Esther Mugabekazi, who identifies herself as Byansi’s biological sister, has publicly accused him of forging academic credentials, misrepresenting his educational history, and engaging in theft-related crimes during a period he spent in Uganda.
Speaking in an interview with Igicaniro TV, Mugabekazi explained that she decided to break her silence after becoming increasingly alarmed by her brother’s sustained criticism of Rwanda and its leadership.
Family background and early life
Mugabekazi stated that Byansi was born Sam Kama but later adopted their father’s names, Samuel Baker Byansi, as his public identity.
“Byansi Samuel Baker is our father’s name. Sam’s real name is Sam Kama, which is the name our parents gave him. In our family, boys are called Kama while girls are called Kawama,” she explained.
She described the family as one of nine children, raised in Nyagatare District by parents who were both teachers and strongly prioritised education.
“We were fortunate to have teacher parents. Both our father and mother were teachers. We grew up speaking English at home, and our father ensured we attended good schools,” she recalled.
The siblings attended primary school at Hillside School in Matimba Sector, Nyagatare District.
For secondary education, Byansi joined Kagarama Secondary School while Mugabekazi studied in Rushaki. She claims he was later expelled from Kagarama over misconduct before joining her at Rushaki.
“He was involved in disciplinary issues and was expelled. He later came to study with me in Rushaki, where we completed lower secondary school together. Those are the only schools Sam attended,” she noted.
Uganda years and imprisonment
Mugabekazi further alleged that Byansi did not proceed to upper secondary school or university, but instead left for Uganda after completing lower secondary education.
According to her account, while in Uganda he became involved in theft-related activities and was sentenced to four years in prison.
“After finishing school, he went to Uganda and stayed with our older sibling from our father’s other family. While there, he got involved in theft, was arrested, and imprisoned for four years. He never returned to school,” she said.
She added that he was later released after developing health complications while in detention, prompting authorities to contact their father.
Allegations of forged academic credentials
Following his return to Rwanda, Mugabekazi alleges that Byansi did not resume his studies but instead obtained forged academic documents claiming he had completed university education abroad.
“He later looked for ways to forge academic papers. That’s also when he changed his name. He then created a media card and started presenting himself as someone running an investigative media outlet,” she claimed.
She recalled confronting him after seeing him appear in the media despite lacking formal qualifications.
“I asked him, ‘How did you manage this without any qualifications?’ He replied, ‘I found my own way.’ When I later saw the documents, I told him, ‘You have destroyed your future,’” she recounted.
Mugabekazi further alleged that by the time she was completing upper secondary school, her brother already possessed documents indicating he had graduated from university.
After working with several media outlets in Rwanda, Byansi went on to establish his own platform, M28 Investigates, in 2019.
Move to Europe and family concerns
In 2022, Byansi married Uwase Joselyne, and the couple later had their first child.
Mugabekazi disclosed that her brother later informed her he was travelling to the Netherlands for studies, a claim she questioned due to concerns about his academic background.
“I asked him, ‘What exactly are you going to study?’ He said he was advancing knowledge in his chosen field. I then asked whether he was resuming from where he had stopped school or continuing with forged papers,” she recounted.
According to her, he declined to discuss the matter further.
“He told me he did not want to talk about it and would eventually return because he had left behind a wife and child,” she added.
Mugabekazi further alleged that things deteriorated after his arrival in the Netherlands, where he reportedly failed to secure legal documentation for study and residence.
She also claimed that he later formed a relationship with a Dutch woman before eventually relocating to Belgium, where he now reportedly lives with his wife and child, while the Dutch woman remained in the Netherlands.
Criticism of Rwanda and family reaction
Since relocating to Europe, Byansi has become increasingly vocal in his criticism of Rwanda and its leadership and has collaborated with individuals opposed to the government.
Mugabekazi maintained that the family was not surprised by his actions, describing them as consistent with what she characterised as a long-standing pattern of dishonesty.
Among her allegations, she claimed that Byansi had at different times falsely stated that their mother had died, and on other occasions claimed she had been killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, despite her still being alive.
“I knew all along that he was lying,” she asserted.
She emphasised that the family has been deeply hurt by his statements and public positions.
“This country raised us, fed us, and gave us a foundation. It also gave him opportunities that made him known. It is painful to see him speak against it,” she lamented.
Mugabekazi revealed that she once warned her brother that she would speak publicly if he continued on what she described as an anti-Rwanda path.
“I told him that if he did not change, I would tell the truth about who he really is. He told me I would no longer be his sister,” she revealed.
She concluded with a message directed at her brother:
“My advice to him is to remember the values our parents taught us. Their goal was never to destroy the country, not even for a single day.”
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