This is a list of notable people from

Rwanda Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator ...

Military

Théoneste Bagosora Théoneste Bagosora (16 August 1941 – 25 September 2021) was a Rwandan military officer. He was chiefly known for his key role in the 1994 Rwandan genocide for which he was sentenced to life imprisonment by the International Criminal Tribunal ...

(b. 1941), military officer convicted in 2008 of genocide *

Bernard Ntuyahaga Major Bernard Ntuyahaga (probably born in 1952) is a Rwandan Armed Forces, Rwandan army officer convicted by a Belgium, Belgian court for the murders of ten United Nations peacekeepers at the start of the Rwandan genocide. Military career Bernard N ...

Kayumba Nyamwasa Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa (born 1962) is a Rwandan former Lieutenant general who formerly was the Chief of Staff of the Rwandan Army from 1998 to 2002. He was also head of Rwandan intelligence from 1998 to 2002 and served as Rwanda's ambassador to ...

, former army chief of staff and head of Intelligence *

James Kabarebe James Kabarebe (born 1959) is a Rwandan military officer who has served as a Senior Presidential Adviser on security matters in the government of Rwanda, since 19 October 2018. Kabarebe was a key figure in both the First Congo War and the Second ...

, current minister of defense * Patrick Nyamvumba, current RDF chief of staff *

Augustin Bizimungu Augustin Bizimungu (born 28 August 1952) is a former general of the Rwandan Armed Forces (FAR). On 16 April 1994, at the start of the Rwandan genocide, he was appointed chief of staff of the army and promoted to the rank of major general. Biograph ...

Innocent Sagahutu Innocent Sagahutu (born 30 May 1962) is a former Rwandan soldier, who is chiefly known for his role in the Rwandan genocide. Background and role in genocide Sagahutu was born in Cyangugu Province, Rwanda. Sagahutu entered the Rwandan Armed ...

Political figures

Agathe Uwilingiyimana Agathe Uwilingiyimana (; 23 May 1953 – 7 April 1994), sometimes known as Madame Agathe, was a Rwandan political figure. She served as Prime Minister of Rwanda from 18 July 1993 until her assassination on 7 April 1994, during the opening stage ...

former Prime Minister of Rwanda *

Jean-Paul Akayesu Jean-Paul Akayesu (born 1953 in Taba) is a former teacher, school inspector, and Republican Democratic Movement (MDR) politician from Rwanda, convicted of genocide for his role in inciting the Rwandan genocide. Life Akayesu was the mayor of Ta ...

(b. 1953), politician convicted in 1998 of genocide * Jean Bosco Barayagwiza *

Christophe Bazivamo Christophe Bazivamo is the Political minister, Minister of Lands, Environment, Forestry, Water, and Mines in Rwanda. In 2003 and 2004 he was the Minister of Local Government, Community Development and Social Affairs. In 2005 he was the Minister ...

, Minister of Land and Environment * Augustin Bizimana (b. 1954), politician, fugitive of the

International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR; french: Tribunal pénal international pour le Rwanda; rw, Urukiko Mpanabyaha Mpuzamahanga Rwashyiriweho u Rwanda) was an international court established in November 1994 by the United Nation ...

* Jean-Damascène Bizimana, former Rwandan ambassador to the UN *

(b. 1952), politician on trial for genocide *

Pasteur Bizimungu Pasteur Bizimungu (born April 1950) is a Rwandan politician who served as the third President of Rwanda, holding office from 19 July 1994 until 23 March 2000. A Hutu, Bizimungu had previously held several positions under President Juvenal Habyar ...

, former President of Rwanda *

Anastase Gasana Anastase Gasana (born August 5, 1950 in Gikomero, near Kigali, Rwanda) is a Rwandan political figure and diplomat. Gasana was a university professor before entering politics. Gasana was appointed as a Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Governme ...

, diplomat *

Juvénal Habyarimana Juvénal Habyarimana (, ; 8 March 19376 April 1994) was a Rwandan politician and military officer who served as the second president of Rwanda, from 1973 until 1994. He was nicknamed ''Kinani'', a Kinyarwanda word meaning "invincible". An ethn ...

, former President of Rwanda * Jean Marie Higiro, former Director of the Rwandan Information Office *

Paul Kagame Paul Kagame (; born 23 October 1957) is a Rwandan politician and former military officer who is the 4th and current president of Rwanda since 2000. He previously served as a commander of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a Uganda-based rebel ...

, President of Rwanda *

Jean Kambanda Jean Kambanda (born October 19, 1955) is a Rwandan former politician who served as the Prime Minister of Rwanda in the caretaker government from the start of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. He is the only head of government to plead guilty to genocid ...

(b. 1955), former Prime Minister; pleaded guilty in 1998 to genocide * Judith Kanakuze (1959–2010), politician and women's rights activist * Janvier Kanyamashuli, ambassador to Burundi *

Grégoire Kayibanda Grégoire Kayibanda (1 May 192415 December 1976) was a Rwandan politician and revolutionary who was the first elected List of Presidents of Rwanda, President of Rwanda from 1962 to 1973. An ethnic Hutu, he was a pioneer of the Rwandan Revolutio ...

