Herman Musahara, an associate professor of economics at the University of Rwanda, has passed away. Musahara died on Wednesday, November 20, after battling cancer for a long time. Musahara held a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in economics obtained from the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and a PhD in Development Studies from the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. He was a regular source for journalists who needed analysis of the Rwandan economy, as well as international economy. Besides being an Associate Professor in the UR School of Economics, Musahara also served as Director of Consultancy Services. Until 2016, Musahara was Acting Executive Director of the Organization for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern Africa, which is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. From 2011 to 2014, he was Acting Vice Rector of Academics and Research at the former National University of Rwanda Besides teaching development economics, poverty analysis and research methodology at post graduate level, Musahara also has researched, consulted and published in several fields of the social sciences, including rural-urban migration, poverty analysis, human development, environment, land tenure and land use in Rwanda and Eastern and Southern Africa. He also published works on governance, post conflict transitions including post-Genocide Rwanda, entrepreneurship, SMEs, value chains and agricultural development. “A brilliant, patriotic person” Musahara’s former colleagues, faculty members and students paid tributes to him. Charles Murigande, a former Cabinet member and former Deputy Vice Chancellor of UR, recalled Musahara’s dedication when the economist was an assistant lecturer in the Faculty of Economics and Management in the late 1990s. “He gave all his energy to ensure that the faculty could deliver its programs effectively despite having very limited staff,” said Murigande, who was the Rector of the then National University of Rwanda. “I later had the pleasure of working closely with him when I served as Deputy Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement. We worked together (of course with other UR staff) on the design, development, and successful negotiation of a USD35 million promotion research project funded by Sweden,” Murigande told The New Times. Murigande described Musahara as a “humble, unassuming, gentle person,” who served with integrity and patriotism. “I got to admire his intellectual brilliance and human qualities. He was someone who knew to ask the right questions as well as to provide good answers to difficult questions because of his excellent analytical skills and his huge knowledge in various domains,” Murigande said. Silas Lwakabamba, a former Minister of Education and former Rector of the National University of Rwanda, also paid his tributes to Musahara. “It’s deeply saddening to hear about the passing of a colleague at the former National University of Rwanda, Prof Herman Musahara,” Lwakabamba wrote in a post on X. His dedication to his profession was truly remarkable. My thoughts are with his family, colleagues, and all who had the privilege of learning from and working with him. His impact will not be forgotten.” For Straton Habyarimana, an economist and former student of Musahara, was mentor for many students at the university. “I became familiar with him mainly through the OSSREA research outputs, which I frequently read because of their good quality. His contributions were invaluable among them,” Habyarimana said. “He also taught me research methodologies, and his impact on economics has been significant through his various studies. Beyond that, he mentored many students at University of Rwanda, guiding them in their research journeys, especially in economics. But he also covered other areas, including good governance.”
