Who is Bahati Innocent?
Bahati is a well-known 32 years old poet who has appeared on various national TV channels and Radio stations in Rwanda. He is known for putting across his opinions on topics mostly related to poverty, refugees, love and politics in Rwanda. He appeared to be more than just a poet skilled in the use of words; he may also be described as an activist who uses his poetry to speak for the less privileged in Rwanda. He has been described as one of the country’s best poets – who gradually gained popularity both at home and internationally.
What happened at Nyanza town/district?
According to BBC – Rwanda and some other local news channels, Bahati was seen last on 7th February 2021 at Nyanza town/district – where he frequently visited for poetic activities. That day, he allegedly received a call from someone (yet to be identified) for a meeting at a hotel in the same district and since then he has not been heard of. Two days after Bahati was suspected to have gone missing, one of his friends, Junior Rumaga was reported to have approached the hotel to enquire about Bahati’s whereabout and subsequently reported to the Rwandan Investigation Bureau (RIB). All efforts to contact him have been in vain with his mobile phone switched off.
What happened to Kizito Mihigo – A gospel singer?
BBC Great Lakes (Radio) reported that Mr Kizito Mihigo was seized by a group of villagers at the south-western Nyaruguru district – they then handed him to the police while he was trying to cross into the Burundi border. The Rwanda Investigation Bureau accused him of illegal border crossing and corruption – for attempting to bribe the villagers who had seized him.
Kizito was seen as a patriot until he began to express a different opinion than the government regarding who should be categorised as victims of the 1994 genocide. He opined that all those who died during the genocide (Hutu and Tutsi) should be treated equally – as victims of the war. He was known for using his singing to express his views publicly.
According to the Rwandan police, three days after his arrest and detention, the musician allegedly took his own life on 17th February 2020 in a police cell. Diaspora Rwandese protested against what the police claimed happened to Mr Kizito, – that he killed himself. They believe that he was trying to escape the iron fist of Kagame to Belgium where he once lived, which was contrary to the authority’s claim that he wanted to join the rebels who are fighting against Rwanda.
Rwandese enjoy zero freedom of speech.
It is important to highlight the fact that there is no freedom of speech whatsoever – in Rwanda, as it is in many other East African countries like Uganda, Burundi and South Sudan. Some of the citizens of these nations interviewed while compiling this report confirmed that dissent is strictly frowned at, “any attempt to criticise or protest against the government could get one killed” – said one of them.
It feels absurd that President Kagame is hyped as a good African leader by a cross-section of West-Africans because of the reports that Kigali is the cleanest city in Africa, has one of the best airports in Africa and more because of some online videos of his cocky responses during interviews with journalists from western media.
Bahati was reported to have praised late Burundi President, Pierre Nkurunziza, he said – Nkurunziza was the best president in East Africa. Meanwhile, it is crucial to note that the current Rwandan government considers Burundi and the late president as an enemy of its country, hence praising Nkurunziza might have been viewed by those in Kagame’s government as a slap in the face.
Questions!
– Where is Bahati Innocent and what could have caused his sudden disappearance?
– Is it possible that the Rwandan authority is responsible for the disappearance of Bahati Innocent and/or the sudden death of other activists?
– When will Rwandans be free to express their thoughts?
– Why is President Paul Kagame dreaded by Rwandans?
This opinion is meant to leave you with more questions than answers. The above questions and more should be asked by concerned citizens of the world until we have achieved true freedom – especially in all African countries.
Without freedom of thought, there can be no such thing as wisdom – and no such thing as public liberty without freedom of speech – Benjamin Franklin.
The Rwandan authority needs to vindicate itself if indeed they are not responsible for Bahati’s mysterious disappearance by ensuring that an effective investigation is carried out to uncover his whereabouts, and most importantly to return him to his loved ones.