Bugesera: 100 families wiped out in Nyirarukobwa during 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi

By The Inspirer.

Authorities in Bugesera District have revealed that 100 families were completely exterminated in the former Nyirarukobwa Cell of Kanzenze Sector during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, with no single survivor left to carry forward their lineage.

The disclosure was made during a commemoration event held in the area, where residents, survivors, and leaders gathered to honour victims and reflect on the scale of atrocities committed.

Bugesera District Mayor Richard Mutabazi said the complete annihilation of entire families illustrates the brutality and systematic nature of the genocide.

“The fact that all families in this area were killed, leaving no survivor, reflects the extreme cruelty and intent behind the genocide. Entire households—parents, children, boys and girls—were wiped out, leaving no one to tell their story,” he said.

He stressed that remembering such families is a shared responsibility, especially in the absence of surviving relatives.

“We stand in their place today. Since no one survived to preserve their memory, it becomes our collective duty to honour them and ensure they are not forgotten,” he added.

Survivors in Bugesera also highlighted the importance of commemorating families that were completely wiped out. Nyamwiza Nadine said the remembrance process helps preserve shared memories of suffering and resilience.

“We went through the same hardships, fleeing and witnessing killings. For families that were entirely wiped out, remembering them is a way of standing with them and acknowledging the pain we share,” she said.

The local chapter of Ibuka, the umbrella organisation of genocide survivors, said remembering families with no surviving members is a national responsibility.

“These families now belong to the whole nation. It is our duty to remember them and keep their memory alive,” said Blaise Ndizihiwe, Vice President of Ibuka in Bugesera.

Officials noted that across Bugesera District, more than 700 families have so far been documented as having been completely wiped out during the genocide.

In Nyirarukobwa, former students of the destroyed local school have formed an association that supports remembrance activities and helps preserve the history of victims killed in the area.