The Ministry of Health and its partners on Friday, April 24, joined Genocide survivors, the Catholic Diocese of Kabgayi and residents of Muhanga District for the 32nd commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The commemoration held at Kabgayi Genocide Memorial paid tribute to healthcare workers, patients, and caregivers who were killed during the Genocide. Mourners also reflected on the painful record of medical workers who participated in killings. Kabgayi Genocide Memorial is the final resting place for 12,208 victims slain out more than 50,000 Tusi who had sought refuge in the area that was considered a spiritual and medical sanctuary. ALSO READ: April 24, 1994: Tutsi killed in Kabgayi, Ruhango Displaced Tutsi began arriving at Kabgayi in the former Gitarama Prefecture on April 20, 1994. They took shelter in institutions including St Léon Petit Séminaire, Groupe Scolaire St Joseph, Major Seminary Philosophicum Kabgayi, Kabgayi Hospital, and former TRAFIPRO buildings. Uyu munsi, ku Rwibutso rwa Jenoside rwa Kabgayi, mu Karere ka @Muhangadistr, abakozi bo mu rwego rw’ubuzima n’abafatanyabikorwa bifatanije na Diyosezi Gatolika n’abaturage ba Kabgayi mu gikorwa cyo kwibuka ku nshuro ya 32 Jenoside yakorewe Abatutsi mu 1994. Ni umwanya wo... pic.twitter.com/AZOgMzPf7y — Ministry of Health | Rwanda (@RwandaHealth) April 24, 2026 However, what many had hoped would be a place of protection turned into a site of mass killing. ALSO READ: Kabgayi massacres: Survivor tells harrowing story of father's death at hands of his best man “As Rwandans, remembering is a responsibility, but we must also confront the painful truth of those who failed to protect life when it mattered most,” said the Minister of Health, Dr Sabin Nsanzimana. “The lessons from Kabgayi should go beyond remembrance, calling on medical professionals to uphold integrity and humanity above all else.” “Commemoration should teach us lessons. What kind of doctor would you want to meet? No one wishes to be treated by a bad doctor. Humanity and integrity must always come before professionalism, because many professional doctors lost their humanity and started killing their own patients,” he said. He also reflected on moral responsibility, urging health professionals to make personal commitments in service delivery. “As a doctor, when a patient arrives after your working hours, do you prioritise your schedule or their life? Beyond professional duty, we need personal commitment to rebuild ourselves, and a contribution you will provide on the personal level.” Ambassador Dr François-Xavier Ngarambe, a survivor, said Kabgayi carries a painful but important history that must be preserved for future generations. Because it had long been known as a hub for religion, education and healing, which made it difficult for many to imagine it would become a killing site. “It was a place associated with compassion and learning. People believed that anyone who reached Kabgayi would find safety. This entire hill holds the remains of our loved ones. Even those we have been able to bury here represent less than a third of those who were killed,” Ngarambe said. He noted that over 1,100 bodies were recently exhumed from a single site where a health facility had been constructed, highlighting the scale of killings still uncovered decades later. More than 35,000 people are believed to have been killed in and around Kabgayi, many of whom were never recovered, including those thrown into the Nyabarongo River. Muhanga Mayor Jacqueline Kayitare said that the Genocide was organised, with perpetrators using transport systems, including buses, to kill and dispose of victims. The Kabgayi memorial site is divided into several sections, including mass graves, an archive displaying victims’ belongings and photographs, and burial grounds. It also includes a history centre and other facilities aimed at preserving the memory of those who perished in the Genocide, which claimed over one million lives. Authorities and Genocide survivors renewed calls on individuals with information about the whereabouts of victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi to come forward in order to accord them a dignified burial.
