The Kivu rift, in the middle of the western branch of the East African Rift system, has a particular setting within the African continent. It represents the most recent (late Cenozoic) evolution of the Mesoproterozoic Karagwe-Ankole Belt of the Great Lakes Region in Central Africa. Its architecture and evolution have been profoundly influenced by the tectonic framework inher ited from the Kibaran and Pan-African orogenic events. In order to build a new detailed seismic hazard map, we have compiled regional geological and neotectonic maps, re-examined the tectonic evolution, investigated the brittle structures, and determined the paleo-stress field evolution. The Kivu rift appears heterogeneous and complex. It probably started as an isolated segment that progressively linked with the adjacent segments of the Western Rift Branch. Its architecture and structural inheritance are reflected in the seismic activity and the current stress field. This results in a marked lateral variability of the Gutenberg Richter parameters and seismic hazard estimates.