President Paul Kagame on Tuesday evening extended his condolences to the family of former US Senator Jim Inhofe, describing the deceased as a singular friend of the African continent, and of Rwanda in particular. Inhofe, the longest-serving U.S. senator from Oklahoma, died early Tuesday after a stroke over the July 4 holiday, his family announced in a statement. He was 89. From his first visit to Africa more than 25 years ago, and the dozens that followed, Jim was a singular friend of our continent, and of Rwanda in particular, Kagame wrote an X post (formerly Twitter). He added; The bonds that Jim fostered between Africa and the United States will remain central to his legacy as a statesman and public servant. Inhofe, his family noted, passed peacefully, surrounded by his wife Kay, and his three surviving children, Molly, Jimmy and Katy. His son Perry passed away several years ago in a private airplane accident in Tulsa, the statement added. Inhofe served in the U.S. Senate from 1994 until his retirement in 2023. He was a member of the Republican Party. During his time in office, he chaired the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the Armed Services Committee. Inhofe also served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1987 to 1994. Prior to serving in Congress, Inhofe served in various elected offices in Oklahoma, including in the state Senate, the state House of Representatives, and as the mayor of Tulsa. He was born in Des Moines, Iowa, on Nov. 17, 1934, and moved with his family to Oklahoma as a child. Inhofe also served in the U.S. Army from 1957 to 1958 and obtained a degree in economics from the University of Tulsa. Before venturing into politics, he worked for his father's (Perry Inhofe) 's life insurance company.
