Bujumbura

Bujumbura (French: Bujumbura, /buʒumbuʁa/) is the former capital of Burundi and seat of its government, and currently the country's most populous city. The city, which has a population of close to 900,000, is located on the northeastern shore of Lake Tanganyika, and is Burundi's largest urban center, as well as its administrative, economic, and communications center.

In late December 2018, Burundi's President Pierre Nkurunziza announced that he would fulfill a 2007 promise to restore Gitega to its former status as political capital, with Bujumbura serving as economic capital and commercial hub. A vote in Burundi's Parliament made the change official on 16 January 2019, with all branches of government expected to move to Gitega within three years.

Geography

Lago Tanganica

Bujumbura has famous beaches along the shoreline of Lake Tanganyika, whose official name is Coconut Beach. The beach has been parceled out and privatized which has resulted in each owner having to baptized its sector of the beach with a different name. Lake Tanganyika is the second deepest in the world with 1470 m, after Lake Baikal. The city is also located at the mouth of the Ruzizi River and two smaller rivers (Muha and Ntahangwa).

History

Bujumbura went from being a small town to a military post in German East Africa in 1889. After World War I, it became the administrative center of the territory of Ruanda-Urundi, administered by Belgium by mandate of the League of Nations. The name Bujumbura replaced the previous one, Usumbura, when Burundi became an independent state in 1962. After independence, Bujumbura has been the scene of frequent fighting between the country's two main ethnic groups, with Hutu militias facing the Army, dominated by the Tutsi.

Climate

Bujumbura has a tropical savannah climate (Köppen: Aw) bordering on a hot semi-arid climate (BSh). There are distinct wet and dry seasons. Its wet season is from October to April, while the dry season covers the remaining five months. Despite being located near the equator, Bujumbura is not as hot as one might expect due to its altitude. Average temperatures are constant throughout the year, with a high around 84°F (29°C) and a low around 66°F (19°C).

Average climatic parameters of Buyumbura (1961–1990, extremes 1950–1990)
Month	Ene.	Feb.	Mar.	Open up.	May.	Jun.	Jul.	Ago.	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Annual
Temp. max. abs. (°C)	34.6	35.0	34.0	35.0	32.0	32.0	33.0	33.0	33.8	34.3	33.8	34.8	35.0
Average temperature (°C)	29.1	29.7	29.3	29.2	29.9	29.9	29.2	30.0	30.9	30.1	29.1	28.9	29.6
Average temperature (°C)	23.8	23.8	23.7	23.9	23.9	23.3	22.9	24.0	24.7	24.6	23.4	23.6	23.8
Temp. medium (°C)	19.2	19.3	19.3	19.6	19.1	17.6	17.2	17.4	18.6	19.1	19.1	19.1	18.7
Temp. min. abs. (°C)	14.0	15.4	14.7	15.1	16.2	13.9	11.8	13.0	14.3	14.0	15.9	15.0	11.8
Rains (mm)	100.3	85.7	117.5	111.9	56.6	8.9	2.7	13.4	33.0	59.0	97.1	99.6	785.7
Rainy days (≥ 0.1 mm)	16	19	18	18	10	2	1	2	8	15	19	19	147
Hours of sun	167.4	158.2	176.7	165.0	210.8	255.0	272.8	251.1	213.0	189.1	150.0	164.3	2373.4
Relative humidity (%)	77	75	78	79	76	67	63	60	62	68	76	77	72
Source No. 1: World Meteorological Organization
Source No. 2: Deutscher Wetterdienst (mean temperatures 1950–1990, humidity 1953–1990, and sun 1951–1990)

Demographics

Bujumbura is projected to be the fourth fastest growing city on the African continent between 2020 and 2025, growing by 5.75%,

Culture

The city has a "living museum," which is also a zoo. Nearby attractions include Rusizi National Park and a rock at Mugere, where it is believed David Livingstone and Henry Stanley may have met (although it is more likely that they actually met at Ujiji), in the sources of the southernmost tributary of the Nile.

Education

Bujumbura is home to the University of Burundi.

Economy

Industrial activities include the production of cement, soap and the textile sector. It is the country's main port, where almost all exports leave, among which coffee, cotton, furs and brass stand out. The Bujumbura Central Market is in the center of the city, along Rwagasore Avenue. During the Burundian genocide, citizens became less likely to travel far from the city center, and markets in neighboring communities lost their business to Bujumbura's central market. Consequently, vendors moved their businesses to the central market, with many setting up shop outside the market due to lack of space. However, the central market is home to the largest variety of merchandise in the city, with shops selling a wide range of goods.

