KING MUTARA III RUDAHIGWA Charles Leon Pierre (1911-1959)

IMENA

Born in 1911, He greatly advocated for the welfare of Rwandans and fought for independence. He is commonly known for mediating between Belgian colonialist and Catholic Church.

He fought against injustice with devotion through the King's Court. He worked hard to educate Rwandans through the establishment of the fund known as "Mutara Funds" and he also requested Jesuit to establish a college in Gatagara, and set up the Islamic College in Nyarugenge District, Nyamirambo Sector. Under his rule, he eliminated all forms of human exploitation and advocated for Unity among Rwandans.

Michel RWAGASANA(1927-1963)

IMENA

Born in 1927, Rwagasana worked as the Personal Secretary of king MUTARA III RUDAHIGWA from 1954 until 1959 when the king died. Having worked with the king, he admired his political vision and when the king died, he kept the spirit for unity and independence for Rwanda, denouncing ethnic segregation. This won him a job as the first Rwandan Secretary in the United Nations. He was killed under the regime of Gregory KAYIBANDA for declining to embrace ideology based on ethnic segregation.

Agatha UWIRINGIYIMANA (1953-1994)

IMENA

Born June 23^th 1953; UWIRINGIYIMANA became the first women to hold the position of Prime minister in Rwandan's history from July 17^th 1993-7^th April 1994. Prior to that, she served as the Minister of education where she advocated for equal rights and opportunities among students, and for the right of women and spearheaded the fight against division. She was assassinated on 7^th April 1994.

Felicite NIYITEGEKA (1934-1994)

IMENA

During the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Felicite is remembered for refusing to part ways with the people who found refuge at Centre Saint Pierre, currently located in Rubavu District.

When her brother NZUNGIZE, Colonel in Ex-FAR told him to separate from the Tutsi since the militia was aware of her activities, she declined. When they attacked her house, she already had over 43 Tutsi refugees in her house. She opted to die a long side of them.

HEROES OF NYANGE SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

IMENA

On the night of March 18, 1997, three years after the Genocide against Tutsi of 1994, had been stopped, the remnants of the perpetrators of the Genocide, then known by their local name "Abacengezi", attacked the Nyange Secondary school, killing innocent students indiscriminately after they refused to separate into Hutu and Tutsi. Had they separated, the Tutsi students would have been killed.

The students stood together and boldly told the attackers that they were all Rwandans and none of them deserved to die. The attackers threw grenades and shot the students with six dying on spot, two died later, and a big number of them were injured. All the eight dead and 39 survivors are National Heroes.