Rwandans will on July 1 celebrate the 63rd Independence day since the country weaned off Belgium colonial rule in 1962.
Meanwhile, Liberation Day (Kwibohora) which falls on July 4 will be celebrated with pomp across the country.
Liberation day commemorates the defeat and downfall of the Hutu-led regime in Rwanda by the Rwandan Patriotic Front and thus ending the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi which claimed more than a million lives.
The government has also designated both July 2 and 3rd as holidays. Public offices will resume work on July 7 according to a communique issued from the Ministry of Public Service and Labour.
“On the 4th July 1994 the darkest chapter in our history was brought to a close,” said President Paul Kagame who commanded the Rwanda Patriotic Army rebels from 1990 and 1994 and effectively defeating the rogue extremist regime of Juvenal Habyarimana who died in a plane crash.
“The loss is endured by every Rwandan family to strengthen our resolve and to safeguard the gains we have made,” Kagame said at the 20th Liberation day celebration attended by regional leaders in the capital Kigali.
In 1994, Rwanda’s economy was devastated by the genocide against Tutsi, experiencing a 50% contraction and a drastic drop in per capita income. By 2025, Rwanda has achieved significant economic recovery, boasting one of Africa’s fastest-growing economies with a projected GDP of U$15.12 billion USD.
According to the World Bank statistics, Rwanda’s economy continued strong growth in the first half of 2024. After growing by an average of 8.2% in 2022-2023, real GDP increased by 9.7% in the first half of 2024.
GDP growth is expected to maintain momentum in 2025–26, attributed to a recovery in global tourism, new construction projects, and manufacturing activities.