In the early morning of January 27, 2013, a serious fire ripped through Bujumbura's central market. Due to poor emergency response, the fire raged for hours, resulting in a heavy blow to local exchanges. Hundreds of vendors, local and foreign, lost their wares to the fire and reported looting. While Burundi's emergency services were unable to extinguish the fire themselves, neighboring Rwanda sent helicopters to assist in the emergency response.

Politicians

List of mayors of Bujumbura:

• Gérard Kibinakanwa, 1962-1967
• Thérence Ndikumasabo, 1967-1969
• Pie Kanyoni, 1969–1975 and 1976–1977
• Charles Kabunyoma, 1976
• Juvénal Madirisha, 1977–1979
• Germain Nkwirikiye, 1979–1981
• Lucien Sakubu, 1981–1987
• Léonidas Ndoricimpa, 1987–1991
• Arthémon Mvuyekure, 1991–1992
• Anatole Kanyenkiko, 1992-1993
• Léonce Sinzinkayo, 1993–1994
• Pie Ntiyankundiye, 1994–2002
• Pontien Niyongabo, 2002–2005
• Célestin Sebutama, 2005–2007
• Elias Buregure, 2007
• Evrard Giswaswa, circa 2008–2012
• Saidi Juma, circa 2012
• Freddy Mbonimpa, 2017–2020
• Jimmy Hatungimana, 2020–

Transportation

Buyumbura International Airport.

There are boats that make the journey between Bujumbura and Kigoma (in Tanzania). The city also has the Bujumbura International Airport.

Airport

The city is connected by air to the Melchior NDADAYE International Airport.

Port of Bujumbura

From the port of Mombasa, in Kenya, to Bujumbura, in Burundi, a track (Route 109) drains 1,500 km the bulk of trade in this part of East Africa.

Taxis

The taxi-cars

They are also painted white and blue. The price of a trip varies from a minimum of 1,500 FBU to around 10,000 FBU depending on the distance to travel.

Taxis run from early in the morning until very late at night; on weekends they operate 24 hours a day and at night you will find them parked near discos or restaurants. They are generally safe.

Tricycles

Transportation in the form of taxis is also provided by three-seater tricycles (commonly known as tuk-tuks), each of which bears, in addition to the license plate, the registration number of the commune where they are located. However, they are not allowed to circulate in the city center for security reasons. They can circulate until 19 hours. Women prefer them above all to motorcycle taxis. They are a cheap alternative to taxis.

Motorcycle taxi

Motorcycle taxis are registered and are required by law to have security measures: the driver must wear a fluorescent vest marked with the license plate of the motorcycle, and must provide the passenger with a helmet to wear during the trip.

The minimum cost of a trip is 500 FBU.

For security reasons, motorcycle taxis cannot operate after 6:00 p.m. or in the city center.

There are also pedicabs, but they only work in certain areas.

Buses

Buyumbura Central Station.

All bus lines converge at the central station around the central market: the northern part of the station (in front of the main entrance of the central market) is for buses going to the north of the capital, and the south (behind the market) is for buses going south of the city. However, some buses park elsewhere but not far from the central market.

Buses operating in Bujumbura are officially painted blue and white and, in principle, carry the codes of the roads they serve. Some areas of Bujumbura do not have bus lines.

Filmography

• The vie is a jeu of carts (Maïsha and karata), documentary film by Philippe de Pierpont, Bibliothèque publique d'information, Paris, 2006, 70 min (DVD) (in French)
• Gito, l’ingrata Burundi film by Léonce Ngabo, 1992. (in French)

Personalities linked to the municipality

• Jean-Pacifique Balaamo Mokelwa, born April 17, 1964 in Buyumbura, Congolese lawyer and academic;
• Saido Berahino, born in the city on 4 August 1993, Burundian professional footballer;
• Friedrich Robert von Beringe (1865-1940), first Westerner who observed the mountain gorilla, commander of the German military post in Usumbura during the colonial period;
• Jeanne Gapiya-Niyonzima, AIDS activist, born in Buyumbura in 1963;
• Isabelle Kabano, born in 1974 in Buyumbura, a Rwandan actress;
• Gaël Faye], born in 1982 in Buyumbura, singer, rapper, singer, singer and French-Russian writer;
• Mireille Kamariza, born in 1989 in Buyumbura, a Burundian scientist;
• Prosper Karangwa, born in the city on 15 May 1978, professional basketball player;
• Ketty Nivyabandi] grew up in the city, poet, journalist and human rights activist;
• Shabani Nonda, born in the city on March 6, 1977, professional footballer Congolese.