Ingabire Immaculée has passed away aged 64

Ingabire Immaculée, who served as the Chairperson of Transparency International Rwanda—an organization dedicated to fighting corruption and injustice—passed away on the morning of Thursday following a period of illness, at the age of 64.

Her death was confirmed by close family members and colleagues at Transparency International Rwanda.

• Early Life

In various interviews with IGIHE, Ingabire spoke about her difficult childhood and the emotional scars left by growing up as a refugee—experiences that fueled her deep hatred for injustice and corruption.

As she grew older, Ingabire realized that the country she and her family were living in—Burundi—was not their own.

From that, she became determined to one day return to Rwanda and serve her country with all her strength and knowledge.

Although she was raised in Burundi where her family had taken refuge, she always dreamed of living in Rwanda.

She had grown tired of constant discrimination and being denied full rights in a country where she was considered a refugee.

Ingabire completed her primary and secondary education in Burundi, and later pursued university studies in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She eventually returned to Rwanda in 2001.

Despite her passion for studying law, circumstances as a refugee made that difficult.

She studied languages in high school, which led her to pursue journalism at University—though it wasn't her first choice.

Later, she earned a Master's degree in France in Political Science and Law.

• Career

Ingabire was one of the 20 founding members of Transparency International Rwanda in 2004.

In 2015, she was elected to lead the organization for her second term.

“Before joining Transparency International Rwanda, I worked in several organizations—mostly focusing on women's rights and advocating for their sustainable development.”, She told IGIHE

“I worked at ORINFOR [Currently RBA] for a long time, contributed to various print media outlets, and was involved in organizations like Pro-Femmes Twese Hamwe, IBUKA, and other women-led NGOs.”, She added

In her day-to-day life, she openly spoke out against wrongdoing—something that sometimes led people to label her as confrontational.

However, she explained that this perception was often misunderstood.

“Honestly, people may misjudge me because of the nature of my job, which sometimes requires tough decisions. But in reality, I’m a humble and simple person. I don’t like conflicts at all—in fact, I’ve never had a physical fight with anyone since I was born.”

She will be remembered as a courageous voice against corruption, a dedicated advocate for justice, and a champion for the rights of the peripheral.