The Legend of Queen Kalira: A tale of love, beauty, and power in Rwanda's royal history

King Cyilima II Rujugira, who ruled the Kingdom of Rwanda from 1770 to 1778, is remembered for two significant achievements: marrying the most beautiful queen and leading the second liberation war, from which the famous adage U Rwanda ruratera ntiruterwa(which loosely means that Rwanda can carry out pre-emptive strikes against its enemies but cannot be invaded) emerged. Today's story centres on the passionate love between King Cyilima and his legendary wife, Queen Kalira. Cyilima was born on Mount Ijuru rya Kamonyi in Kamonyi District. Nearby, in a village called Marembo (present-day Ngamba Sector in Kamonyi District, Southern Province), lived a man named Banyaga, son of Gahenda from the Abega clan. Banyaga and his wife had long wished for a child but had been unsuccessful. One day, while at home, Banyaga's wife was approached by a man carrying a jar of milk. He asked her to keep it safe, explaining that it was meant for the Chief of Marembo. However, the woman found herself deeply tempted to drink the milk. When her husband noticed her distress, she confessed that she believed she would die if she didn’t drink the milk. Banyaga, devoted to his wife, told her to drink it, promising to work for the Chief if necessary to repay the milk. That night, Banyaga’s wife conceived. Nine months later, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl whom they named Kalira. As Kalira grew, her mother often claimed that her beauty was a result of the milk she had drunk the day she conceived her daughter. Kalira blossomed into a beautiful girl though her family remained poor. She eventually married a young man from a similarly humble background. One day, Prince Rujugira went hunting and killed a buffalo in Marembo. Exhausted and with nothing to eat, he asked his servant for tobacco and began to smoke. As he rested, a man who had served his father passed by and asked what the Prince was doing in such a poor place. The Prince explained that he had been hunting, to which the man replied that this place was Marembo. Rujugira had heard rumours of a beautiful girl in Marembo and asked the man if he knew her. Although the man confirmed her beauty, he also noted that she was married. Despite this, the Prince insisted on meeting her. When Rujugira finally laid eyes on Kalira, he was captivated by her beauty. Feigning illness, he sent his servant to the Chief of Marembo to request a stretcher and men to carry him home. The Chief complied, but before the men arrived, Kalira’s husband returned home to find his compound full of people. To his shock, the Prince was inside, seated with his wife. Rujugira ordered the men to place Kalira on the stretcher and take her away. Her husband, helpless to stop them, was promised land and cattle in exchange for Kalira. However, he refused, insisting that he would seek justice from King Mazimpaka, Rujugira’s father. Back at the palace, Rujugira prepared to marry Kalira, inviting friends and family to celebrate. Meanwhile, Kalira’s husband arrived at King Mazimpaka’s court, pleading for justice. The King summoned Rujugira to explain his actions. Despite his father’s command to return Kalira to her husband, Rujugira refused, offering wealth and even another woman in exchange. But Kalira's husband remained firm—no riches could replace his beloved wife. Intrigued by the commotion, King Mazimpaka decided to see Kalira for himself. Upon seeing her, he, too, was overwhelmed by her beauty and decreed that she would be his wife. Both Rujugira and Kalira’s husband were devastated, as the King took Kalira for himself. However, the palace elders advised the King to reconsider, pointing out the injustice of taking the woman from both men. After much deliberation, King Mazimpaka relented and returned Kalira to Rujugira. The Prince was overjoyed and later had two children with her: a son, Sharangabo, and a daughter, Mulikanwa. But the story didn’t end there. One day, while visiting his father’s palace, Rujugira found himself trapped when his father’s bull blocked the exit. In an act of desperation, he killed the bull to escape. Fearing retribution from his father, who had once killed his own brother Gasigwa for allegedly being too close to his wife, Rujugira fled the kingdom with his family and his servant Ndabaramiye. Some say they sought refuge in Bugesera, but most accounts place them in Karagwe, in present-day Tanzania. In our next instalment, we will explore Prince Rujugira's return to Rwanda, the death of Queen Kalira, and how the Prince fought the second liberation war in her memory. Until then, stay blessed.

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The Legend of Queen Kalira: A tale of love, beauty, and power in Rwanda's royal history