Former Prime Minister Bernard Makuza Distances Himself from Father’s Divisive Politics at Unity Forum
Nyamagabe, 16 October 2026 — Former Rwandan Prime Minister Bernard Makuza has publicly rejected the ethnic divisionist ideology associated with his late father, Anastase Makuza, during remarks at a Unity and Resilience Forum held in Nyamagabe District.
Speaking at the gathering, which brought together participants from Nyamagabe and Nyaruguru districts as part of this year’s Unity and Reconciliation Month activities under the theme “Unity and Reconciliation: Our Choices,” Makuza said he was shocked and deeply pained when he fully understood the nature of the politics his father had promoted.
Anastase Makuza served as a senior official, including as President of the National Assembly, during the First Republic under President Grégoire Kayibanda and was linked to the PARMEHUTU movement, which advanced policies of ethnic discrimination. Bernard Makuza stated that those policies contributed to dividing Rwandans and ultimately led to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
“When I learned about it, I was truly shocked and pained. I asked myself how such things could have happened,” he said. He emphasised that he has never supported, and will never support, any ideas that divide Rwandans, declaring his personal commitment to national unity.
Addressing those who continue to associate him with his father’s image, Makuza said: “Please forgive me a lot. That is not me.” He added that he is prepared to work with anyone seeking to move away from such divisive thinking and that he would even risk his life for the cause of Rwandan unity.
Makuza also recalled that during the Genocide, he deliberately fled to areas then controlled by the Rwandan Patriotic Front because he believed his life would be safer there, having openly opposed the previous government.
Bernard Makuza served as Prime Minister of Rwanda from 2000 to 2011 and later as President of the Senate from 2014 to 2019. The remarks come amid ongoing national efforts to confront historical narratives of division while reinforcing the principles of unity and individual responsibility.
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