat of the provisional government.

Amenities

The city has many amenities, including the ones listed below: ; Administration and public safety * The offices of Muhanga District Administration * The offices of Muhanga District Council * The offices of Gitarama City Council * Gitarama Police Station * Gitarama City Jail * Muhanga District Prison * Muhanga High Court Building ; Educational institutions * St. Leon Minor Seminary, Kabgayi * Kabgayi Major Seminary * St. Joseph Primary School * St. Joseph Secondary School * St. Elizabeth Nurses & Midwives College * Kabgayi Technical College * Kabgayi Catholic Institute * Catholic University of Rwanda * Gitarama Adventist Secondary School * St. Marie-Reine Secondary School * Groupe Scolaire de Nyabikenke * College de Karambi * College Adventiste de Gitwe ; Public services * Kabgayi Hospital * Gitarama Regional Stadium * Gitarama Bus Station * Muhanga Cultural Center ; Economy * Muhanga Farmers' Market * A branch of Inkingi Microfinance Limited * Three branches of

Bank of Kigali Bank of Kigali (BK) is a commercial bank in Rwanda. It is licensed by the National Bank of Rwanda. Location The headquarters and main branch of the bank are located at 6112 KN4 Avenue, in Nyarugenge District, in the city of Kigali, the capital a ...

* A branch of

Ecobank Rwanda Ecobank Rwanda, whose full name is Ecobank Rwanda Limited, formerly Bank of Commerce, Development and Industry (BCDI), is a commercial bank in Rwanda, licensed and supervised by the National Bank of Rwanda, the central bank and national banking ...

* A branch of Fina Bank Rwanda * A branch of

Banque Populaire du Rwanda SA BPR Bank Rwanda (), formerly Banque Populaire du Rwanda SA, is a commercial bank in Rwanda. The bank is licensed by the National Bank of Rwanda, the central bank and national banking regulator. Overview BPR is a retail (consumer) bank, offeri ...

Zipline A zip-line, zip line, zip-wire, flying fox, or death slide''Who Really Benefits from Tourism'', Publ. Equations, Karnataka, India, 2010. Working Papers Series. "Canopy Tourism"page 37/ref>Jacques Marais, Lisa De Speville, ''Adventure Racing'', ...

delivers supplies from Muhanga to medical centres around the area using drones * Idembe Heritage: Restaurant, accommodation and Rural life experiences * ''Hotel Splendid'', a private hospitality establishment.Schlumpf, Heidi. (2011-08-08
Hotel Splendid Best Taxpayer In Muhanga District
Ncronline.org. Retrieved on 2017-06-10. ; Religion * Kabgayi Minor

Basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...

* St. Andrew's Pastoral Center * Muhanga Zion Temple * St. Andrew's Church

Population

The 2022 national census put the city's population at 85,000.

Notable people

Dominique Mbonyumutwa Dominique Mbonyumutwa (January 1921 – 26 July 1986) was a Rwandan politician who served as the interim first President of Rwanda for a period of nine months in 1961, during a transitional phase between the overthrow of the Rwandan monarchy i ...

Tatiana Mukakibibi Tatiana Mukakibibi (born 1965) is a former journalist and radio presenter in Rwanda. She was imprisoned without formal trial for over 10 years, accused of inciting violence through her broadcasts during the early days of the Rwandan genocide. Aft ...

Godeliève Mukasarasi Godeliève Mukasarasi (born 1959) is a Rwandan social worker, genocide survivor, and rural development activist. She created the organization Sevota to support widowed women and their children after the genocide. In 2018, she was given an Interna ...

Fred Rwigyema Fred Gisa Rwigema (also sometimes spelled Rwigyema; born Emmanuel Gisa; 10 April 1957 – 2 October 1990) was a Rwandan military officer and revolutionary. He was the founder of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a political and rebel group f ...

References

{{Authority control Populated places in Rwanda Muhanga District Southern Province, Rwanda

Overview

Amenities

Population

Notable people

See also

References