Artistes join BPR to honour fallen staff, preserve Genocide memory

BPR Bank Rwanda Plc management and staff have paid tribute to 33 former colleagues killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, in a commemoration that blended remembrance with a forward-looking message driven by youth voices and artistes’ expression. The event held April 14 began at the bank’s headquarters in Kigali, where staff laid wreaths at a monument bearing the names of the fallen employees, who were remembered not only as victims, but as part of the institution’s history and growth. From there, employees joined partners at Nyanza Genocide Memorial in Kicukiro District, a site that holds more than 105,000 victims. Among those buried at Nyanza are over 3,000 victims who were killed on the very hill where the memorial now stands, after being transferred from ETO Kicukiro. Only around 100 survived the massacre. The memorial also holds remains of victims recovered from surrounding areas. Remembering as a shared responsibility For BPR Bank, remembrance goes beyond ceremony. It is framed as a responsibility, one that connects past loss with present values and future commitments. “Remembering is how we protect the future,” said Managing Director Patience Mutesi. “We honour those we lost not only today, but through the values we uphold every day as an institution.” The bank, she stated, continues to stand in solidarity with families affected by the Genocide, while reinforcing unity within its workplace and the communities it serves. This commitment has also taken symbolic form. During a previous visit, the bank planted a tree in the Garden of Memory at Nyanza memorial site — representing resilience, renewal, and a promise that life continues despite a painful past. Art, partnership, and healing BPR Bank also highlighted its partnership with Iwacu Muzika Festival, underlining the role of art in remembrance. Through music and creative expression, the bank sees an opportunity to reach younger generations in ways that are both engaging and meaningful. “Remembrance can take many forms. Art has the power to heal, to unite people, and to preserve memory,” Mutesi said. This collaboration positions artists not only as entertainers, but as custodians of history, voices capable of reinforcing unity and ensuring that the message “Never Again” continues to resonate. The commemoration was also marked by a testimony from Felix Rucari, a survivor of the Nyanza massacre, who was just nine years old at the time. He recounted the suffering him and his family endured before the Genocide was stopped, offering a deeply personal reminder of the events that statistics alone cannot capture. Today, he has rebuilt his life and is a father of two, a reflection of resilience in the face of unimaginable loss. Youth voices carry the message forward Throughout the commemoration, emphasis was placed on the role of young people, many born after 1994, in preserving memory and confronting Genocide denial. Davis D said that their responsibility as artistes is to be “voice of the future,” adding that even if some did not witness it, the message is that it must never happen again. Artistes, in particular, spoke about their influence in shaping narratives. Kenny Sol emphasised the need to confront distortion of history, especially on global platforms. “We meet people who sometimes try to twist our history, but we know the truth, and we will not allow it to be distorted. As artistes, what we say reaches many, and we take that responsibility seriously,” he said. Kevin Kade echoed the call, urging young people to actively engage with Rwanda’s history during the 100 days of remembrance, rather than being distracted by misinformation online. “We have a responsibility to learn, to ask questions, and to understand. That is how we protect what we have built,” he said. Standing firm against denial Blaise Ndizihiwe, Second Vice President of Ibuka at the national level, stressed the importance of vigilance, particularly among youth. “There are still those who deny or downplay the Genocide,” he said. “That is dangerous. As young people, and especially as artists, we must not give them space.” He noted that remembrance is not passive. It requires active engagement, truth-telling, and a collective commitment to safeguarding history.

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Artistes join BPR to honour fallen staff, preserve Genocide memory