, former President of Rwanda *

Kigeri V of Rwanda Kigeli V Ndahindurwa (born Jean-Baptiste Ndahindurwa; 29 June 1936 – 16 October 2016) was the last ruling King (''Mwami'') of Rwanda, from 28 July 1959 until the end of the UN-mandate with Belgian administration and the declaration of an indepe ...

, former King *

Bernard Makuza Bernard Makuza (born 30 September 1962) is a Rwandan politician who was Prime Minister of Rwanda from 8 March 2000 to 6 October 2011. He also served as President of the Senate of Rwanda from 14 October 2014 to 17 October 2019. Background Makuza ...

, Prime Minister of Rwanda *

Dominique Mbonyumutwa Dominique Mbonyumutwa (January 1921 – 26 July 1986) was a Rwandan politician who served as the interim first President of Rwanda for a period of nine months in 1961, during a transitional phase between the overthrow of the Rwandan monarchy in ...

, former provisional President of Rwanda * Charles Munyaneza (b. 1958), genocide suspect *

Ignace Murwanashyaka Ignace Murwanashyaka (14 May 1963 – 16 April 2019) was a leader of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a Rwandan Hutu rebel group that absorbed a number of military people responsible for the Rwanda genocide, and operatin ...

(b. 1963), leader of the

Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (french: Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda, FDLR) is an armed rebel group active in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. As an ethnic Hutu group opposed to the ethnic Tuts ...

Mutara II Rwogera Mutara II Rwogera was the King of Rwanda from 1830 to his death in June 1853. Under his rule and that of his successor Kigeli IV Rwabugiri, the kingdom reached its pinnacle of power. After 1 June 1853, King Mutara II Rwogera died of an illness ...

, former King * Mutara III of Rwanda, former King *

Lando Ndasingwa Landoald 'Lando' Ndasingwa (died 7 April 1994) was a Rwandan politician and businessman. He was killed on the first day of the Rwandan genocide. Ndasingwa founded the hotel Chez Lando in the 1980s with his Canadian wife Hélène. Following Ndas ...

, former leader of Parti libéral du Rwanda * André Ntagerura * Jean de Dieu Ntiruhungwa, former Minister of the Interior *

Seth Sendashonga Seth Sendashonga (1951 – 16 May 1998) was the Minister of the Interior in the government of national unity in Rwanda, following the military victory of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) after the 1994 genocide. One of the politically moderate Hu ...

, former Minister of the Interior *

André Kagwa Rwisereka André Kagwa Rwisereka (31 December 1949 – 13 July 2010) was vice-chairman of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, a political party founded in August 2009 in Rwanda. He was found murdered and partially beheaded near a wetland in Butare on 14 Ju ...

(1949–2010), opposition politician murdered during the 2010 election *

Théodore Sindikubwabo Théodore Sindikubwabo (1928 – March 1998) was the interim President of Rwanda during the genocide against Tutsis, from 9 April to 19 July 1994. Prior to that, he was President of the Rwandan legislature National Development Council from 1988 ...

, former President of the National Development Council * Pascal Simbikangwa, former Chief of Intelligence, found guilty of

complicity in genocide Complicity in genocide is illegal under international law both for individuals, as part of international criminal law, and state parties to the Genocide Convention. The latter was first held in the Bosnian genocide case (2007) in which the Internati ...

and complicity in crimes against humanity *

Faustin Twagiramungu Faustin Twagiramungu (born 14 August 1945) is a Rwandan politician. He was Prime Minister from 1994 until his resignation in 1995, the first head of government appointed after the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) captured Kigali. He then exiled himse ...

, former Prime Minister of Rwanda *

Yuhi III of Rwanda Yuhi IV Gahindiro was the King of Rwanda This article contains a list of kings of Rwanda. The Kingdom of Rwanda was ruled by sovereigns titled '' mwami'' (plural ''abami''), and was one of the oldest and the most centralized kingdoms in the his ...

, former King of Rwanda *

Protais Zigiranyirazo Protais Zigiranyirazo (born 2 February 1938) commonly known as Monsieur Zed ("Mr. Z"), is a Rwandan businessman and politician and was governor of the Ruhengeri prefecture in northwestern Rwanda from 1974 to 1989. Zigiranyirazo was a member of the ...

Juvénal Uwilingiyimana Juvénal Uwilingiyimana (1951–2005) was a Rwandan politician. He held office as Commerce Minister and as the head of national parks. He was an ethnic Hutu and originated in Gisenyi prefecture. In 1989, he was appointed the Minister for Trade ...

Religious figures

* Elizaphan Ntakirutimana (1924–2007), Seventh-day Adventist pastor *

Athanase Seromba Athanase Seromba (born 1963) is a Catholic priest from Rwanda who was found guilty of committing genocide and of crimes against humanity during the Rwandan genocide. Crimes At the time of the genocide, Seromba was the priest in charge of a C ...

