Commemorating Queen Rosalie Gicanda: Love and Kindness Defined Her Life

On April 20, 2026, a ceremony was held to mark the 32nd commemoration of Queen Rosalie Gicanda, who was killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The event began with a memorial Mass at GSMater Dei in Nyanza District. The Mass was led by Bishop Jean Bosco Ntagungira, assisted by Bishop Philippe Rukamba, and focused on praying for the Queen and reflecting on her courage and dignity.

After the Mass, her family, friends, and various leaders proceeded to Mwima in Nyanza District, where she is laid to rest. They placed flowers on her grave and offered prayers in her memory.

Later, residents of Nyanza District, together with the Queen’s family and friends, gathered at Rukali, in the Royal Palace Museum, for another commemoration ceremony. Queen Rosalie Gicanda, the last queen of Rwanda, was killed on April 20, 1994, at the height of the Genocide against the Tutsi in the former Butare Prefecture.

Commemorating Queen Rosalie Gicanda is an important act of preserving Rwanda’s history, reminding the younger generation of values such as dignity, love, and sacrifice, and reinforcing the commitment to unity and peace in the country.