On Friday, students and staff from Kepler Kigali, Kepler College, and Kepler Sports paid tribute to the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi through a visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial and a commemoration event held at Kepler College campus in Kinyinya.
Over 500 participants, including students, staff, and representatives from Ibuka Rwanda, joined the Kepler community to remember, reflect, and honor the lives lost.
Rev. Canon Dr. Antoine Rutayisire, author of Reconciliation is My Lifestyle, emphasized the importance of remembrance while challenging students to continuously renew themselves for a better future, a message echoed through a student-led performance.
“Be better people, for we have seen the tragic path a nation can follow when evil prevails,” he said.
He encouraged the youth to embrace Ndi Umunyarwanda, the national identity initiative, as a foundation for unity and prosperity.
Vincent Nshizirungu, a survivor of the Genocide against the Tutsi from Kinyinya who lost both of his parents, shared a deeply personal testimony of survival. Now a father of three, he reflected on the long journey of rebuilding his life and finding meaning in the years that followed.
“Anyone who did not kill me then will not kill me now,” he recounted.
Blaise Ndizihiwe, Second Vice-President of Ibuka Rwanda, commended the bravery of those who stopped the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and have worked tirelessly over the past 32 years to restore unity and dignity among Rwandans. He called on the youth to reject genocide ideology in all its forms.
“To the young people, wherever we are, each of us carries a duty to remember with truth, to reject genocide denial and distortion, and to stand against hatred and division in all its forms,” Ndizihiwe stated.
Nathalie Munyampenda, Chief Executive Officer of Kepler, underscored the institution’s commitment to preserving the memory of the victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi and fostering meaningful dialogue among young people.
“We will continue to provide a safe space to remember the victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi and affirm that in our generation this will never happen again,” she reiterated.
Kinyinya Sector, where Kepler campus is located, is home to the Kinyinya Memorial, the final resting place of 411 victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Their memory forms part of the national remembrance of more than one million lives lost during the genocide.
