Jean de Dieu Bagirishya, popularly known as Jado Castar, a presenter at B&B Kigali FM, has publicly appealed to entertainer and journalist Nyarwaya Innocent, known as Yago Pon Dat, to return from Uganda and join him at the radio station.
Castar made the appeal during The Long Interview, a programme on B&B Kigali FM that features conversations with prominent personalities. He was speaking to Yago, who appeared on the show on Sunday, October 18, 2026.
Yago has been living in Uganda for about two years. During the interview, Castar urged him to return to Rwanda and offered him an opportunity to work together at B&B Kigali FM.
“I am making this request publicly, and I want you to respond publicly as well. We still need those conversations you used to have with people, your smile and your laughter. Would you allow me, if my colleagues agree, to invite you back to your own country and to B&B? I would not ask too much of your time. Could we work together?” Castar asked.
He said he was willing to do whatever it took to bring Yago back, assuring him that working at the station would not interfere with his music career or other activities.
Castar also suggested that living abroad might be adding to the frustration Yago has expressed publicly, urging him to be more careful with his words on social media.
“Depression is one of the things I associate with the anger that sometimes gets the better of you. You occasionally express it on social media and later regret what you have said. When you lose your temper, you leave nothing untouched. Please, Yago, your words are tearing things apart,” he said.
Castar reiterated his desire to see Yago return, saying he was ready to make any necessary effort to facilitate his comeback.
Yago accepted the invitation without hesitation.
“I agree,” he responded, prompting Castar to thank him.
However, it remains unclear whether the acceptance means Yago will actually return to Rwanda, given the circumstances surrounding his departure from the country.
Yago left Rwanda amid allegations of threats to his safety
Yago moved to Uganda in August 2024 after claiming that some people were plotting to harm him. At the time, he said he had decided to leave Rwanda to seek safety in the neighbouring country.
“Rwanda, my beloved country, I am fleeing you, not because I hate you, but because I am escaping a group of people who have wanted to kill me over the past four years. I cried out, but no one listened to me,” he said in a message announcing his departure.
Yago, who first rose to prominence as a presenter at Radio TV10 before establishing himself in music, said he had faced increasing hostility since venturing into the music industry in late 2022.
In September 2024, however, Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) spokesperson Dr Murangira B. Thierry said Yago had left the country while under investigation for serious alleged offences.
Murangira explained that Yago had been summoned for questioning after publishing a video containing remarks that investigators considered divisive and potentially discriminatory. According to the spokesperson, the investigation continued while Yago was outside Rwanda.
“Yago was summoned and questioned. He later published another video containing remarks that appeared divisive and tended towards discrimination. He was questioned and investigated, but the investigation continued while he was abroad. As evidence was being gathered, we then heard him announce that he had fled,” Murangira said at the time.
It remains unclear whether Yago’s acceptance of Castar’s invitation will lead to his return, particularly given the investigation previously announced by RIB.
Yago’s YouTube channel faces suspension
Meanwhile, Yago is facing challenges with his YouTube channel, Yago TV Show, which has approximately 870,000 subscribers.
The channel has reportedly received a third strike following complaints linked to his past interviews with singer Bruce Melodie, putting it at risk of permanent termination under YouTube’s enforcement system.
Bruce Melodie, however, has denied filing the complaint that led to the warning against Yago’s channel. He said he had no interest in depriving another person of their livelihood, although he was unhappy with some of the content Yago had published about him.
The singer said the dispute concerned the use of songs from his Colorful Generation album in programmes he considered defamatory. He explained that an American company had acquired the album and was therefore responsible for handling matters relating to the use of its content.
Bruce Melodie added that he had asked Yago to apologise in an effort to resolve the dispute. He also offered to help him reach a resolution if Yago wrote to the parties responsible for filing the complaint.
Whether Yago will return to Rwanda following Castar’s invitation remains to be seen.
