Rumonge : the director general of Bitare Technical High School missing after exam-related tensions

SOS Médias Burundi

Rumonge, March 22, 2026 — A tense situation is gripping the Bitare Technical High School, where the director general has been missing for several days amid disputes with teachers over exam organization and suspicions of irregularities.

At the Bitare Technical High School, located in the Minago zone of ​​Rumonge district, Burunga province in southern Burundi, the director general, Nestor Nsavyumukama, has been missing since March 10, 2026, according to several sources within the school.

According to members of the teaching staff, the director reportedly left the school shortly after receiving a letter signed by the teachers. In this letter, they requested the organization of new second-term exams for all upper-level classes, citing alleged cases of cheating and theft of exam papers.

Tensions surrounding this situation date back to March 5, 2026, when a meeting was held between the administration and the teaching staff. According to some participants, a consensus seemed to be emerging in favor of canceling the exams in question and rescheduling them, due to irregularities deemed widespread. However, this decision was reportedly never implemented.

Faced with this inaction, the teachers sent a second letter to the administration, reiterating their request. They stated that they were acting to improve the school climate and guarantee the credibility of the assessment system, while threatening to contact the Ministry of Education if no action was taken.

According to these sources, the day after receiving this second letter, the director general allegedly withdrew all the school’s funds before leaving the premises without a trace.

The Bitare Technical High School, an Anglican-affiliated school, currently has over 280 pupils enrolled. This situation is causing serious concern within the local educational community.

School authorities in Rumonge have announced that a commission of inquiry has been established to investigate the matter. The findings are expected in the coming days and should guide future decisions.

In the meantime, parents, teachers, and pupils are calling for urgent and appropriate measures to safeguard the school’s interests and ensure a healthy learning environment.