It rises in the western highlands of Rwanda and Burundi, flows east and then north along the border between those countries before joining the Nyabarongo River.

[5] In the 1997-98 El Nino episode a large number of agricultural plantations in the shallows and swamps of the Nyabarongo and Akanyaru river basins were destroyed.

[6] Beside the open channels the main plants are Pistia stratiotes (water cabbage), Leersia hexandra (southern cutgrass) and Oryza barthii, a grass in the rice genus.

[4] The swamp forest near the river is dominated by Bridelia micrantha, Ficus verruculosa, Myrica kandtiana and Phoenix reclinata.

In the dry season the local people cut and burn the marsh vegetation, steadily destroying the habitat.

[4] In October 2005 Charles Karangwa, the Butare Director for Economic Affairs, said the people should increase their use of the Akanyaru wetland for crops, particularly maize.

[8] In February 2011 the Minister of Lands and Environment told the people of the Gisagara District to make better use of the Akanyaru swamp, with more modern farming methods.

[10] A 100MW peat-fired power plant was to be built by the Turkish developer Hakan Mining and Generation Industry and Trade.