Africa-Press – Rwanda. Human rights and anti-corruption activist Marie-Immaculée Ingabire, who passed away on October 9 at the age of 63, was laid to rest on Thursday, October 16.
Her farewell was marked by tributes beyond her work as the Chairperson of Transparency International.
Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement Jean-Damascène Bizimana was among officials who attended the requiem mass.
She was praised for the broken and abandoned lives she helped restore, from survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, to many vulnerable and voiceless people who found strength and dignity through her compassion and advocacy.
The final journey began early in the morning when her body was brought from Kanombe Military Hospital to her home in Niboye, Kicukiro, where family, friends, and mourners gathered to pay their last respects.
A requiem mass followed at Regina Pacis Church, before her interment at Rusororo Cemetery. The days leading up to her burial, from October 9 to 16, were filled with nightly gatherings and moving testimonies celebrating her life.
She said in the past that she had a long list of “children” in the broader sense, people whose lives she had touched and walked alongside and gave them support.
Many of them came to bid farewell to someone they called “mother, aunt, sister, guardian, family.”
Gaudence Mukasano met Ingabire in her early years after the Genocide, a time when she had been left an orphan. Feeling hopeless, she had abandoned school, turning instead to selling vegetables on the streets in 2001.
“She saw me on the street selling vegetables, called me over, and asked about my age, my history, my family. She asked if what I was doing was truly what I wanted for my life. We had a short conversation, and she even paid for the stock I had without taking it, then invited me to her home,” Mukasano recalled.
“When I went to her home, she was straightforward. She told me she wanted me to go back to school and offered to support me with everything, including school fees, materials, the whole process. I was bold enough to tell her my long-standing decision not to return to school, that it wouldn’t help me in any way.”
Mukasano shared how she had witnessed her father being beheaded during the Genocide and how, out of her 13 siblings, only three survived while the rest were killed.
With Ingabire’s guidance and financial support, Mukasano eventually returned to school. Today, she has served as a sector executive for ten years. Reflecting on her journey, she expressed her wish that Ingabire could be honoured among the nation’s heroes.
Consolee Mukasonera, from Bugesera District, one of the many women transformed by Ingabire’s mentorship also represented a network of women across Rwanda who became ambassadors for empowerment and development through her influence.
“She counseled us, wiped our tears, and refused to let us remain orphans. We celebrated together, suffered together. May the Lord who blessed us with her presence honuor her works upon us and our nation.”
Francoise Byukusenge also shared a testimony: “She found us on the streets, with trauma. I did not believe in love a second time after the genocide, until I met Ingabire. She made me speak again, connect with people, and stand tall. She strengthened me, and now I’m helping others rebuild their lives through unity and women’s engagement.”
A charity foundation to be formed in her name
According to her final wishes, Ingabire requested that she not be accompanied by beautiful flowers after her passing. Instead, she asked that the money people would have spent on flowers be used to support those in need.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Jean-Pierre Mubiligi said they were committed to honouring her wish by establishing a charity foundation in her name.
“She requested that the flowers family and friends might bring to her funeral be turned into something with lasting impact, supporting vulnerable lives, widows, people with disabilities, and orphans, because those were the people she called her friends and loved to walk with,” Mubiligi said.
“We have opened a bank account as the first step of this initiative, and it will be fully formalised into the Marie-Immaculée Ingabire Foundation.”
Mubiligi extended appreciation to the country’s leadership for standing with the family during this difficult time, and to friends and colleagues who had supported them throughout the mourning period.
Yves Iradukunda, speaking on behalf of Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF-Inkotanyi), the political party Ingabire was part of, praised her for her integrity and generosity in sharing her knowledge with others.
“She embodied truth and transparency,” Iradukunda said. “She openly shared her knowledge and experience with others, helping us apply those lessons effectively in our work. Within the RPF-Inkotanyi, she was a role model who played critical roles. We are deeply saddened by the loss of our comrade.”
Ingabire served as Chairperson of Transparency International Rwanda (TI-Rwanda), where she became widely recognized for her courage, honesty, and unwavering advocacy for accountability.
Born in Burundi, she studied journalism and communication and began her media career there before returning to Rwanda in 1994, following the Genocide against the Tutsi. She worked with the Office Rwandais d’Information (ORINFOR) before joining Transparency International Rwanda, where she remained its leader until her passing.
Throughout her life, Ingabire also championed women’s empowerment and worked with several organizations to uplift marginalized groups.
Her farewell drew government officials, civil society leaders, and ordinary citizens alike, all united in paying tribute to a woman remembered as a fearless defender of truth and justice, yet profoundly compassionate toward those who once felt forgotten.
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