Idrissa Ouédraogo Requests Court-Ordered DNA Test and Access to Child in Divorce Proceedings with Vestine Ishimwe
Kigali, September 18, 2026 — The divorce case between Rwandan gospel singer Ishimwe Vestine and her Burkinabe husband, Idrissa Jean Luc Ouédraogo, has taken a new turn after Ouédraogo filed a request at the Kicukiro Primary Court seeking a DNA paternity test and an order for Vestine to present their child.
According to IGIHE, Ouédraogo submitted the request on September 17, 2026. He asked the court to compel Vestine to show him the child he says they had together and to order a DNA test between himself and the child. The move comes shortly after Vestine initiated divorce proceedings, citing alleged infidelity.
Vestine, a member of the popular gospel duo Vestine & Dorcas, confirmed earlier this month in an interview with IGIHE that she had begun the legal process to end the marriage. She stated she had obtained evidence that her husband had sexual relations with two other young women and impregnated them. She declined to identify the women or provide further details but maintained she had supporting evidence. Vestine also told IGIHE she was not seeking any division of property.
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The couple married in a private civil ceremony on January 15, 2025, at Kinyinya Sector offices in Gasabo District. They held a larger wedding celebration on July 5, 2025, at Intare Conference Arena in Kigali. Signs of strain first became public in November 2025, when Vestine posted messages on social media expressing regret over her marriage and stating she was living a life she had not chosen. She later deleted wedding photos from her accounts.
A preliminary court session related to the divorce was held around September 14, 2026, at the same Kicukiro court, with both parties represented by lawyers as neither appeared in person. Reports indicate that in her filing, Vestine did not request child support or property division.
Ouédraogo’s latest request has not yet been ruled on. The case remains in its early stages, and neither party has issued a detailed public statement on the paternity question beyond the court filings. Local media outlets, including IGIHE and Radio TV10 Rwanda, have reported the development, which has generated significant discussion on social media.
The court is expected to consider the DNA request as part of the broader divorce proceedings. No date for the next hearing has been publicly announced.
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