{"id":2000121771,"date":"2026-08-07T20:08:07","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T18:08:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/?p=2000121771"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:20:50","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:20:50","slug":"president-kagame-pays-tribute-to-senator-mukabalisas-dedication-to-public-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/president-kagame-pays-tribute-to-senator-mukabalisas-dedication-to-public-service\/","title":{"rendered":"President Kagame pays tribute to Senator Mukabalisa\u2019s dedication to public service"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The ceremony, held at the Parliament building on August 7, was attended by senior government officials, members of her family, relatives, friends and colleagues who gathered to honour her life and contribution to the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Representing the Liberal Party (PL), MP Munyangeyo Th\u00e9og\u00e8ne described Mukabalisa as more than just the party\u2019s president, saying she was a mother figure, mentor and leader who dedicated herself to strengthening the organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWithin PL, Honourable Mukabalisa Donatille was not only the president of the party; she was a mother to many, a counsellor, an educator and a leader who was always committed to building a party founded on unity, cooperation and a shared long-term vision,\u201d Munyangeyo said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that Mukabalisa leaves behind a legacy of ideas and initiatives that will continue to guide PL\u2019s efforts to contribute to Rwanda\u2019s development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senate President Dr Fran\u00e7ois Xavier Kalinda said Mukabalisa left behind a valuable legacy that will remain a source of inspiration for fellow lawmakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDear colleague, Honourable Mukabalisa Donatille, your fellow members of Parliament will always remember the great legacy you have left behind, the good work you did for the country, your family and all those who benefited from your service. May these achievements accompany you as you rest in peace,\u201d Kalinda said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A message of condolence from President Paul Kagame was delivered by the Secretary General of the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF-Inkotanyi), Ambassador Christophe Bazivamo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Kagame described Mukabalisa as a leader who embodied values that have contributed to Rwanda\u2019s progress, including integrity, humility, perseverance and commitment to fulfilling her responsibilities with dedication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese qualities came from her deep understanding that serving the country is the greatest responsibility and one of the most valuable duties one can undertake. This spirit of sacrifice and service to others defined her entire life. It earned her respect from those she worked with and the trust she was repeatedly given. The country appreciates her dedication,\u201d President Kagame said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mukabalisa was born in Nyamata, Bugesera District, in July 1960. She worked as a law lecturer at the Kigali Independent University (ULK).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She also served with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), where she worked for 16 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In October 2003, Mukabalisa was elected as a Member of Parliament, serving in the Chamber of Deputies until 2008. She later served as a Senator from 2011 to 2013.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2013, she returned to the Chamber of Deputies, where she was elected Speaker and led the lower house until 2024. She did not seek re-election after completing two terms as an MP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mukabalisa returned to the Senate in 2024, where she served until her death. Her career in public service spanned more than two decades, during which she held key leadership positions in Rwanda\u2019s legislative institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Senate President Dr Fran\u00e7ois Xavier Kalinda paid tribute to Senator Mukabalisa Donatille, highlighting the legacy she leaves behind.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Senior government officials, lawmakers, family members and friends gathered at Parliament to honour the life and service of Senator Mukabalisa Donatille.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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A farewell ceremony for Senator Mukabalisa was held at the Parliament building.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Parliament of Rwanda on Friday held a farewell ceremony for Senator Mukabalisa Donatille, who died on July 30, 2026, following an illness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2000121772,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[151,69],"byline":[170],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-2000121771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-40","tag-editors-choice","tag-homehighlights","byline-igihe"],"bylines":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"contributors":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"featured_image":{"id":2000121772,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/mukab1-b359b.jpg","alt":"","caption":"Senior government officials, lawmakers, family members and friends gathered at Parliament to honour the life and service of Senator Mukabalisa Donatille.","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":1000,"height":666,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/mukab1-b359b.jpg","width":1000,"height":666},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/mukab1-b359b.jpg","width":1000,"height":666},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/mukab1-b359b.jpg","width":1000,"height":666},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/mukab1-b359b.jpg","width":1000,"height":666},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/08\/mukab1-b359b.jpg","width":1000,"height":666}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000121771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2000121771"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000121771\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2000121775,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000121771\/revisions\/2000121775"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000121772"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000121771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000121771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000121771"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=2000121771"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=2000121771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}