Court Delays DNA and Access Hearing in Vestine-Ouedraogo Divorce

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Kigali court updates in Vestine-Ouedraogo Divorce case

Kigali — The Kicukiro Primary Court postponed a case filed by Idrissa Jean Luc Ouedraogo against his wife, singer Ishimwe Vestine. Additionally, after her lawyer failed to upload the child’s birth certificate into the court’s electronic system.

The court fined Vestine’s side 200,000 Rwandan Francs, determining that the omission delayed proceedings.

The document was required to confirm the child’s existence before any DNA testing could be ordered.

In the Vestine-Ouedraogo Divorce matter, the court has rescheduled the hearing for October 21, 2026, at 5 a.m.

The ruling adds a procedural layer to a closely watched marital dispute. Vestine, who performs with her sister Kamikazi Dorcas as the gospel duo Vestine & Dorcas, initiated divorce proceedings at the same court in September 2026, roughly a year after the couple’s wedding. They completed a civil marriage on January 15, 2025, and held a larger ceremony on July 5, 2025, at Intare Conference Arena in Kigali.

In her filings, Vestine has alleged that she sought the divorce after learning that Ouedraogo, a Burkinabe national, had concealed a prior family in Burkina Faso. She has claimed that confronting him about the matter led to abuse. She has also stated publicly that she obtained evidence he maintained relationships with two other women and fathered children with them. She has indicated she does not seek a share of property and intends to continue raising the child, who lives with her in Canada.

Ouedraogo has denied the allegations through his lawyers. He has rejected the proposed grounds for divorce and argued that any dissolution should take into account what he describes as Vestine’s abandonment of the marital home. On September 17, 2026, he filed a separate application seeking a court order compelling Vestine to allow him to see the child—whom he says he has never met since birth—and a DNA test to establish biological paternity. He has expressed concern that a finalized divorce, combined with Vestine residing abroad, could further limit any future contact. Some court-related reports have identified the child as Ishimwe Nora Hailey; the child was born in Canada earlier in 2026 while Vestine and her sister were involved in music activities there.

The main divorce hearing remains set for December 3, 2026. Earlier sessions on the DNA and access request had already been delayed, including one in late September when Vestine’s counsel requested additional time to review the file. The October 21 hearing is expected to address the outstanding procedural requirements and potentially move the paternity-related requests forward.

Both parties have, in limited public comments, stressed a preference for the courts to resolve factual questions surrounding the marriage and the child through evidence rather than public confrontation. The case continues to draw attention given Vestine’s profile in Rwandan gospel music and the cross-border elements involving residence in Canada and Ouedraogo’s origins in Burkina Faso.