Kibuye Environment Museum

The Kibuye Environment Museum is a museum located in Karongi District, Western Province, dedicated to showcasing Rwanda's native flora and fauna as well as the methods used to generate energy in the country, both renewable and non-renewable.
Kibuye Environment Museum
Photo by Oluwaseun Osineye
Type: Ecological Museum
Country:
Rwanda
Establishment: 2015

The Kibuye Environment Museum (Kinyarwanda: Ingoro y’umurage w’ibidukikije) is a museum located in Karongi District, Western Province, dedicated to showcasing Rwanda's native flora and fauna as well as the methods used to generate energy in the country, both renewable and non-renewable.

History

The construction of the museum cost approximately 1.3 billion Rwandan Francs, in addition to receiving donations of solar panels from the Natural Museum of Germany, it was completed in 2015 under the administration of the Institute of National Museums of Rwanda.[1]

In 2017, several geological artifacts from the Natural History Museum in Kigali, formerly known as Kandt House, were relocated to the museum under the supervision of the Minister for Sports and Culture, which also provided assistance in moving several crocodile, snake and bird fossils found in Rwanda's National Parks.[2]

Collections

The museum has collections of medicinal plants that were used in ancient Rwanda, as well as exhibits on how the country's people can generate energy, including traditional coal and charcoal methods, and the process used to extract methane gas from Lake Kivu. In addition, the museum contains archaeological artifacts and fossils dating back more than 2,000 years, including hand tools made from stone.[3]

The museum also features exhibits on the Rock of Bagenge (Kinyarwanda: Ibuye rya Bagenge) located in Nemba, Northern Province; a geological formation popularised in oral legends by peasants during the Kingdom of Rwanda. In addition, the museum also has exhibits on the Bigogwe Rock (Kinyarwanda: Ibere rya Bigogwe) located in Nyabihu District, Western Province.[4]

Kibuye Museum Imagen 1
Pottery collections, including an Urwabya, consisting of small pots with crossing incisions (2020) - Photo by George Wood
Kibuye Museum Imagen 2
Traditional plant used to cure intestinal problems, colloquially known as Umwenya and scientifically known as Ocimum Suave. (2022) - Photo by Eniola Adeyemi
Kibuye Museum Imagen 3
Exhibition about native birds of Rwanda (2022) - Photo by Brian Philip

References

  1. Kazibwe, A. (2015-08-01). New Rwanda environment museum struggles to find its footing. The East African.

  2. Karongi Environmental Museum boosted with natural history objects. (2017-10-17). IGIHE.

  3. Sebuliba, S. (2020-09-15). Threatened Heritage: Evaluation of East African Natural History Collections Amidst Restitution Debates: Cases from Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda. Senckenberg Museum für Naturkunde Görlitz. DOI: 10.34750/peck13-2020 (Page 20)

  4. Iriza, J. N. (2023-05-19). Karongi: New exhibition inaugurated at Museum of Environment. The New Times.

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