(b. 1963), priest *

Laurien Ntezimana Laurien Ntezimana (born 1955) is a Rwandan Catholic theologian, sociologist and peace activist known for protecting Tutsi during the Rwandan genocide of 1994. Personal life Ntezimana was born in 1955 in Butare prefecture, where he lived at the ti ...

(b. 1955), theologian and peace activist * Thomas Nahimana (b.1971), President of the Rwandan Government in Exile

Sports people

Dieudonné Disi Dieudonné Disi (born 24 November 1980 in Nyanza District, Ntyazo, Butare) is a Rwandan Long-distance track event, long-distance and cross country running, cross country runner. In 2009 he competed in the marathon at the 2009 World Championships ...

(b. 1980), long-distance and cross-country runner * Eric Eugène Murangwa (b. 1975), footballer *

Adrien Niyonshuti Adrien Niyonshuti (born 2 January 1987) is a Rwandan former professional bicycle racer, who rode professionally for from 2009 to 2017. He now works as a directeur sportif for UCI Continental team . Although he survived, six of Niyonshuti's b ...

(b. 1987), cyclist *

Mathias Ntawulikura Mathias Ntawulikura (born 14 June 1964 in Gisovu/ Kibuye) is a retired Rwandan long-distance runner. He reached the World Athletics Championships final and participated in the Olympic Games in the 5000 metres (1988) and 10,000 metres (1992, 1996) ...

(b. 1964), long-distance runner

Miscellaneous

Simon Bikindi Simon Bikindi (28 September 1954 – 15 December 2018) was a Rwandan singer-songwriter who was formerly very popular in Rwanda. His patriotic songs were playlist staples on the national radio station Radio Rwanda during the war from October 1990 ...

(b. 1954), singer-songwriter convicted in 2008 of inciting violence during the 1994 genocide *

Agathe Habyarimana Agathe Kanziga Habyarimana, ''née'' Kanziga (born 21 January 1942 in Karago, Gisenyi prefecture, Western Province, Rwanda) is the widow of former President of Rwanda Juvénal Habyarimana and former First Lady of Rwanda from 1973 until 1994. Ka ...

, widow of former President Juvénal Habyarimana * Immaculée Ilibagiza, Rwandan-American author, Genocide survivor * Charles Ingabire, journalist and government critic, murdered in 2011 *

Félicien Kabuga Félicien Kabuga (born 1 March 1933) is a Rwandan businessman and génocidaire who played a major role in the run-up to the Genocide of the Rwandan Tutsis. A multimillionaire,

(b. 1935), businessman * Enos Kagaba, accused of genocide *

Joseph Kavaruganda Joseph Kavaruganda (8 May 1935 – 7 April 1994) was a Rwandan jurist who served as president of Rwanda's Constitutional Court. He was killed at the beginning of the Rwandan genocide. Early life Joseph Kavaruganda was born on 8 May 1935 in Tar ...

, former president of Rwanda's Constitutional Court * Musanase Laura (b. 1993), actress * Léon Mugesera, university lecturer accused of inciting genocide *

Ferdinand Nahimana Ferdinand Nahimana (born 15 June 1950) is a Rwandan historian, who was convicted of incitement to genocide for his role in the Rwandan genocide. Nahimana was co-founder of the radio station Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM), wh ...

, historian * Samuel Ndashyikirwa, businessman *

Hassan Ngeze Hassan Ngeze (born 25 December 1957) is a Rwandan journalist and convicted war criminal best known for spreading anti-Tutsi propaganda and Hutu superiority through his newspaper, ''Kangura'', which he founded in 1990. Ngeze was a founding member ...

(b. 1962), journalist * Étienne Nzabonimana (b. 1950), businessman *

Sonia Rolland Sonia Rolland (born 11 February 1981) is a French actress who was Miss France 2000. She was the first African-born winner of the Miss France pageant. Born in Kigali, Rwanda, to a Rwandan mother and a French father, Rolland and her family fled ...

, former Miss France * Queen Rosalie Gicanda, wife of King Mutara III of Rwanda *

Jean-Léonard Rugambage Jean-Léonard Rugambage was a Rwandan journalist, acting editor of the newspaper ''Umuvugizi''. He was murdered after an assailant shot him four times in front of his home in Kigali on 24 June 2010. The newspaper had recently been suspended by the ...

, reporter and government critic, murdered in 2010 *

Paul Rusesabagina Paul Rusesabagina (;"Paul Rusesabagina, Rwanda's ...

(b. 1954), hotel manager known for saving refugees in the 1994 genocide *

Benjamin Sehene Benjamin Sehene (born 1959) is a Rwandan author whose work primarily focuses on questions of identity and the events surrounding the Rwandan genocide. He spent much of his life in Canada and lives in France. Sehene was born in Kigali to a Tuts ...

(b. 1959), author

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of Rwandans