The short answer
Gitega is the official political capital of Burundi. Parliament and the presidency were formally seated there by a law promulgated in early 2019. Bujumbura is the economic capital, and by every everyday measure — population, business, transport, diplomacy — it is still the country's principal city. If a quiz, form or textbook asks for "the capital of Burundi", the current answer is Gitega; if you are booking a flight, a hotel or a meeting, you are almost certainly going to Bujumbura.
Why the capital moved from Bujumbura to Gitega
Gitega was the seat of the Burundian monarchy (the mwami) before and during colonial rule, so it carries strong historical weight. Bujumbura, by contrast, grew up as the colonial administrative town of Usumbura and only became the national capital at independence on 1 July 1962. Moving the seat of government inland had been discussed for decades: Gitega is more central, further from the borders, and symbolically closer to the country's pre-colonial roots. The move was announced in December 2018 and given legal effect in 2019, with government functions transferring gradually rather than overnight.
The transfer is still, in practice, incomplete. Ministries, the central bank, the international airport, the port on Lake Tanganyika and the great majority of foreign embassies remain in Bujumbura. That is why the city keeps the title of economic capital — and why, for a visitor, very little has changed. The background is covered in more depth on our modern Bujumbura history page.
What the two-capital arrangement means for a visitor
- You will arrive in Bujumbura. Melchior Ndadaye International Airport is the country's only international airport; there are no scheduled flights to Gitega.
- Visas, embassies and money are handled in Bujumbura. See our visa guide and embassy list.
- Gitega is an easy trip. It is roughly 100 km east by a paved road — two to three hours by car — and worth a visit for the National Museum and the Gishora Drum Sanctuary. See Gitega as a day trip.
- Addresses and paperwork may say either city. Official documents increasingly cite Gitega; commercial and travel documents cite Bujumbura.
Common questions
Was Bujumbura ever the capital of Burundi?
Yes — from independence in 1962 until 2019, Bujumbura was the sole capital. Before independence, under its old name Usumbura, it was the capital of the Belgian-administered territory of Ruanda-Urundi. Read more in Usumbura: the old name of Bujumbura.
Is Bujumbura the largest city in Burundi?
Comfortably. The metropolitan area is home to roughly a million people, several times the size of Gitega. It is also the country's main port, commercial centre and university city.
What country is Bujumbura in?
Bujumbura is in Burundi, a small landlocked country in East-Central Africa bordered by Rwanda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city sits on the northeastern shore of Lake Tanganyika — find it on our interactive map of Bujumbura.
Was Burundi's capital ever called something else?
The city was called Usumbura until 1962; the country itself was the southern half of Ruanda-Urundi under Belgian rule and, before that, part of German East Africa. Our history of Bujumbura follows the whole sequence.
Government arrangements can change. The status of the Gitega transfer described here reflects the position in 2026; check recent official sources if you need it for legal or academic purposes.