Bumbogo High School has won the national Kinyarwanda, culture, and heritage competition for secondary schools, scoring 90%, and will represent Kigali City in the nationwide contest featuring schools from across Rwanda.
The competition, officially launched on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at Kagarama High School in Kicukiro District, is themed “Youth: perfecting Kinyarwanda and preserving our culture.” It challenges students to demonstrate mastery of Kinyarwanda while celebrating Rwanda’s cultural heritage.
Participants created educational videos teaching Kinyarwanda, shared on platforms such as X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Social media engagement accounted for up to 35% of the schools’ overall scores.
Bumbogo High School topped the Kigali leaderboard with 90%, followed by Kagarama High School at 70%. Winning students received certificates, dictionaries, and literary books.
The competition is organized jointly by the National Council of Culture and the Rwanda Basic Education Board (REB), aiming to foster pride in Kinyarwanda and Rwandan culture among youth.
At the launch, Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement, Dr. Bizimana Damascene, reminded students: “A young tree is easier to straighten.” He emphasized that Kinyarwanda should be studied with the same seriousness as any subject.
“In all your studies, Kinyarwanda is part of the curriculum. Learn it, practice it, perfect it, and use technology wisely to express it correctly,” Dr. Bizimana said. “This ensures we preserve our identity while also mastering other languages like English, French, and Swahili.”
REB Director-General Mbarushimana Nelson praised the competition as a platform for youth to show their love for Kinyarwanda and Rwandan culture. “Our youth are Rwanda today and tomorrow. They must safeguard and promote our language and culture,” he said.
The event highlights Kinyarwanda as a cornerstone of national identity and unity. In previous years, similar competitions have been held in the four provinces and Kigali, engaging schools under both national and international curricula.
