The body of Gervais Hakizimana, a top Rwandan athletics coach who died in a car accident in Kenya, is expected to be repatriated on Saturday, February 17. Hakizimana, 36, tragically passed away in a road accident on February 11, along with trainee Kelvin Kiptum, a world marathon record holder. The accident occurred at 11 p.m. in the Kaptagat area of Western Kenya while they were heading to Eldoret. According to Hakizimana’s family, when his body reaches Kigali on Saturday, it will be taken to Kacyiru Police Hospital mortuary before heading to his sister’s home in Masaka, Kicukiro District where a vigil will be held on Monday, February 12. The programme also includes a church service at Kabuga Catholic Church, before he is laid to rest at Rusororo cemetery on Wednesday, February 21. READ ALSO: Rwandan athletes eulogise deceased coach Hakizimana Who is Hakizimana? Born in Nyaruguru District, Southern Province, Hakizimana made a significant impact on Rwandan athletics as an athlete and as a coach. From his successful athletic career with APR athletics club and the national team, he made the transition to coaching and talent scouting in 2008. He travelled to different countries including France, and Kenya, searching for talented athletes. Hakizimana had a special talent for spotting potential in athletes. Since 2017, he actively scouted and connected promising individuals with good managers, especially in France. He collaborated with UniRun 59, an organization dedicated to talent development, founded by French coach Philippe Plancke. One of Hakizimana's notable achievements was discovering and grooming Kiptum, who went on to set a new world marathon record in October 2023. Hakizimana believed that he could nurture more athletes like Kiptum, even in Rwanda through his projects. At the time of his passing, Hakizimana had several ongoing personal and joint projects, including 'UniRun Rwanda', an athletics talent development initiative. He, along with fellow former athlete Emmanuel Ntakiyimana and Plancke, had submitted it for registration with the Rwanda Governance Board. The initiative could start operating in Rwanda as early as March.
