Inyambo diplomacy: Rwandan president Kagame’s tradition of gifting cows to foreign leaders

31 Jul 2023

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has been gifting cows, a symbol of wealth and appreciation in Rwandan society, to foreign leaders as a gesture of friendship and to strengthen bilateral relations.

This practice, known as ‘Inyambo diplomacy’, has been used by Kagame to mark appreciation, honor, and well-wishing. H

e has gifted cows to leaders such as Filipe Nyusi of Mozambique, Sassou N’guesso of Congo, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, John Magufuli of Tanzania, and Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia.

The act of cow gifting holds significant value in Rwanda and other parts of the world, and it has helped cement lasting relationships between Kagame and these foreign leaders.