[2][3] The Kaziba Chiefdom is home to the Shi people (plural: Bamushi or Bashi), the ethnic group that predominates in the area.

The traditional chief, known as the Mwami, plays a crucial role in maintaining law and order and preserving the cultural heritage of the Shi people.

[4][5] The appellation "Kaziba" predominantly originates from the populace known as the "Bazibaziba," a sub-group of the Bashi people residing in the region.

Traditionally, the Bazibaziba were adept artisans who specialized in working with copper and iron ore, crafting agricultural implements and jewelry.

Their craftsmanship was highly regarded, and their creations were traded and sold throughout the Great Lakes region, encompassing modern-day eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda.

However, the name "Bazibaziba" emerged due to an event involving Kangere, a Mwami of the dynasty, who committed a fiendish and truculent act.

"[6] Kaziba Chiefdom is located in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), sharing borders with Rwanda to the east and Kabare Territory to the north.

The central part of the region is marked by the "V" valley of the Luzinzi River, offering a contrasting landscape amidst the high mountains.

It eventually joins the Ruzizi River, coursing between the boundaries of Kaziba and Bafuliiru Chiefdom, dotted with gorges and rapids.

The chiefdom encompassed a rugged terrain with streams flowing on plateaus formed by red corn falls.

[9] The chiefdom featured notable iron deposits, which conventionally served as the primary metal for cutlery and artisanal tools such as hoes, machetes, knives, spears, and bells.

The dominant plantations include Cypress, Eucalyptus, Grevillea, and Pinus, which serve as valuable resources for timber production and other industries.

In the second half of October 1996, during the First Congo War, units of the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (AFDL) and the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA) massacred 130 civilians in the Kaziba Chiefdom.

The victims' bodies were buried in a mass grave near the Mennonite church in Kaziba Chiefdom's town center.

RCD forces conducted ruthless attacks on civilian populations, committing human rights abuses, massacres, summary executions, and displacements in the Kaziba Chiefdom and surrounding areas.