Mwenga Territory in the context of "Bushi (region)"

Bushi is a cultural and common linguistic region located in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, primarily within South Kivu Province. It lies along the Mitumba Mountains and includes the administrative territories of Walungu, Kabare, Kalehe, Mwenga, and Idjwi, as well as the city of Bukavu. Estimates of the population vary widely, ranging from 7 to 12 million inhabitants. The region is historically organized as a kingdom, subdivided chiefdoms.

The inhabitants of Bushi are known as the Shi (plural: Bashi; singular: Mushi), who are also referred to as Banyabungo. The Shi language, known as Mashi, belongs to the Central (Zone J) Bantu group and served as a lingua franca across the region, while common religious practices included belief in the supreme deity Nyamuzinda, venerated through ancestral spirits (Bazimu)—notably Lyangombe, a central spiritual figure in the 19th century. Agriculture forms the basis of the local economy, with the majority of the population engaged in farming. The Shi kingdom is headed by a hereditary monarch, the Mwami, currently Alexandre Kabare Rugemanizi III.