As Rwanda and friends of the country continue activities marking the 32nd commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, a 46-year-old Rwandan, Norbert Mbabazi, has embarked on a long-distance memorial walk aimed at honoring victims by retracing the painful routes they were forced to endure.
Mbabazi, originally from Huye District and currently residing in Kigali, is undertaking the journey with a group visiting genocide memorial sites across the Southern Province. The initiative is carried out under the theme “Remembering the long journey they endured,” intended to reflect on the suffering and forced displacement experienced by Tutsi during the genocide.
The walk began on April 9, 2026, at the Nyabarongo River in Kamonyi District, a site associated with the dumping of bodies of genocide victims.
On April 10, the group proceeded through Muhanga and Ruhango districts, before arriving at the Nyanza Genocide Memorial on April 11.
Mbabazi said the initiative is meant to deepen public understanding of genocide history in the Southern Province while honoring victims and standing in solidarity with survivors.
“We chose to walk on foot to better understand the weight of the long journey Tutsi were forced to endure, and to reaffirm that their history must never be forgotten,” he said.
In Nyanza, the group was received by district memorial officer Ezra Mukimbiri, who briefed them on the history of the genocide in the area and commended their commitment to remembrance.
During the journey, the group is visiting various memorial sites to learn and reflect on the history attached to each location.
The walk is expected to continue in the coming days through Gisagara, Nyamagabe, and Nyaruguru districts, before concluding in Huye District on April 19, 2026.
The initiative carries a strong message of remembrance, historical preservation, and honoring victims of the genocide, while also serving as an educational journey for younger generations.
