Kabale University pays homage to genocide victims

Students from Kabale University in Western Uganda have paid the tribute to Ruhanga memorial site in Gasabo district in Kigali city. The students’ group was made of Rwandans students studying in the institute, and Ugandans of Rwandan origin and Ugandans.

Before making this visit Ruhanga memorial, the Rwandan students had earlier spent time together with their colleagues at school, to share their experiences of horrors and surviving the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.

Ruhanga memorial site was formerly an Anglican Church. It contains remains of at least 32.000 people were burnt to death during the genocide.  The site is also located on a Ruhanga hills- which have historical significance dating back to days of Rwanda Anarchy.

Many Tutsis had escaped to these hills because, according to one of the former royals- Queen Nyiragakumbuza, the hills was believed to be blessed and no bloodshed would be evidenced on it. However, this was not the case on April 8, 1994 when thousands of Tutsi shed blood in the most horrible ways ever imagined.

Kabale University students were shocked to hear the stories of how the killings were conducted and how some people managed to survive and be able to move on with life 19 years after the genocide. The students also visited an orphanage of Ruhanga genocide survivors, and donated Rwf100.000 as support to the center.

They promised to continue walking along with the Ruhanga genocide survivors and support them along their path of forging a future of self reliance