Mutagwera laid to rest

KIGALI - Rwanda’s highly respected lawyer, Frederick Mutagwera who died of a sudden death early last week was buried by thousands of friends and acquaintances over the weekend. He was 53. Before his burial, Mutagwera was honoured by senior government officials including Senate President Dr. Vincent Biruta, Premier Bernard Makuza, fellow lawyers and members of his family at the Supreme Court. The farewell was held inside the Supreme Court courtroom, and was presided over by the president of the High Court, Johnston Busigye. The president of the Bar Association, Vincent Karangwa read out Mutagwera’s professional background and said that Rwanda’s judiciary relies more on the roots Mutagwera planted. Mutagwera was the first president of the Kigali Bar Association--the body that brings together all practicing lawyers in the country--and also the first President of Ibuka, an umbrella association of Genocide Survivors. “He was a great man who aspired for the truth throughout his professional career, he never minded about wining or losing a case, his only concern was exposing the truth,” said Karangwa. Lauding Mutagwera’s contribution to the justice sector in Rwanda, Busigye said: “he was a watchdog…he branded the Rwanda judiciary, he was also a man who contributed a lot to the growth of the judiciary.” Before his death, he had just marked 21 years of experience in judiciary; his law degree at the National University of Rwanda in 1988. He is also known to have headed several commissions in the Bar Association. Ends