Gakenke Mayor Mukandayisenga Véstine made the announcement during a July 31, 2025, engagement with staff from the Rwanda Cultural Heritage Academy (RCHA) and journalists. The visit was part of a broader cultural tour aimed at identifying and promoting sites with deep historical ties to Umuganura.
Huro Hill, located in Huro Village, Huro Cell, Muhondo Sector, formerly known as Bumbog, is the most prominent historical landmark in Gakenke tied to the Umuganura tradition.
Historical accounts indicate that Huro served as the residence of the Abiru ba Kwa Myaka, the royal ritual specialists tasked with preparing sacred seeds, particularly sorghum and millet, used in the national harvest ceremony.
At Huro, only the finest, untainted seeds were selected and ritually purified before being sent to the royal court for Umuganura. This tradition is the origin of the popular Rwandan saying 'Ihuriro ni i Huro', meaning 'the gathering point is Huro,' emphasising the hill's role as the central hub for both seeds and those who bore them.
Paulin Mudahinyuka, a 78-year-old elder from the area, recalled the meticulous seed selection practices of the past. He said that, traditionally, women were not allowed to handle the seeds during menstruation, a time considered one of ritual impurity in the customs.
'They were extremely meticulous,' he said. 'Only perfect, germinable seeds were chosen, and no one touched them with bare hands. Even men used a special stick known as isando to avoid contamination.'
Once selected, the seeds were delivered to the king accompanied by traditional drums and imutsama beer, all presented as offerings for royal blessing and symbolic national unity.
Elder Mudahinyuka further recounted that during Umuganura celebrations, the King would arrive accompanied by the Chief of the Harvest Ceremony (Umuganuza Mukuru). Together, they would place their hands into a large ceremonial basket (igitenga) filled with sacred seeds and pour them onto the ground, symbolically signifying the King's blessing over the nation's agricultural season.
'Once the seeds touched Rwanda's soil,' he explained, 'it was understood that the King had officially offered the seeds to the nation.'
One of Huro Hill's enduring historical landmarks is a centuries-old rain gauge known as Ivubiro, established by a royal meteorologist named Minyaruko ya Nyamikenke, a local leader of Busigi in the 16th century. He built it at the request of King Ruganzu II Ndori. The rain basin, still present today, is concealed in a bush and retains water even now.
This rain gauge was used by the Abiru royal agricultural seers of the Myaka lineage to predict rainfall patterns. If they foresaw a delayed rainy season, they would inform the King, who would then perform rituals to prompt an early downpour.
To further protect this heritage, Gakenke District Mayor, Mukandayisenga Véstine, revealed plans to compensate a resident whose land encompasses the historic site. The move will facilitate its formal conservation.
'We are in the process of valuing the land and compensating the owner so that we can fence off the area,' she said. 'We're also working with partners to potentially build a small heritage centre where today's elders who may not be with us tomorrow can document and display these stories, possibly even in audiovisual form.'
The Rwanda Cultural Heritage Academy (RCHA) (Inteko y'Umuco) notes that its research has identified over 530 heritage sites nationwide. These require proper signage, preservation, and coordinated protection by multiple institutions.
Other culturally significant locations in Gakenke include Kabuye Hill, home to Iriba rya Nyirarucyaba (a sacred spring) and the King's cave, along with Mbirima and Matovu in Coko Sector, which are associated with royal traditions, and Ibuye rya Bajyejye, a historical rock in Gakenke Town.
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