PHOTOS: Kagame pays tribute to Donatille Mukabalisa at State Funeral

President Paul Kagame has paid tribute to former Speaker of Rwanda’s Chamber of Deputies and senator Donatille Mukabalisa, praising her integrity, humility, patience and unwavering dedication to public service during a state funeral held in Kigali on Friday, August 7, 2026.

The tribute was delivered by RPF-Inkotanyi Secretary General Ambassador Christophe Bazivamo during a farewell ceremony at the Parliamentary Building attended by senior government and parliamentary officials, including Prime Minister Justin Nsengiyumva, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Gertrude Kazarwa and Senate President François-Xavier Kalinda.

Mukabalisa died on July 30 at King Faisal Hospital in Kigali following an illness, on her 66th birthday.

She was born in Nyamata on July 30, 1960, and went on to become one of Rwanda’s prominent parliamentary figures, serving in both the Chamber of Deputies and Senate.

In his message, Kagame highlighted Mukabalisa’s integrity, humility, patience and constant commitment to her responsibilities, saying such values formed an important foundation for Rwanda’s development.

The President said Mukabalisa carried out demanding elected and appointed responsibilities with great dedication because she understood service to the country as a supreme responsibility of great value.

“Her spirit of selflessness was the hallmark of her life. It earned her the respect of colleagues, their repeated trust and the gratitude of the country”, He added

Mukabalisa served as Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies from 2013 to 2024, becoming one of the longest-serving parliamentary leaders in Rwanda’s post-2003 constitutional era.

She later served as a senator, continuing her contribution to public affairs until her death.

Her parliamentary career also extended beyond Rwanda.

In 2022, she chaired the 145th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, hosted in Kigali, further reflecting her role in international parliamentary diplomacy.

Her death marked the end of a political career spanning Rwanda’s post-Genocide reconstruction and institutional development.

Rwanda’s parliamentary leadership since 1994 includes Juvénal Nkusi (1994–1997), Speaker of the Transitional National Assembly and the first post-Genocide parliamentary Speaker; Joseph Kabuye Sebarenzi (1997–2000); and Vincent Biruta (2000–2003).

Following the establishment of the bicameral Parliament under the 2003 Constitution, the Speakers of the Chamber of Deputies have been Alfred Mukezamfura (2003–2008), Rose Mukantabana (2008–2013), Donatille Mukabalisa (2013–2024) and Gertrude Kazarwa (2024–present).

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