According to the ministry, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, will be observed as Independence Day, while Friday, July 4, 2025, will mark Liberation Day. In addition to the national holidays, the government has granted public holidays on Wednesday, July 2, and Thursday, July 3, 2025, creating a long holiday break for citizens.

Independence Day commemorates Rwanda’s achievement of sovereignty from colonial rule on July 1, 1962, marking the birth of the nation as an independent state. Liberation Day, on the other hand, celebrates the end of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and the country’s subsequent liberation by the Rwandan Patriotic Army, symbolising national unity, recovery, and hope for a peaceful future.

Official government work will resume on Monday, July 7, 2025, following the extended break. The Ministry also emphasised that essential services will remain operational during this period.

"Essential services will remain open to ensure continuity of operations," the statement issued on Friday, June 20, reads in part.

As the nation prepares to celebrate these important national holidays, the Ministry of Public Service and Labour urged all Rwandans to observe the holidays "responsibly and safely".

The extended break provides an opportunity for families and communities to come together and reflect on Rwanda’s progress and achievements as the country marks its independence and liberation.

The Liberation monument at Parliament gardens in Kigali. Liberation Day, observed on July 4, celebrates the end of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi and the country’s subsequent liberation by the Rwandan Patriotic Army, symbolising national unity, recovery, and hope for a peaceful future.