Last surviving child of King Yuhi V Musinga passes away

By The Inspirer.

Princess Spéciose Mukabayojo, daughter of the late King Yuhi V Musinga, who once ruled Rwanda, passed away on Monday, October 27, 2025, at the age of 93, according to her family.

King Yuhi V Musinga reigned over Rwanda from 1896 until 1931 when he was deposed by Belgian colonial authorities. He later died in exile in 1944 in Moba, in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo.

This means Princess Mukabayojo was born after her father had already been dethroned.

She was last seen in public during the funeral of her brother, King Kigeli V Ndahindurwa, who was laid to rest at Mwima in Nyanza in 2017.

In the 1950s, Princess Mukabayojo married Prince Benoît Bideri in a royal wedding that drew great public attention at the time.

A family member described her as a humble and dignified woman who never sought privilege because of her royal lineage.

“We have lost a noble and modest person who never flaunted her royal background. She passed away peacefully, happy that her brother, King Kigeli V, had been laid to rest in Rwanda. Being the last surviving child in a family of 19 was not easy, but she remained graceful and deeply devoted to her Christian faith,” the relative said.

Princess Mukabayojo was the last surviving child among the 19 children of King Yuhi V Musinga. Her siblings included:

Bakayishonga, Rudacyahwa, Rwigemera, Mukamurela, Musheshambugu, Munonozi, Mukangira, Banamwana, Nkuranga, Nkurayija, Badakengerwa, Rutayisire, Ruzibiza, Ruzindana, Ndahindurwa, Mukabayojo, Subika, Bagambaki, and Rudahigwa.