The 30 Districts Expedition was in its final stretch when I made a stopover somewhere in Shyogwe Sector, Muhanga District. After two months of winding roads, breathtaking landscapes, and countless stories, I was eager to get back home. Yet, the journey felt like candy—melting slowly, sweetening every moment, making me wish it could last just a little longer. This place in Shyogwe gave me a good reason to pause.
In the 1950s, my grandmother lived on this hill while working for Queen Mother Radegonde Nyiramavugo III Kankazi. Kankazi, the widow of King Yuhi V Musinga and mother of King Mutara III Rudahigwa, was a prominent figure in the kingdom. Today, her Shyogwe residence is a site of historical significance. For me, the connection runs deeper.
My grandmother's house still stands, albeit not in its original form. Humble and weathered, it carries quiet scars. From the look of things, its days are numbered. The entire hill is in the grip of transformation. Plans to construct a world-class stadium and a five-star hotel are underway. Chances are, the house will be gone by the time you are reading this.
Walking the slopes, I felt the ground holding both the echoes of a royal past and the hum of cranes and construction. The old is not being replaced by the new—the former is passing the baton to the latter.
From my vantage point, I could see the valleys and distant hills. Yet the view was more than physical—it was a journey through eras. One foot in the sepia-toned days of my grandmother’s life, the other in Rwanda’s ambitious future.