Bugendana : an elderly man and a child brutally murdered in Rwisabi

SOS Médias Burundi

Gitega, September 2, 2025 – The district of Bugendana, in Gitega province (central Burundi), was rocked this weekend by two heinous crimes committed in the Rwisabi area. A 65-year-old elderly man and a two-year-old child were killed in particularly violent circumstances, plunging the local population into shock and incomprehension.

The first tragedy occurred on the night of August 30 in Bigera village. The lifeless body of Nicodème Ngenge, aged 65 years, was discovered the following morning, Sunday, August 31, about twenty meters from his home. According to Gaspard Maniratunga, chief of Bigera village, the victim was stabbed in the throat as she was returning home. The perpetrators of the crime have not yet been identified, but three suspects have been arrested : Emmanuel Ndabarushimana, Stany Niyonzima, and Fidèle Niyiriho. All were transferred to police custody in Mutaho (same region) for further investigation.

On Monday, September 1st, the victim was buried in his home village. While the motives for the murder remain unknown at this stage, some suggest a possible witchcraft connection, a hypothesis frequently raised in the region in similar incidents.

The second tragedy occurred in the same area, in Kanyinya village, on August 31st. The lifeless body of a two-year-old child, Fiston Dusenge, was found in a small bush, bound and lifeless. According to Rémy Niyonsaba, Kanyinya village chief, the circumstances of the murder are equally murky. One possibility is that the child was born out of wedlock, which could have motivated this barbaric act in a context of social pressure or family rejection. Two alleged perpetrators, Félix Niyongabo and Claver Nicizanye, were arrested and also transferred to Mutaho for investigation.

These two murders, occurring within a few hours, have deeply shocked the residents of Bugendana. Long considered a relatively peaceful province, Gitega is now experiencing a resurgence of violent acts, often characterized by extreme brutality. Bodies are regularly discovered, but investigations do not always result in formal arrests or trials.

While bereaved families demand justice, local authorities are calling on the population to collaborate with law enforcement to shed full light on these murders. Tye civil society, for its part, is concerned about the trivialization of violence and the ineffectiveness of protection mechanisms, particularly for the elderly and children.