Kizito Mihigo leaves the Nyarugenge Prison on his release on September 24, 2018. PHOTO | CYRIL NDEGEYA | NMG
In a rare occurrence in Rwanda, this September 14, a Cabinet
meeting chaired by President Paul Kagame approved a presidential order
of mercy to set free 2,140 prisoners, including gospel musician Kizito
Mihigo and opposition politician Victoire Ingabire.
Gospel
musician Mihigo, 36, was once the “blue-eyed boy” of the Rwandan
government. He accompanied President Kagame on foreign trips to
celebrate Rwanda Day abroad. Mihigo sang the national anthem at state
events courtesy of his amazing vocals and piano skills.
He
was a high-flying, well-connected personality, until his arrest in
April 2014, a few days to the 20th commemoration of the 1994 Genocide
against the Tutsi. His arrest left many of his fans in Rwanda and abroad
in shock. And it was not just the arrest but the charges he would face a
few days later too.
How could a man who sang
eloquently about the achievements of post-genocide Rwanda be accused of
plotting to kill the president and top government leaders? How could a
man so close to the president have been working with so-called enemies
of the state?
It
took a few weeks of appearing before a packed courtroom in Kigali and
prosecutors presenting what they called “overwhelming evidence,”
including WhatsApp messages and audios of the musician allegedly talking
with dissidents for it to sink into the hearts and minds of the public
and some of his fans that it was possible that he had been turned.
His
diehard fans insisted that he was being framed and that these were
trumped up charges. But to what end? Who would want Mihigo, – who cut a
forlorn figure when he appeared in court – charged with treason and why?
He had touched many Rwandans hearts with his gospel
music and his church background created the impression that he was a
God-fearing man.
Guilty
To
the surprise of many, few days into his trial, Mihigo pleaded guilty to
all charges, which included plotting to kill President Kagame and top
government officials, engaging in activities aimed at destabilising the
country and forming alliances with outlawed groups.
As
the trial progressed, it was hard to comprehend how Mihigo, a genocide
survivor, could have formed alliances with the Democratic Forces for the
Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), a Hutu rebel outfit based in eastern DR
Congo, whose senior members are accused of genocide in Rwanda.
The
singer, according to prosecutors, had also formed alliances with Rwanda
National Congress (RNC), a group made up of Rwandan dissidents in
exile.
When his lawyer tried to push for a “not
guilty’’ plea, Mihigo dismissed him and engaged another lawyer and
pleaded guilty even as his co-accused, radio journalist Cassien
Ntamuhanga and retired soldier Jean Paul Dukuzumuremyi, denied all the
charges.
Mihigo begged for the court’s leniency and
throughout the trial appealed to President Kagame to pardon him. In
February 2015, the High Court sentenced him to 10 years’ imprisonment.
Ntamuhanga was handed a 25-year sentence and Dukuzumuremyi got 30 years.
Ntamuhanga escaped from prison in October 2017, while Mihigo and Dukuzumuremyi appealed their sentences in June 2016.
While in prison, Mihigo repeatedly wrote to President Kagame seeking clemency and apologising for his “crimes.”
Then
on September 14, it all came to an end. Mihigo walked out of the
Nyarugenge Prison after serving four years of his sentence. Four days
later, on September 18, he withdrew his appeal at the Supreme Court.
'I never gave up'
The
singer has denied suggestions that the withdrawal of his appeal had
something to do with the government clemency, pointing out that he felt
that it was a waste of time pursuing the case. After all, he argues, the
10 years he got for the kind of crimes he was charged with, was a
lenient sentence. His co-accused got more.
“I was not
aware of the impending pardon. I was in my prison bed when I heard the
news on Radio Rwanda. At first I didn’t know how to react. I didn’t
believe that it was true that I had been pardoned,” Mihigo told The EastAfrican.
He, however, said that he was confident that at some point the president would listen to his appeal and set him free.
“I
had written to the president many times. I never gave up. I knew he
would find a place in his heart to forgive me and give me a second
chance. I had also made sure that I indicated that I was ready to serve
my country again, given an opportunity,” he said.
Before
his arrest and imprisonment, Mihigo commanded a huge following, with a
fan base across all ages. His concerts attracted Cabinet ministers and
other top government officials.
Lonely
At
first, his court appearances attracted a multitude of people, both his
fans and curious public, but as the details of his charges continued to
emerge, the crowds disappeared. No one wanted to be associated with
someone who had been accused of trying to undermine the government.
By
the time of his sentencing in February 2015, the courtroom held no more
than five people. Just close family members. Standing in the dock, he
cut a lonely, subdued figure. The hundreds who stood by him at the
beginning had vanished.
“Life was hard for him. No one visited him,” a prison guard at Mageragera Rwanda Correctional Service facility told The EastAfrican.
While
other prisoners were regularly visited by friends and relatives who
brought special food and money so the prisoners could buy extra supplies
from prison authorities, Mihigo was abandoned. Even the few daring
family members who visited brought no money to help him to survive
prison life.
“The good thing was that he was loved by
many fellow prisoners, who took pity on him and shared their food with
him,” said the warder.
Prior to his arrest, Mihigo,
whose musical had career goes back to 2010, had been enjoying government
support. In fact, it was reported that President Kagame paid his
tuition in full to study music in Europe.
Uphill task
His
organisation, Kizito Mihigo for Peace Foundation, enjoyed support from
the state. His reconciliation programmes were widespread but as soon as
he was jailed, everything fell apart.
Mihigo blamed his
troubles on “being frustrated” and a feeling that he was not getting
where he wanted to be. Throughout his trial, he took responsibility for
whatever he was being accused of.
Following the
clemency, the singer says he is going to start from scratch and win back
the confidence of the government that once supported him and had put
him on a pedestal before his fall from grace.
“I am
ready to go to work again and use my talent to spread a message of
peace, unity and reconciliation. I am ready to work with my fellow
citizens and the government to build our nation,” said the singer, who
admitted that he had learnt a lesson.
Observers say it
will be an uphill task for Mihigo to work himself back to the place he
was, unless the government takes it upon itself to support him.
Since
his arrest and jailing, his music stopped being played in the country,
and it is yet to reappear on the airwaves. It takes a while for someone
who has faced accusations of betraying his country to fully reintegrate
into society.
However, Mihigo says that it is a
challenge he is ready to face as he tries to win back the hearts of
millions of Rwandans who related to his music and depended on his
charity.
“I am going to work towards winning back every
heart and soul,” Mihigo says. He also says that his immediate task will
be to find a partner and get married because he wouldn’t wish anyone to
go to jail without a wife or children.
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