The museum will honour the lives of thousands of Tutsi who were killed in the former Commune Ntongwe, a region that witnessed some of the genocide's most harrowing atrocities. The facility will feature two sections and is projected to cost Rwf470 million.
'It is a memorial house dedicated to the history of the Genocide against the Tutsi in the Mayaga region,' said Valens Habarurema, the Mayor of Ruhango District.
'It will serve to explain, in detail, how the Tutsi in what was formerly known as Ntongwe Commune were killed. It will be built with the help of experts using advanced tools to preserve and interpret this history.'
The update on the museum's timeline came as residents, survivors, and government officials gathered at the Ruhango Genocide Memorial to lay wreaths and honour more than 60,000 victims buried at the site. During the ceremony, 38 newly recovered remains were also laid to rest with dignity.
Once completed, the museum will join Rwanda's growing network of genocide memorial sites. Six major memorial centersâ€"Kigali, Nyamata, Murambi, Bisesero, Ntarama, and Nyarubuyeâ€"currently serve as national remembrance spaces, with four of them recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 2023.
Beyond serving as a memorial, the Ruhango Genocide Museum is envisioned as an educational and research hub that will remain active year-round. Officials hope it will play a vital role in preserving memory, promoting understanding, and reinforcing Rwanda's commitment to ensuring such heinous acts never happen again.
"Once completed, it will be visited regularly, not only during the official commemoration period,' Habarurema added.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/completion-of-ruhango-genocide-museum-set-for-2026
