Nyanza is a district (akarere) in Southern Province, Republic of Rwanda. Its capital is Nyanza town, which is also the provincial capital. Nyanza is a Bantu word meaning lake, which probably refers to the small body of water created by a dam to the west of Nyanza town and sometimes referred to by the local residents as “Ikiyaga” or lake. which probably refers to a large lake to the west of Nyanza city.