What if I told you that the first victim of the ‘Ndi Umunyarwanda’ (I am a Rwandan) was a man called Chief Paul Nturo of Nyirimigabo who lived almost 70 years before the actual programme started in Rwanda in 2013? It is the story of this man we are going to discuss today, how he became the first victim of ‘Ndi Umunyarwanda’ and how his son Butera was printed on a Congolese banknote, making him the first, possibly the only one person to be printed on a banknote used in three countries. The ‘Ndi Umunyarwanda’ programme was introduced in Rwanda in 2013, as a key initiative to foster a sense of national identity, especially in the aftermath of the genocide against the Tutsi. One of the key goals of the ‘Ndi Umunyarwanda’ is to build a collective Rwandan identity, moving beyond ethnic divisions. That is what Nturo wanted to tell the Belgian colonial regime when he refused to accept the identification of Rwandans into Tutsi, Hutu and Twa. When Belgians arrived in Rwanda, they were advised by the Catholic Church, to let the Tutsi govern to Kingdom, especially by Bishop Leon Classe, who wrote many letters to the Belgian administration, at that time, represented by Georges Mortehan, who was the Belgian Resident since 1919 to 1929. Bishop Classe stressed that one thing they could do to develop Rwanda was to leave the power in the hands of the Tutsi and to train Tutsi youth for future leadership, because they were intelligent, and knew how to govern. But the real purpose being to promote them in order to be able to accuse them in the near future of dominating the Hutus for centuries. But at that time, there was no way you could know who is a Hutu and who is a Tutsi. A project was then launched to separate the Rwandan population between Tutsi, Hutu and Twa and distributed a booklet to each Rwandan family explaining the ethnicity the family belongs to. It is at this time the Belgian authority started their policy of introducing in the Kingdom of Rwanda the ethnic identification with the mention of Tutsi, Hutu and Twa in an identity booklet. The census to issue these identity booklets began in Nyanza, under the jurisdiction of Chief Nturo of Nyilimigabo, who governed the Kabagari Chiefdom.. When he was approached, Chief Nturo firmly rejected the initiative, stating, “This is impossible, this cannot happen in my domain of Mukingo, among my people, for Rwandans have always been united.” In other words, starting “WE ARE ALL RWANDANS”. Chief Nturo refused to allow Belgians to conduct such a divisive census in his jurisdiction. He had already recognised that this plan was intended to divide the people of Rwanda. The Belgians were angered by his decision to defy them and feared that his popularity could influence other chiefs in the Kingdom. Chief Nturo was the son of Nyirimigabo, the son of Marara, the son of Munana, the son of Gihana, the son of Cyilima II Rujugira. His family of Abanana, was respected in the Kingdom for being descendents of Gihana, who sacrificed himself to save the Kingdom during the war Rwanda conducted against Burundi under King Cyilima II Rujugira. Apart from being a descendent of Gihana, Chief Nturo was a great warrior. When Germans entered Rwanda, he was a fighter in the battalion called Ingangurarugo, one of numerous battalions that belonged to King Kigeli IV Rwabugiri. Fearing his influence and the spread of his defiance in other chiefdoms, they decided to arrest him and take him to the first prison constructed in the country, 1930 Prison, becoming the first victim of ‘NDI UMUNYARWANDA.’ When the census ended two years later, Chief Nturo was released to find that the census had been completed and that his family was given identity cards in accordance with the wishes of the Belgians. He was given back his chiefdom of Kabagari that he continued to lead until his death in 1943. His son became the greatest intore of our time Chief Nturo left children, who like him became chiefs, including Chief Bwanakweli Prosper, who took the leadership of Kabagari, replacing Alexandre Kayumba, who had replaced his father. He was also the co-founder and President of the Rassemblement Démocratique Rwandais (RADER). Others included Deogratias Rwamulinda, who was the chief of Mwaka, sub-chiefdom in Kabagali chiefdom; Frederic Butera, Chief of Mukingo sub-chiefdom in Nduga chiefdom; Alphonse Nkusi of Gitovu sub-chiefdom in Ndiza chiefdom; Themistocles Higiro of Rubona sub-chiefdom in Kabagali chiefdom; Oswald Nkuranga of Gasoro sub-chiefdom in Nduga chiefdom; and Augustin Muhikira of Kinyambi sub-chiefdom in the chiefdom of Rukoma. One of his sons, Chief Frederic Butera became one of the greatest intore dancers of our time – some Rwandans say of all time. An activity that made him famous to the extent that in 1948, Belgians authorities printed his image on a 10 banknote of the Belgian Congo Francs, making him the only person to be printed on a banknote circulating in three countries, Belgian Congo, Rwanda and Burundi. Furthermore, Chief Butera featured in the film called “Les mines du roi Salomon”, in which he appeared as a royal intore. Can Chief Nturo inspire us today? In the 1950’s, Chief Nturo was a lonely fighter, with no army to help fight the then mighty colonial power of the Kingdom of King Baudouin. Belgians imprisoned him with his ‘Ndi Umunyarwanda’ revendation. Today, with the Government that institutionalised ‘Ndi Umunyarwanda’ to foster a sense of national identity, we are millions behind ‘Ndi Umunyarwanda. Let's be inspired by Chief Nturo and take “Ndi Umunyarwanda’ to another level. Yes, the government and the people of Rwanda are doing a lot to foster the ‘Ndi Umunyarwanda’ initiative. But we need to do more, especially for the Rwandan youth in Rwanda and in the diaspora. Is it possible to implement ‘Ndi Umunyarwanda’ into the school curriculum, where lessons are adapted to each level of schools - primary, secondary and university - so our youth grow, making ‘Ndi Umunyarwanda’ their religion? I say ‘implement’ because its incorporation into the school curriculum has been suggested before, but not yet implemented. Is it possible for our embassies worldwide to allocate a monthly time and invite Rwandans, especially youth, to discuss and hear inspiring stories about “Ndi Umunyarwanda” from their mother land? Is it possible to establish a branch in charge of preparing materials specific for the use in different ‘Ndi Umunyarwanda’ programmes in the Rwanda Education Board (REB)? Can every Rwandan pledge to bring one lost soul in the family of ‘Ndi Umunyarwanda’ every year? Imagine if every Rwandan who believes in ‘Ndi Umunyarwanda’ brings one lost soul, the family can at least have one or two million lost souls back into the great family. I am just trying to say that everyone, either in Rwanda or in the diaspora can do something to take ‘Ndi Umunyarwanda’ to another level, and a better one. Let’s make ‘Ndi Umunyarwanda’ our religion, and as religious partisans fight to have new people in their churches, let’s struggle to have more lost souls in the big family. It is by working hard for this principle that we will be honoring Chief Nturo and elevate ‘Ndi Umunyarwanda’ to a higher level. Until next time, stay blessed and united.
