Jean Bosco Nkurikiyinka talking to Kigali Today about reconciliation in 2024 at Rutunga
A genocide survivor from Rutunga Sector in Gasabo District has spent the past 14 years raising three children whose parents were convicted for their role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
In 2009, a Gacaca Court in Rutunga, perched on the ridges overlooking Lake Muhazi, sentenced residents Evode Musonera and his wife Margret Nyirimana to 30 and 15 years in prison respectively for their participation in genocide crimes committed in their community.
Two years later, Jean Bosco Nkurikiyinka, now 73, encountered the couple’s 12-year-old son labouring on a neighbour’s farm, in a hardworking manner that moved him deeply.
“I felt compassion for the young boy, seeing him suffer because of the wickedness of his parents—something he had no part in,” he recalled.
Nkurikiyinka, a resident of Kibenga Village, was among the few who escaped killers like Musonera and his wife by crossing Lake Muhazi into Gicumbi District to seek protection from the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF).
Many others in the area were killed by drowning, and the trauma lingers for survivors who never had the chance to bury their loved ones.
Despite carrying the burden of horrific memories, Nkurikiyinka learned from the boy that he was caring for his two younger sisters alone, while their elder siblings had deserted them, and a married sister had been unable to support them due to her own family obligations.
“I felt compelled to take the children into my family, but I first had to discuss it with my wife and children,” he said.
His family unanimously agreed.
“We reflected on the government’s unity and reconciliation programme. The children were innocent and the only one who had to make the reconciliation programme successful was a survivor” Nkurikiyinka said.
“We decided they should become part of our home.”
Overcoming Mistrust
At the time of the adoption in 2011, social divisions and mistrust between survivors and perpetrators still ran deep in many Rwandan communities, including Rutunga.
“There was still tension. Survivors felt safer in bars owned by fellow survivors, and the same applied to perpetrators,” said François Ntwali, 74, head of the Rutunga Reconciliation Club.
The adopted children occasionally reported being harassed or threatened by residents who warned that Nkurikiyinka’s family might seek revenge and kill them—an allegation which created anxiety in the household.
“We were afraid these threats would isolate the children from the rest of us and even cause them to run away from the community. It was a fragile situation to handle. We did not have many explanations to give to the children,” said Speciose Mukagakwaya, Nkurikiyinka’s wife.
Fortunately, the allegations faded naturally as Nkurikiyinka’s family continued to embrace the new members.
A Story of Hope
Nkurikiyinka’s extraordinary act of compassion became a beacon of reconciliation in Rutunga.
According to Simion Ndamyumugabe Mukantwari, Social and Economic Development Officer (SEDO) of Kibenga Cell, his decision inspired many exonerated perpetrators to seek forgiveness and return property they had looted during the genocide.
The eldest of the adopted children has completed secondary school, married, and now supports his family through farming and small-scale trade, while his two younger siblings are still in school.
Nkurikiyinka was unable to send the eldest to university due to financial constraints and the young man’s inability to qualify for a government scholarship.
Musonera remains in Nyarugenge Prison serving his 30-year sentence, while his wife was released in late 2024 after completing her 15-year term at Ngoma Women’s Prison.
The two children have since gone to live with their mother, but Nkurikiyinka’s family continues to support them.
“Our support continues because the family is not yet in a position to be self-sustaining,” Nkurikiyinka said.
Despite the past, Nkurikiyinka’s biological and adopted children occasionally visit the incarcerated parents, who express their gratitude for the care their children received.
According to 2024 figures from the Ministry of National Unity and Civic Engagement, 99 per cent of Rwandans identify first as Rwandan and strongly uphold the values of unity and reconciliation.
Nearly 95 per cent understand the country’s history, and over 97 per cent report harmonious living and active cooperation in their communities.
