At 92 – Mukarubuga on Surviving the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda, Great-great-grand Children
At 92, Domitila Mukarubuga remains sharp, spirited, and full of grace. A survivor of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, she walks with a cane, attends church regularly, and finds deep peace in prayer. Known for her humor, radiant smile, and love of neat dressing, she keeps her gray hair tidy and wears glasses as her vision slightly fades. She eats anything available, has all her teeth, and continues to light up every room she enters. Today, her legacy spans five generations—she has lived to hold her great-great-grandchild.
Domitila Mukarubuga will go down in history as one of the few mothers granted the rare grace of surviving to hold a great-great-grandchild—a moment made even more extraordinary by the fact that she survived the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. At the time, she was already over 60 years old.
Today, she is 92. She was born in Rutaki, formerly part of Gatonde Commune in the Ruhengeri Prefecture, now located in Gakenke District.
Like many other Tutsi families, Mukarubuga’s family was forcibly relocated from Ruhengeri to Bugesera. She vividly recalls being transported by truck to the banks of the Akagera River. With no bridge to cross, they were ferried over the water using a floating contraption they called icyome. On the other side, they were loaded onto different vehicles and taken to Nyamata.
At the time of their displacement, Mukarubuga already had two children. She remembers the hunger and suffering they endured in Bugesera. Food was scarce. They were given a hard bean called rubero, which sometimes took two days to cook. Her husband and the older boys were sent into the Gako forest to cut trees, then handed hoes and machetes to begin cultivating the land for survival. Over time, they managed to adapt, thanks in part to the support of the local community.
But life in Bugesera remained hard. The Tutsi there were persecuted repeatedly—during the purges of 1963–64 and again in 1973. They were accused of being Inyenzi (a derogatory term for Tutsi exiles) or aiding them. Some were killed.
“I remember a neighbor who was shot and died. Others were killed on the hills. People were even afraid to bury them, fearing they’d be seen as collaborators,” Mukarubuga says.
April 1994: No Safe Haven
On April 7, 1994, when the Genocide began, Mukarubuga was living in Nyiramatuntu, Nyamata Sector. By then, she had given birth to seven children—six of whom were still alive. Three were married, the others were not.
As the killings began, she and her family fled. Some were killed along the way. Eventually, they made their way to Cyugaro swamp in what is now Ntarama Sector. Though it was far from home, they believed the tall trees, thick papyrus, and deep water would shield them from the killers. But that hope would soon fade.
The swamp became a gathering place for Tutsi fleeing from across the region. It didn’t take long for the Interahamwe militia to find them. Armed with machetes and clubs, they began hunting the people hiding in the swamp. Mukarubuga lost three of her children there—twin sons aged 20 and another son aged 25. Their bodies, like many others, were thrown into the river running through the swamp.
When it became clear that nowhere was safe, Mukarubuga made a desperate decision. She threw herself into the river, hoping to drown and escape being butchered.
At her side was her five-year-old niece, her brother’s daughter. The little girl clung to her, wrapping her arms tightly around Mukarubuga’s neck. They sank and resurfaced several times. As the child began to choke on the water, Mukarubuga spotted papyrus plants along the riverbank. She grabbed hold and dragged them both back to the swamp.
There, they reunited with Mukarubuga’s daughter—who had married nearby—and her two young children, including a baby.
Soon, the killers returned. The Interahamwe struck without warning. Many people were caught unaware and slaughtered. Mukarubuga’s daughter, lying on the ground shielding her baby, was slashed on her leg and arm but survived, along with both children.
Her niece was also attacked. The killers suspected she was hiding money and tore through her clothes. When they found nothing, they hurled her onto a pile of chopped branches, slicing her knee. But she too survived.
Mukarubuga was hit in the head and shoulder with a club. The attackers thought she was dead and left her there.
She has no memory of how long she lay wounded in the swamp. People thought she wouldn’t survive—the wound on her head was rotting and filled with maggots, which others helped clean. Sometimes, those who still had strength left the swamp to search for food or shelter, leaving her behind, convinced she was at death’s door.
May 1994: Rescued from the Brink of Death
Around May 14 or 15, 1994, the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA) arrived in Bugesera. Soldiers found the survivors hiding in the swamp. Those who could walk were escorted out; the wounded were carried to Nyamata for treatment.
Mukarubuga was among those rescued. Though severely injured, she was alive. She would go on to live many more years, alongside her husband—himself disabled—who passed away in 2013.
Three of her daughters had survived, along with several grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. Mukarubuga is full of gratitude for the RPA soldiers and their commander, President Paul Kagame.
“I am happy, always joyful,” she says. “Whatever comes to trouble me cannot defeat me, because I’ve seen that when a person is to be saved, God guides them in every way. I told God: ‘Oh God, I have no other refuge. Hide me and hide the children—they are yours, not mine.’ I remembered that I had sent a message to God, and He heard it. He hid us, and then the soldiers came and rescued us, finding the children God had hidden…”
After the genocide, Mukarubuga received a new home to replace the one that had been destroyed. She was able to live with dignity again, and her joy returned.
A Living Legacy
Thirty-one years later, Mukarubuga now rejoices in something she never imagined possible in 1994: she has held her great-great-grandchild.
On April 11, 2025, she carried the four-month-old baby for the first time. Following traditional Rwandan custom, she covered her eyes with a special cloth as she peeked at the child—a practice believed to prevent eye problems when seeing a newborn for the first time.
She was overwhelmed with joy.
“I never thought this day would come. But as I watched my grandchildren grow, get married, and start families, hope returned,” she said.
The baby’s mother, Kamikazi Liliane, is the third child of Kayitesi Joselyne—Mukarubuga’s eldest grandchild—who is the daughter of Mukarubuga’s firstborn, Twagiramariya Tasiyana.
The Family Tree of Baby Agwize Queen Dollah
The baby is named Agwize Queen Dollah. She is the daughter of Muhoza Jean Pierre and Kamikazi Liliane, daughter of Uwamungu Jean Bosco and Kayitesi Joselyne, daughter of Buhirike Augustin and Twagiramariya Tasiyana, daughter of Ntahonkiriye Stanislas (known as Iyamurima) and Mukarubuga Domitila.
In total, Mukarubuga now has three living children, 12 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.
Strength, Style, and Spirit
Despite her age and the trauma she endured, Mukarubuga is mentally sharp and socially active. She speaks clearly, remembers events in vivid detail, and often makes jokes during conversations.
She walks with a cane and still attends community events, including services at her church, ADEPR-Nyamata.
“I love praying,” she says. “It gives me peace.”
She also takes pride in her appearance. She wears clean, well-matched clothes and combs her now-grey hair neatly. When going out in strong sunlight, she covers her head with a scarf or hat to protect the old wounds on her scalp from pain.
Her vision has only recently begun to decline, and she now uses glasses. She still has all her teeth. She eats whatever food is available in her daughter’s home, where she now lives, and has no serious illnesses.
When a family member gives birth, Mukarubuga prepares something special. Where her body can’t manage, her daughters help her, and she never forgets to reward the new parents.
At every family celebration or gathering, Mukarubuga is present—always smiling, always grateful.
See Mukarubuga’s story in full video:
