President Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame lay wreath on the heroes monument. Photos/Eric Ruzindana/KT
President Paul Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame on Saturday led Heroes’ Day celebrations by paying tribute to the country’s heroes and participating in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Heroes’ Mausoleum in Remera.
The Head of State and the First Lady were joined by Ambassador Youssef Imani, Morocco’s Ambassador to Rwanda, who is also the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, to lay a wreath on the monument of heroes.
Senior government officials, including the Prime Minister, Dr Edouard Ngirente, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies in the National Assembly, Gertrude Kazarwa, the President of the Senate, François-Xavier Kalinda, the Chief Justice, Domitilla Mukantaganzwa, and others, were also present.
After President Kagame and the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, families of the deceased heroes followed, including Janet Rwigema, wife of the late Major General Fred Gisa Rwigema, his mother, daughter Teta Rwigema and her husband Marvin Manzi, among others, who participated in the ceremony.
President Kagame later took to the platform X, formerly known as Twitter, to share his sentiments on the country’s heroes, urging young people to strive to follow in their footsteps.
“Happy Heroes Day! Today, we honour our national heroes who upheld the very values of unity, truth, and justice that define our country today. It is the responsibility of all of us, young and old, to face challenges with fearlessness and integrity, to stand up for what is right and to continue building a nation that defies all expectations,” President Kagame tweeted.
Happy Heroes Day! Today, we honour our national heroes who upheld the very values of unity, truth, and justice that define our country today. It is the responsibility of all of us, young and old, to face challenges with fearlessness and integrity, to stand up for what is right…
— Paul Kagame (@PaulKagame) February 1, 2025
Rwanda’s heroes are classified into three categories: Imanzi, Imena, and Ingenzi.
The Imanzi category includes deceased heroes as well as the Unknown Soldier, representing all soldiers who died on the battlefield fighting for the good of Rwanda. This category also includes Major General Fred Gisa Rwigema, who led the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF-Inkotanyi) liberation struggle that began on 1 October 1990.
The Imena category includes King Mutara III Rudahigwa, Michel Rwagasana, former Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana, Félicité Niyitegeka, and the Nyange students.
The Ingenzi category is yet to have names assigned to it, but a study is ongoing to identify those who may be included.
Heroes’ Day is celebrated annually on 1 February.
