When the Belgian colonists found out that the King of Rwanda Yuhi V Musinga would never give in to all their colonial plans, they decided to establish rapport with his then-young son, Rudahigwa, whom they wanted to install after they deposed his father.
When the plan to depose Musinga was being finalised, some chiefs, including Rwabutogo, Rwubusisi, and Kayondo, heard of it and went to the palace to let him know. He asked them, as if he didn’t know, who was going to replace him.
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When they said Rudahigwa, he sighed in relief, because among his children, Musinga was sure that he was the one who would handle ruling during the difficult time. But then again, he felt a bit sad because he was only young.
Rudahigwa was barely 20 years of age, and although the colonists thought he would be against his father, they maintained a close relationship but in secret. He would tell his father everything he discussed with the Belgians.
Time came, and in 1941, Musinga was exiled to Moba, DR Congo, where he later died. The colonists then enthroned his son, whose reigning name became Mutara III Rudahigwa. He also later became the first Rwandan king to convert to Catholicism, converting in 1943 and taking the Christian name Charles Léon Pierre.
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Rudahigwa would later serve the kingdom selflessly and heroically, despite being installed by those who didn’t have the right to do so.
He is credited for major political, social, and economic changes, despite the trying times of colonialism. As documented by Historian Dantès Singiza, below are some of the key achievements that also make Rudahigwa a celebrated national hero.
Political changes
"In the political domain, we note the abolition of royalties in kind and labour for the benefit of the king, the reunification of political commands, the creation of the King's Council in 1931, which became, in 1942, the Country Council and in 1952, the Superior Council of the Country; - encouraging the war effort of the Rwandan population during the Second World War,” Singiza noted.
He also added that Rudahigwa is credited, among others, for the elections in 1952 of the chieftaincy and sub-chieftaincy councils, among others.
Economic changes
Singiza also noted that in the economic field, the reign of Rudahigwa was characterised by the continuation of salaried work, road construction, compulsory food crops, reforestation to combat drought, tea, and coffee crops, and mining.
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It is also when we see the introduction of cotton, pyrethrum, and tobacco as new cash crops as well as the arrival of new mining companies like the Geological and Mining Company of Ruanda-Urundi or GEORUANDA (1943), and the Company Research and Mining Exploitation of Ruanda-Urundi or COREM (1946).
"The construction of Kigali airport and Kamembe airfield, and the creation of veterinary laboratories and dispensaries,” Singiza said.
Rudahigwa also inaugurated the Nyanza dairy and the Gisenyi brewery.
"He also abolished the customary chores, ‘uburetwa’, as well as colonial chores, ‘akazi’, and in 1954, pastoral clientelism, ‘ubuhake’, criticised for some of its restrictive aspects,” Singiza noted.
Social changes
In the social aspect, it is under Rudahigwa that we see the creation of the Rwandan written press illustrated by periodicals such as Kinyamateka (1933), and Écho du Séminaire/L'ami (1938, 1945).
"We also see the fight against the Ruzagayura famine of 1943-1944, and the creation of the Mutara III Scholarship Fund intended to finance the studies abroad of promising young Rwandans,” Singiza noted.
Rudahigwa later died in 1959, in what is believed by many Rwandans as an assassination in Bujumbura, Burundi, on his way to New York at the UN headquarters. He intended to ask for Rwanda’s independence from the Belgians. His death remains a mystery until today.
He is in the Imena category of national heroes, who seconds Imanzi, and who is reputed for their extraordinary acts for the country which are characterised by supreme sacrifice, high importance, and example. He was put in the category because he fought for Rwanda's independence, among others.