Ambassador Col. (Rtd) Dr. Joseph Karemera, a veteran politician who served the country for several years, in high ranking positions has passed on after a long illness.
In the aftermath of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi, Karemera, a soldier who served in the liberation army served the country in the capacity of Minister of Health and Minister of Education respectively.
He also served as Ambassador of Rwanda to South Africa, then as senate at Rwanda Parliament.
Several people paid tribute to the man who served the country without sparing any effort from the battlefield during the liberation struggle where he was in charge of medical care for the RPA Inkotanyi.
Nasra Bishumba, a journalist and communication specialist wrote about Karemera and said that he was an ordinary man who accomplished extraordinary things in service to his country. As one of the founding members of the Rwandese Patriotic Front (RPF) Inkotanyi, he was on the frontlines during the war to liberate Rwanda , using his skills as a medical doctor to treat injured soldiers.
Beyond his military service, Bishumba said, Ambassador Karemera played his part in rebuilding the nation after the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi.
“When I was young and first learnt of him as the Minister of Education, he was not just a leader, but a father figure—kind, approachable, and deeply invested in the future of Rwanda’s youth,” Bishumba said.
“His mission after the genocide was clear: to give the next generation the opportunities he himself had struggled to obtain during decades in exile.”
Bishumba remembers late Karemera as a person who was keen to quality of education, who wanted quality, period. In the search of quality education, he also worked hard to find scholarship for the best students in the country that was devastated by the Genocide atrocities and had lost hope.
“In our hearts and minds, his spirit continues to inspire, reminding us of the power of dedication, compassion, and unwavering service to the nation. May he Rest In Peace. To the family, Mukomere,” Bishumba said.
Abdul K. Harelimana, Rwanda’s Ambassador to the Republic of Indonesia also has strong memories of Karemera, including his courage to always entertain people around him, even when his body was in really difficult conditions. That emanates from his character to see his neighbors happy, even if himself he would be going through bodily difficult conditions.
“You put it well, he was a Col in the military, a doctor by profession and a politician of many calibers in government…,” reads another tribute.
“Dr.Fought a good fight, May his soul rest in eternal peace.Aluta continua”
