Dan Hakizimana, the spouse of Elisabeth Mukarugwiza, the woman who on Wednesday morning collapsed and died near Cyanika border post, said Uganda is fabricating stories on his deceased wife to settle political scores. The 38-year old businesswoman died on the Ugandan side of the border, having illegally crossed through the porous border. He made the comment Thursday during the burial of the deceased which took place near the family’s home in Nyonirima Cell, Kinigi Sector in Musanze District. Addressing the grief-stricken thousands of mourners, Hakizimana said he was shocked by the death of his spouse of over 20 years, but what made his situation even worse was the lies that were carried in the Ugandan media about the nature of her death. Dan Hakizimana stands before his granary where he keeps the maize produce. Regis Umurengezi Ugandan media, working with authorities from the neighbouring country sensentionalised Mukarugwiza’s demise through what the husband said were a litany of lies that were carefully crafted to suit a political narrative. Reports from the Ugandan media stated that the deceased had gone to Uganda to get food, and that she was a heavily pregnant woman who also wanted to get medicine from across. These, said Hakizimana, who is a plumber and works with local government to bring water to communities within Musanze District, are fabricated lies that are politically motivated to tarnish the image of Rwanda. “I know everyone here is aware of what is circulating in Ugandan media, but the truth is that all you are reading and listening are fake and fabricated information; it is mockery to the demise of my wife,” he said. “Imagine daring to report that my wife was heavily pregnant yet she has been using contraceptives of five years! What kind of manipulation is that?” Hakizimana said. Grief and sorrow engulfed many among the mourners. Regis Umurengezi The couple is survived by four children. On the claims that the wife had crossed into Uganda to get food, Hakizimana dismissed this with evidence, saying that he has the financial capacity to fend for his family and that the wife herself was operating a fairly successful business. “There are no reasons that could have pushed my wife to go looking food in that country. I don’t have a problem of hunger at home. To the contrary we had good harvest of Irish potatoes, beans and maize which is not only used for subsistence purpose but also plenty that we take to the market,” he noted. The narrative in the Ugandan media is also further discredited by the proximity of the deceased’s place of residence in Cyanika Sector of Musanze District from the border area that is tens of miles away in Burera District. Mourners in front of one of the Boys Quarters owned the deceased family. Regis Umurengezi Hakizimana said that his wife could have succumbed to high blood pressure, a condition he said she had lived with for the past 12 years. Mukarugwiza, who is said to have been a businesswoman dealing in the famous “kitenge” fabrics, is suspected to have used illegal crossing to trade across the border. Witness accounts indicate that passersby quickly intervened but efforts to rush her to hospital were blocked by Ugandan soldiers camped nearby, who could not let them onto the Ugandan side to offer emergency assistance. Her body was repatriated back to Rwanda later on Wednesday afternoon after protracted talks between Rwandan and Ugandan officials.
