Kigali was founded in 1907 under German colonial rule, but did not become
the capital until Rwandan independence in 1962. The traditional capital was the
seat of the mwami (king) in Nyanza, while the colonial seat of power was in Butare,
then known as Astrida. Butare was initially the leading contender to be the
capital of the new independent nation, but Kigali was chosen because of its
more central location. Since then the city has grown very quickly and is now
the major political, economic and cultural centre of Rwanda.
Beginning on April 6, 1994, Kigali was the scene of the Rwandan Genocide –
the
