Gitega: two grim discoveries in two days in Bugendana and Gishubi

SOS Médias Burundi

Gitega, November 8, 2026 — Two lifeless bodies were discovered on Thursday, November 5, and Friday, November 6, in the districts of Bugendana and Gishubi, in Gitega Province, central Burundi. The victims were a 33-year-old woman and a newborn. Three people have been arrested in connection with the murder of the woman, while two others have been summoned by the police regarding the case of the newborn.

On Friday, November 6, the lifeless body of 33-year-old Marie Rose Nkurunziza was discovered in a small thicket in Kibungo village, in the district of Bugendana.

According to a witness, the victim was killed with a bladed weapon; her throat had been slit. This information was also confirmed by Euphrasie Niyimbona, the head of Kibungo village.

According to this local official, the motive for the crime has not yet been clearly established. However, the possibility of an unwanted pregnancy has been raised. Information gathered suggests that Marie Rose Nkurunziza had refused to undergo an abortion—a decision that may be linked to this tragedy.

Three individuals—identified by the first names Tharcisse, Moussa, and Pascal—were arrested on that same Friday, November 6. They were subsequently taken to police holding cells in Bugendana, where they remain in custody as part of the investigation.

The day before, on Thursday, November 5, the lifeless body of a newborn had been discovered in Remera village, in the district of Gishubi—also located in Gitega Province. The child was allegedly abandoned by his mother.

This information was confirmed by Aster Nzeyimana, the head of Remera h
village. According to this local official, Daphrose Niyonzima and her daughter, Aline Nizigiyimana, have been summoned. They are required to appear on Monday, November 9, before the judicial police officer (OPJ) in charge of the investigation.

These two discoveries come at a time when other deaths involving controversial circumstances have recently been reported in the province. On October 27, a man was found hanged in Gitega; local residents disputed the theory that it was a suicide.

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A police officer and a first responder at the scene of the grim discovery in Gitega province (DR/SOS Médias Burundi)