Slain model and actress Alexia Uwera Mupende was on Sunday laid to rest at the Rusororo cemetery.

The funeral of Uwera, who was fondly known as ‘Toto’ among her family and friends, was attended by thousands of mourners from across the country and beyond.

Mourners were dressed mostly in purple, Uwera’s favourite colour.

Uwera, 35, was killed on Tuesday evening at her parents’ home in Nyarugunga Sector, Kicukiro District. A 23-year-old house help who worked at their home was identified as the main suspect in the murder. 

At her requiem mass at Rehoboth Hall in Kanombe, family and friends who paid tribute to Uwera eulogised her as a humble, soft-spoken and caring person.

Uwera was also celebrated as having been a selfless, generous and self-driven person.

Family members of Alexia

Her father, Alex Mupende, told mourners that Uwera had always been involved in keeping their entire extended family close and looked out for everyone in her family and circle of friends.

She was also eulogised for her involvement in community initiatives to give back to the less fortunate members of society as well as Genocide survivors.

On Social Media, numerous people from all over the world paid tribute to the model.

Uwera was among the pioneers of the Rwandan modeling industry with family members saying she walked away from a well-paying job to pursue her passion.

In recent times before her demise, she had become a mentor for emerging talents in the local modeling industry.

Alexia Mupende will be remembered for, among other things, showcasing Rwanda’s clothing brands on the international scene.

Her acting career, as part of Mashirika Performing Arts Group, saw her engage audiences across the country and beyond.

Her last international feature as an actor was in early 2018 when she traveled to India and Sri Lanka for performances themed around humanity.

She was also the general manager of Waka Fitness, a popular fitness centre in Kigali. Uwera was born in 1984 in Nairobi, Kenya (where her family lived at the time) to Alex and Rosine Mupende.  She had six siblings.

Alexia was set to get married next month and her wedding invitations had been released.

No suspect has been apprehended with officers at Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) calling upon the public to report any information related to the suspected murder.

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