Bujumbura in three days: My experience in the land of royal drums, mountains

"Do you have a passport?" my colleague asks, not even a greeting.

"Yes," I answer firmly wondering why they would think I do not have one in my possession, a quick eye roll follows.

"Do you want to go to Burundi?" comes the next question.

"Yes," I answer before even asking when and why. I know I want to hop on a plane and go to a new place ASAP.

I am told the trip is for the next day and that is all the details I am given with a promise that my number would be forwarded to some top official who will be in charge of the trip.

A call from Burundi's Office of the President comes around 7pm and promises I will get my flight ticket sent to my WhatsApp before long. I like to plan so this is new but hey, patience pays, right?

Hours later at around 10pm, I get my ticket and the flight is for the next day at 1pm and I would be in Burundi until Monday afternoon. The weekend plan is sorted.

I rummage through my folder for the vital documents that will grant me passage into the small East African nation that is slightly smaller than the US state of Maryland.

Passport, check. Covid-19 and Yellow Fever certificates, check. Ready or not, Bujumbura, the Capital city of Burundi, here I come.

Before packing my bags, I checked what the weatherman had to say about Bujumbura. “Stormy and windy,” the forecast said. This calls for more sweaters and jackets!

I left Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on Friday afternoon aboard a Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet or CRJ.

First stop, Uganda’s Entebbe Airport where I would finally get on another plane for Bujumbura International Airport – which was renamed Merchior Ndadaye, after Burundi's first democratically elected president.

The time is 4.15 pm when the CRJ touched down in Bujumbura.

I quickly realise the digital weatherman I consulted on Google before leaving Nairobi was not a ‘truthful meen’ if I can quote our man Riggy G.

The air was humid with a strong wind that could blow off artificial eyebrows, if only I had a pair, I would have gone deeper into the story.

By smelling the air above me, I could tell there was a lake around me. Yes, Lake Tanganyika is only a few kilometres from the airport. Is this a profession I can undertake? Imagine the business card reading something like Fridah Naliaka, Senior Lake sniffer.

Bujumbura Airport is classified under the International Airports category but it cannot be compared to others in this class such as our beloved JKIA. It is not only smaller in size, but also has lesser infrastructure and manpower.

It is also not a very busy one.

Well, with the manual systems in place, airport staff cleared with the speed of Sloth, the receptionist in my favourite movie, Zootopia.

While still at the airport, some heavy hitters landed and I witnessed the arrival of top African government officials who were set to attend a meeting of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the region on Saturday. Oh, yeah, this is the reason I was in Bujumbura.

The diplomats headed to a house on the hill, the Presidential Palace which is named after King Ntare Rushatsi, the founder of the Burundi kingdom in the 1500s.

Here, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres addressed the press after holding talks with Burundi President Évariste Ndayishimiye. 

A touch of Burundian culture and heritage could be seen everywhere, from the big royal drums strategically placed in entrances to the large watermelons, ripe bananas, grains of millet, pineapples, and several other foods depicting the rich soils of Burundi.

Outside the presidential palace, I was startled by the heavy military presence... They actually startled me and for a moment I was afraid that one would summon me screaming; "Msichana lete ID yako haraka haraka."

Bujumbura is tiny, reminds me of Eldoret but it is beautiful and green complete with a big tree at the centre of it, and green vegetation can be seen on the sides of major roads.

Lanes on the highways are carefully separated by trees and there's no sight of plastic garbage or blocked drainages.

These scenes make you forget the excruciatingly slow internet speeds and whenever the wind blows through the green vegetation, a breeze would complement the sunny afternoon.

I come from Nairobi where the government cuts trees just because it is Tuesday and blame it on a new highway so this really impressed me.

I took in the beautiful scenery of Bujumbura city at night, which could be seen from State House. At the centre of Bujumbura city, huge roundabouts display the Burundian unique heritage; the royal drum.

A big statue shows a drummer jumping just like they are famous for. It displays the mastery of a Burundian drummer. I had encountered the drummers at the airport the previous day as they welcomed dignitaries.

Their skill was impressive, alongside the ritual dance of the royal drum.

This gave me a desire to visit the Gishora Drum Sanctuary, one of the most prominent drum sites in Burundi which is situated on top of a hill.

The sanctuary has two ritual drums that were never beaten, namely; Ruciteme (the one for whom we clear the forest) and Murimirwa (the one for whom we cultivate).

Locals have kept this culture alive by displaying the drums and playing them during important occasions. 

A land of mountains, many hills can be seen across Bujumbura city. But the most spectacular scenery is that of the Virunga Mountains, which can be seen from over the skies.

The mountain ranges, home to the Mountain Gorillas also border Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda. It is a major tourist attraction site in the region.

After a lot of handshakes, promises made and a lot of diplomatic lingo and meetings, it is time to head back home without having had a chance to be a tourist and visit a few of Bujumbura's popular places.