The Vice President of IBUKA at the national level, Blaise Ndizihiwe, has said that the presence of memorial sites for Tutsi victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Uganda is clear evidence that the genocide was premeditated.
He made the remarks during a commemoration event honoring Tutsi victims whose bodies were thrown into rivers, streams, and lakes.
The event was held at the Ruhuha Genocide Memorial in Bugesera District.
The commemoration followed the laying of wreaths into the Akanyaru River at Rwabusoro Bridge, in Nyarugenge Sector.
Ndizihiwe explained that the fact that victims’ bodies were carried by water all the way to Uganda—and that the then government did nothing to prevent it—demonstrates that the genocide had been deliberately organized.
Three memorial sites in Uganda bear testimony to this. One is located in Rambu, Masaka District, where 3,337 bodies are buried. Another is in Golo, Mpigi District, with 4,771 bodies.
A third site in Kansesero, in the area known as Lakai, holds 2,875 bodies. In total, 10,983 victims are buried in Uganda.
According to Ndizihiwe, all these bodies were carried from Rwanda through waterways into Lake Victoria.
He added that throwing victims into rivers followed the ideology promoted by Dr. Léon Mugesera, who infamously suggested that Tutsi would be sent back to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) via rivers.
Rugero, head of the Dukundane Family organization, said commemorating those thrown into water is essential to ensuring they are not erased from memory, which was the intent of the perpetrators.
He noted that the organization has been holding such commemorations since 2007 and will continue to do so.
Bugesera District Mayor Richard Mutabazi, the guest of honor, commended Dukundane Family for their efforts, saying they play an important role in restoring dignity to victims who were killed solely for who they were.
He urged citizens to promote unity and uphold a shared national identity.
“We must make deliberate choices—we must choose unity over division, truth over denial, and love over hatred,” he said.
Mutabazi also called on young people to reject divisionism, emphasizing that they are the future of the country.
He added that the Ndi Umunyarwanda initiative remains key to ensuring such tragedies never happen again.
At the Ruhuha Genocide Memorial, three recently discovered bodies were also laid to rest after being found in a nearby farm.
According to information obtained by Taarifa Rwanda, there is still no definitive count of Tutsi victims whose bodies were thrown into rivers, streams, and lakes across the country. Efforts to establish accurate figures are ongoing.
