President Paul Kagame has sent Eid al-Fitr wishes to Muslims in Rwanda and across the world, marking the end of Ramadan with a message centered on peace, unity, and compassion. “Eid Mubarak,” he said, calling the occasion a reminder of “the importance of generosity, unity, and shared humanity.”
The message arrives as Rwanda joins the global Muslim community in observing Eid al-Fitr today, with the government declaring Friday, March 20th a public holiday, asking employers and employees in both public and private sectors to observe the day. Across the country, Muslims gathered for morning prayers and celebrations marking the close of a month of fasting, prayer, and reflection.
This is consistent with how Rwanda has approached religious inclusion since 1994.
Eid al-Fitr is a nationally recognised public holiday in Rwanda, on par with major Christian celebrations such as Christmas and Easter a policy that reflects the government’s broader commitment to equal treatment of faiths.
Before Rwanda’s liberation, Muslims often faced marginalisation. Today, freedom of worship is guaranteed to all citizens. On the ground, the celebrations carried a strong message of social responsibility.
Rwanda’s Mufti, Sheikh Musa Sindayigaya, urged Muslims gathered at Pelé Stadium in Kigali to carry the values of Ramadan through the rest of the year, warning that it would be meaningless to fast for one month and then abandon those principles for the remaining eleven.
His call echoed Kagame’s own emphasis on generosity and it had numbers behind it: structured collection and distribution of Zakat al-Fitr this season raised over Rwf 12 million, with 60% coming from Kigali alone.
Kagame’s message brief but deliberate signals that interfaith harmony remains a pillar of Rwanda’s national identity, not a seasonal gesture. As Rwanda deepens its role on the African continent, including through its ongoing diplomatic and economic engagements, the president’s consistent public acknowledgment of Muslim celebrations reinforces the image of a state that governs for all its citizens. Expect the same tone to carry through into Eid al-Adha later this year.
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