Former Rwanda House Speaker Mukabalisa dies at 66

KIGALI, Rwanda — Rwandan Senator and former Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Donatille Mukabalisa died Thursday at King Faisal Hospital after an illness, officials said. She was 66.

Mukabalisa’s death came on her 66th birthday, according to fellow Sen. Emmanuel Havugimana, who served alongside her in Parliament for many years.

Born in 1960 in Nyamata, Bugesera District, Mukabalisa completed her primary and secondary education before the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. She later earned a law degree from the Independent University of Kigali (ULK) and went on to teach law at both ULK and UNILAK.

Before entering politics, Mukabalisa spent 16 years working for international organizations, including the World Health Organization and the United Nations Development Programme.

She was elected Speaker of Rwanda’s Chamber of Deputies in 2013 and served until 2024, becoming one of Rwanda’s most prominent women in politics.

Mukabalisa also held senior positions in the Liberal Party (PL), serving at various times as secretary-general and later as the party’s president.

She is survived by her husband and three children.

Lawmakers, political leaders and colleagues paid tribute to Mukabalisa, highlighting her decades of public service, legal expertise and contributions to Rwanda’s political and institutional development.