List of kings of Rwanda

This article contains a list of kings of Rwanda. The Kingdom of Rwanda was ruled by sovereigns titled mwami (plural abami), and was one of the oldest and the most centralized kingdoms in the history of Central and East Africa.

Its state and affairs before King Gihanga I are largely unconfirmed and highly shrouded in mythical tales.

Kings of Rwanda

Before 14th century

• Gihanga I
• Kanyarwanda I Gahima I
• Rukuge<ref name="Kagame 2015">Kagame, Alex. 2015. Inganji Kalinga. New York Publications.</ref>
• Rumeza I
• Yuhi I Musindi
• Rumeza II<ref name="Delmas">Leon Delmas</ref>
• Nyarume<ref name="Delmas" />
• Rubanda (Lugalbanda)<ref name="Delmas" />
• Ndahiro I Bamara (Wamala)

14th–20th centuries

14th–19th centuries
Portrait	Name Template:Small	Reign		Notes
		Vansina (2004)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	Stewart (2006)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
	Ndahiro II Ruyange	–	Template:Circa 1350–1386
	Ndahiro III Ndoba	–	Template:Circa 1386–1410
	Ndahiro IV Samembe	–	Template:Circa 1410–1434
	Nsoro I Samukondo	–	Omitted
	Nsoro II Byinshi	–	Template:Circa 1434–1458
	Ruganzu I Bwimba	–	Template:Circa 1458–1482
	Cyilima I Rugwe	–	Template:Circa 1482–1506
	Kigeli I Mukobanya	–	Template:Circa 1506–1528
	Mibambwe I Sekarongoro I Mutabazi	–	Template:Circa 1528–1552
	Yuhi II Gahima II	–	Template:Circa 1552–1576	Enumerated as Yuhi I by Stewart.
	Ndahiro II Cyamatare	–	Template:Circa 1576–1600
File:IKIRENGE cultural monument.jpg	Ruganzu II Ndoli	–	Template:Circa 1600–1624
	Mutara I Nsoro III Semugeshi	–	Template:Circa 1624–1648
	Kigeli II Nyamuheshera	–	Template:Circa 1648–1672
	Mibambwe II Sekarongoro II Gisanura	Template:Circa 1700–1735	Template:Circa 1672–1696
	Yuhi III Mazimpaka	1735–1766	Template:Circa 1696–1720	Enumerated as Yuhi II by Stewart.
	Kalemera Rwaka Ntagara	1766–1770	Template:Circa 1720–1744
	Cyilima II Rujugira	1770–1786	Template:Circa 1744–1768
	Kigeli III Ndabarasa	1786–1796	Template:Circa 1768–1792
	Mibambwe III Mutabazi II Sentabyo	1796–1801	Template:Circa 1792–1797
	Yuhi IV Gahindiro	1801–1845	Template:Circa 1797–1830	Enumerated as Yuhi III by Stewart.
	Mutara II Rwogera Template:Small	1845–1867	Template:Circa 1830–1853
	Kigeli IV Rwabugiri Template:Small	1867 – September 1895	Template:Circa 1853–1895
	Mibambwe IV Rutarindwa	September 1895 – December 1896	Template:Circa 1895 – November 1896
20th century
Portrait	Name Template:Small	Reign		Notes
File:YuhiVMusinga.jpg	Yuhi V Musinga<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> Template:Small	December 1896 – 12 November 1931
File:Tutsi king Mutara.jpg	Mutara III Rudahigwa Template:Small	12 November 1931<ref name=milhis>Template:Cite book</ref> – 25 July 1959<ref name=ide55>Template:Cite book</ref>
File:Kigeli V of Rwanda at the NLC.jpg	Kigeli V Ndahindurwa Template:Small	28 July 1959<ref name=washno>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> – 28 January 1961<ref name=praeg>Template:Cite book</ref>

Timeline (1700–1961)

<timeline> ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:35 PlotArea = top:20 bottom:30 right:120 left:30 AlignBars = justify

DateFormat = yyyy Period = from:1700 till:1961 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:20 start:1700 ScaleMinor = unit:year increment:5 start:1700

Colors =

 id:canvas value:rgb(1,1,1)
 id:m      value:blue
 id:r      value:green
 id:eon  value:blue

Backgroundcolors = canvas:canvas

BarData =

 barset:Rulers
 bar:eon

PlotData =

 align:center textcolor:black fontsize:40 mark:(line,black) width:45 shift:(0,-5)
 bar:eon color:eon

 width:10 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till
 barset:Rulers

 from: 1700 till: 1735 color:m text:"Mibamwe II Sekarongoro II Gisanura"
 from: 1735 till: 1766 color:m text:"Yuhi III Mazimpaka"
 from: 1766 till: 1770 color:m text:"Kalemera Rwaka"
 from: 1770 till: 1786 color:m text:"Cyilima II Rujugira"
 from: 1786 till: 1796 color:m text:"Kigeli III Ndabarasa"
 from: 1796 till: 1801 color:m text:"Mibambwe III Mutabazi II Sentabyo"
 from: 1801 till: 1845 color:m text:"Yuhi IV Gahindiro"
 from: 1845 till: 1867 color:m text:"Mutara II Rwogera"
 from: 1867 till: 1895 color:m text:"Kigeli IV Rwabugiri"
 from: 1895 till: 1896 color:m text:"Mibambwe IV Rutarindwa"
 from: 1896 till: 1931 color:m text:"Yuhi V Musinga"
 from: 1931 till: 1959 color:m text:"Mutara III Rudahigwa"
 from: 1959 till: 1961 color:m text:"Kigeli V Ndahindurwa"

</timeline>

Pretenders since 1961

File:Yuhi VI of Rwanda (2017).jpg

Prince Emmanuel Bushayija (Yuhi VI).

On 28 January 1961, in the coup of Gitarama during what was dubbed the Rwandan Revolution by the Belgian-favored Hutu extremist party Parmehutu, the Belgian colonial overseers abolished the monarchy and Rwanda became a republic<ref name=praeg/> (retroactively approved by a Hutu led referendum held on 25 September of the same year).<ref name=throne>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Afterwards, Kigeli V Ndahindurwa continued to maintain his claim to the throne until his death on 16 October 2016 in Washington, D.C.<ref name=washingtonpost/> On 9 January 2017, the Royal Council of Abiru announced Prince Emmanuel Bushayija as the new heir to the throne. Prince Emmanuel adopted the regnal name Yuhi VI.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

See also

• History of Rwanda
• Kingdom of Rwanda
• Ruanda-Urundi
  • List of colonial residents of Rwanda
• List of presidents of Rwanda
• Vice President of Rwanda
• Prime Minister of Rwanda