Former Miss Rwanda Aurore Kayibanda ties the knot in “colourful ceremony”
Friday, February 23, 2024
The wedding was attended by some prominent Rwandan celebrities residing in the US. Courtesy

US-based Aurore Kayibanda Mutesi, the winner of the 2012 Miss Rwanda beauty pageant, has officially tied the knot with her long time fiancé Jacques Gatera, The New Times has learnt.

The former beauty queen got married in a colourful wedding ceremony on Thursday, February 22, in Phoenix, Arizona.

ALSO READ: Who is Miss Aurore’s golfer fiancé?

Kayibanda’s wedding comes three years after her divorce from celebrated photographer and videographer Egide Mbabazi, who rose to stardom after getting engaged to the beauty queen in 2018.

A trusted source present at the wedding informed The New Times that it was a vibrant celebration of love that drew the attention of many prominent Rwandan celebrities residing in the US.

Bad Rama, the renowned duo Charly na Nina, video director Cedru, events planner Ernesto Ugeziwe, and ex-basketball player Lionel Hakizimana were among the celebrities present at the event.

Kayibanda’s new husband, Gatera, is a businessman known as one of Rwanda’s top amateur golfers.

Their love affair went viral on January, 19, 2023, after pictures of their engagement started circulating on social media.

During her reign as Miss Rwanda, Kayibanda was also crowned Miss Fespam – a pan African beauty pageant – in Congo Brazzaville and represented the country at the 2013 Miss Supranational in Belarus.

ALSO READ: Aurore Mutesi on the trials and triumphs of her reign as Miss Rwanda

She was spotted in Kigali for the first time in six years last year at Camp Kigali during a Kigali Jazz Junction concert.

Aurore Kayibanda and Jacques Gatera during the ceremony.