Donatille Mukabalisa (1960 – 2026)

Their Story

Donatille Mukabalisa was born in Nyamata, Bugesera District, on July 30, 1960, and was a mother of three children. She held a bachelor's degree in law and before joining politics worked as a law lecturer at Kigali Independent University, as well as with the World Health Organization and the United Nations Development Programme, where she spent 16 years. She decided to become involved in politics in 2000, after the genocide and the transition period that followed the arrival of Paul Kagame as President of the Republic. She began her parliamentary career in 2000 as a member of the National Transitional Assembly, serving until 2003, then was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 2003 and served as a lawmaker until 2011, appointed to the Senate in 2011 before returning to the Chamber of Deputies in October 2013. She was elected Speaker of Parliament, a position she held until June 2024, and was elected chairperson of the Kigali Parliamentary Assembly during the 145th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly held in Kigali in 2022. Mukabalisa served as leader of the Liberal Party and died at age 66 on July 30, 2026, at King Faisal Hospital in Kigali.</bio> <parameter name="timelineEvents">[ { "date": "1960-07-30", "title": "Birth", "description": "Born in Nyamata, Bugesera District, Rwanda" }, { "date": "1983", "title": "Marriage", "description": "Married and became mother of three children" }, { "date": "2000", "title": "Entry into Politics", "description": "Began parliamentary career as member of the National Transitional Assembly" }, { "date": "2003", "title": "Chamber of Deputies Election", "description": "Elected to the Chamber of Deputies following adoption of Rwanda's Constitution" }, { "date": "2011", "title": "Senate Appointment", "description": "Appointed to the Senate" }, { "date": "2013-10-03", "title": "Speaker Election", "description": "Elected Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies following October 2013 parliamentary elections" }, { "date": "2022", "title": "IPU Leadership", "description": "Elected chairperson of the Kigali Parliamentary Assembly during 145th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly" }, { "date": "2024-09-19", "title": "Senate Designation", "description": "Designated to the Senate by the National Consultative Forum of Political Organisations" }, { "date": "2026-07-30", "title": "Death", "description": "Died at King Faisal Hospital in Kigali at age 66" } ]

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donatille_Mukabalisa