Kagera River basin

region, Africa

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June 30, 2026

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The Kagera River basin is a region in Africa, primarily located in Rwanda and Tanzania, and it forms a significant part of the drainage system for Lake Victoria. This river is considered the most remote headstream of the Nile River. The basin itself is characterized by mountainous terrain, dotted with lakes and swamps.12

The Kagera River originates in Burundi, near Lake Tanganyika, and is formed by the confluence of its headstreams, the Nyawarongo and the Ruvubu. It flows north and east, serving as a boundary between Tanzania and Rwanda, and later between Tanzania and Uganda, before emptying into Lake Victoria. Much of the Kagera River is not navigable.1

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Kagera River
The Kagera River basin, mountainous and dotted with lakes and swamps, lies chiefly in Rwanda and includes Akagera National Park. The river’s longest tributary is the Lukarara, the southernmost the Ruvironza (Luvironza). Much of the Kagera is unnavigable; its only port, Kyaka, Tanzania, is served by…
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The Kagera River basin, mountainous and dotted with lakes and swamps, lies chiefly in Rwanda and includes Akagera National Park. The river’s longest tributary is the Lukarara, the southernmost the Ruvironza (Luvironza). Much of the Kagera is unnavigable; its only port, Kyaka, Tanzania, is served by…
Read More