Buganda : a grenade kills an elderly man and a child, two other family members injured

SOS Médias Burundi

Bujumbura, October 14, 2025 — A grenade attack has left a family in Gasenyi village, Buganda zone, Bukinanyana district, Bujumbura province, western Burundi, in mourning. The 72-year-old chief of the family and one of his grandchildren were killed. Two other family members were seriously injured.

A family evening turns tragic

According to local administration sources, the attack occurred around 7 p.m. on the night of October 13-14. The family of Ismaël Havyarimana, 72 years old, was resting outside the house when an explosion sounded.
The elderly man died instantly. His wife, Éméliane Ndagijimana, 60 years old, and two of their grandchildren were seriously injured.
The victims were rushed to a hospital in Bujumbura, the commercial capital, but one of the children succumbed to his injuries en route, according to a family member.

A premeditated murder?

According to the Buganda zone chief, Evariste Ntahiraja, everything suggests that this was a settling of scores related to a land dispute.

“The deceased was in dispute with relatives over a piece of land. He had already escaped three assassination attempts before this one,” he said.

According to the same source, the old man was also suspected of practicing witchcraft, an accusation frequently used in this type of conflict to justify violence.

Local authorities indicate that investigations are underway to identify the perpetrators of this criminal act.

“Security services are already working,” declared the Bukinanyana district administrator, promising that “light will be shed on this matter.”

Palpable tension in the community

In the neighborhood, fear and anger reign. Residents report seeing gunmen prowling around the victim’s property two days before the attack.

“They were wearing coats, carrying weapons, and grenades. They were clearly trying to eliminate him,” said a relative of the deceased, still in shock.

To avoid any risk of reprisals, local authorities announced the holding of an emergency meeting to ease tensions in the community.
The deceased’s family, for their part, requested that investigations begin with the old man’s brothers, whom they suspect of having ordered the murder in connection with the land dispute.

A respected family man

Ismaël Havyarimana leaves behind a widow, eight children, and several grandchildren.
His tragic passing is a reminder of how land disputes, mixed with accusations of witchcraft, continue to sow death and division in the country’s villages.