Utubindi twa Rubona, a Hidden Gem in Rwanda

Rwanda is among the various countries on the African continent that receive millions and millions of visitors each year, thanks to the different tourist attraction and activities it has to offers which include gorilla tracking, Rwanda Cultural Safaris and Wildlife Safaris. All these can be seen within its different national Parks which include Volcanoes, Nyungwe and Akagera during your safari in Rwanda.

Nevertheless, despite of the good tourism advancements registered by the country, so much remains unexploited in Rwanda among which are various historic sites including Utubindi Twa Rubona.

Approximately 4km off the Kayonza-Nyagatare main road within Tubindi village in Gatsibo District is a group of holes that were drilled in the form of pots, however without rims or necks.

These pot-pits belong to a very old cultural site on a solid granite rock where Rubona Primary school is currently located within Rubona cell, Kiziguro Area.

Although they are of varied sizes, the holes are similar in form: they are in a pot shaped form, hence the name- Utubindi (which in the local Kinyarwanda language means small pots) and direct translated in English as the “Pots of Rubona.”

One of the local tales puts it that these pots were made by the local ruler King Ruganzu II Ndoli as he was on his return journey from Karagwe (Tanzania) to home.

They allege that when this king together with his men reached at this point, they were very thirsty and couldn’t find any water source. So one of the experienced Ruganzu made use of his spear to dig deep into the hard rock which finally got filled with water and they all drunk.

Something interesting is that not too far from the holes on that very rock you will find two distinct features considered to be the footprints of Ruganzu plus markings of bows plus arrows.

Utubindi twa Rubona is among one of the numerous historical sites within the country which, if not well preserved, and today risks disappearing yet it holds very rich history.

For more information about Rwanda’s Hidden Cultural Sites, visit gorillasafarirwanda.com