HUYE–Mystery still surrounds the death of Prof. Dr Esron Munyanziza who passed away early this week. Munyanziza died at his home in Ngoma sector, Huye District. His house-help, whom he lived with, alerted the neighbours and local leaders after discovering the lifeless body in a pool of blood in the house.Unconfirmed reports suggest he could have been poisoned.Subsequently, an investigation into the death was opened by the Police, leading to the arrest of the house-help (names withheld).By press time, the house-help was still held at Ngoma Police station while investigations continue.The New Times understands that he was questioned on why he was keeping a 4-litre jerry can full of urine.The deceased’s body was taken to the Butare University teaching hospital (CHUB) for post mortem and later to the Kigali Central Hospital for further examination on the request of the police. By press times, results were yet to be made available.The rector of the National University of Rwanda (NUR), Prof. Silas Lwakabamba, has described the Late Prof. Dr Esron Munyanziza as a dedicated employee who was development oriented. Speaking at the senior lecturer’s burial, Lwakabamba, described him as knowledgeable, dedicated and ready to take up duties which were beyond what was normally required of him. Prof. Munyanziza who was a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Agriculture passed away early this week.“He had developed a lot of initiatives, which am sure the university and the country will benefit from,”“It’s really very sad [and] very shocking to suddenly hear that he had died. It is a big loss to all of us as the university and the country,” Lwakabamba said.The dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Daniel Rukazambuga, said his death will affect plans which were underway in the faculty.“We had been planning to start a PhD programme in agro-forestry, but his death will affect us because he was one of the only two locals qualified to lead such a programme”, Rukazambuga said.A requiem ceremony was held at the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Huye town in honour of the lecturer. A number of messages -from fellow lecturers, friends and students- read throughout the celebrations hailed his ‘courage, devotion and commitment to improve the quality of education”.Others described the don as someone who was very pleasant, polite, humble, very hardworking and dedicated.Munyanziza passed away last Monday morning at his home in Ngoma sector, Huye District. Prof. Munyanziza was born in 1952 in Karongi District, in the western part of the country. He attended Sokoine University, Tanzania, where he was awarded a Bachelors degree in Agro-forestry. He later pursued his Masters and PhD in the Netherlands.In 2008, he returned to Rwanda and has been a senior lecturer at The National University of Rwanda since. Between 2008 and 2009, he was the vice-dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and was later promoted to coordinator of a Masters programme in agro forestry and soil management.
