Abiru

The Abiru (Kinyarwanda for royal ritualists) were the members of the privy council of the monarchy of Rwanda. They were oral repositories of the ubwiiru, an esoteric code of kingship. Due to the mythopoetic nature of accounts of the early history of the Abiru and the Rwandan monarchy, an accurate history of the Abiru is difficult to codify or study.

The council as a whole can be described as a priestly body that elected, advised and/or deposed Rwandan kings. Debate continues over the pre-colonial functions of the body, which makes definite statements on the subject needing further research.

The wider ethnic community that was traditionally expected to provide the membership of the council was known as the Abiru.