Rwandan Senator and former Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Donatille Mukabalisa, has died at the age of 66 after an illness.
Mukabalisa died on Thursday, July 30, 2026, at King Faisal Hospital in Kigali, where she had been receiving treatment for some time.
Her death came on her 66th birthday, a coincidence noted by fellow Senator Emmanuel Havugimana, who worked alongside her for many years in Parliament.
Born in July 1960 in Nyamata, Bugesera District, Mukabalisa completed her primary and secondary education before the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. After the genocide, she earned a law degree from the Independent University of Kigali (ULK), where she later taught law. She also lectured at the Independent Institute of Lay Adventists of Kigali (UNILAK).
Before entering politics, Mukabalisa spent 16 years working with international organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
She entered Parliament in October 2003 after being elected to the Chamber of Deputies, serving until 2008. She was appointed to the Senate in 2011 before returning to the Chamber of Deputies in 2013.
Mukabalisa served as Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies from 2013 to 2024, overseeing the lower house during a period of significant legislative activity. She did not seek another term in 2024 after completing the two consecutive terms permitted under Rwanda’s parliamentary framework.
Within the Liberal Party (PL), Mukabalisa held several senior leadership positions, including Secretary-General and later President of the party. She was widely regarded as one of Rwanda’s most prominent female political leaders.
Outside public service, Mukabalisa was married and is survived by her husband and three children.
She is remembered for her contributions to legal education, public service and Rwanda’s legislative institutions throughout a career that spanned more than two decades.
