On 16 December 1976, Grégoire Kayibanda, the first President of Rwanda, passed away under mysterious circumstances in Kavumu, Gitarama.
Key Details:
- Background:
- Grégoire Kayibanda was Rwanda’s first elected president, serving from 1962 to 1973 after the country gained independence from Belgium.
- He was a member of the PARMEHUTU (Parti du Mouvement de l’Emancipation Hutu) party, which played a significant role in the “Hutu Revolution” of 1959.
- His presidency was marked by policies that emphasized Hutu nationalism and the marginalization of the Tutsi population, leading to socio-political divisions.
- Deposition and Death:
- In July 1973, Kayibanda was overthrown in a bloodless coup led by Major General Juvénal Habyarimana, his former ally and Minister of Defense.
- Following the coup, Kayibanda and his family were placed under house arrest in Kavumu, Gitarama.
- On 16 December 1976, he died while in detention. His death was officially attributed to natural causes, but many historians suspect it was the result of deliberate neglect or even poisoning, as his health had deteriorated significantly in custody.
- Legacy:
- Kayibanda’s leadership laid the foundation for Rwanda’s post-independence governance but also entrenched ethnic divisions that continued to impact the country’s history.
- His policies and the political climate of his era are often viewed as precursors to the events that led to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Kayibanda’s death marked the definitive end of his influence on Rwandan politics and solidified Habyarimana’s control over the country. His legacy remains controversial, reflecting both the struggles of post-colonial leadership and the deep ethnic tensions of the period.