Dr. Rugira you remind me of history: When Queen Mother Nyirakigeri Murorunkwere (19Century) was conspired against by courtisans that she had ‘know’ a ‘Umwiru’ after the resting of her husband King Mutara II Rwogera, and was pregnant of his child. #Thread https://twitter.com/lonzenrugira/status/1317174562644217856

History tells us that like biblical Abigail, queen Murorunkwere was strikingly beautiful and Rwogera had, in the words of Leonard Cohen, ‘seen her bathing on the roof, and her beauty in the moonlight overthrew him ’ -Hallelujah.

King Rwogera decided to take her as his wife, yet she was married to his brother Nkorongo. So like King David in the Bible he sent Nkorongo to the battlefield and took Murorunkwere as wife. But unlike in his Hebrew counterpart he didn’t recommend that Nkorongo be killed..

By the time Nkorongo returned, Murorunkwere had given King Rwogera a son. Since no blood was shed, King Rwogera unlike King David was spared from God’s wrath. The prince lived and grew up to become one of the greatest Kings in Rwandan history: King Kigeli III Rwabugiri..

Rwabugiri was a warrior -as is the mission of all ‘Kigeli’s. He conquered Uganda and DRC, was feared in Karagwe Tanzania.. He relished a fight. He reminds me of someone.

Since he spent time in expansionist campaigns outside Rwanda, it is his mother Queen Murorunkwere who ruled..

Yet courtisans at the palace saw her as an outsider. She had not been selected through their ways and was not of their clans. She was of the ‘Abasinga’ clan, not a typical ‘Ibibanda’: (those who give queens) usually Abakono, Abega..

They had no power over her. So their conspired

On one of his conquests out of Rwanda, the calumnious courtisans sent a message to the King Kigeli III Rwabugiri (1840-1895).

They said to him that what his mother had done was irreparable and would bring calamity over Rwanda. She was to be put to death at once!

Rwabugiri was heartbroken. He loved his mother. He was out of the country and sent people to investigate but the conspiracy was strong.

So he consulted a sage, and asked: ‘what would you do is a snake tied itself on Igisabo’?

But the trusted sage too was in on the conspiracy..

The Gisabo represented his mother, and the snake, the son that she allegedly carried in her womb.

You must break the ‘Igisabo and Kill the Snake’ - the Sage told him!

For the first time the warrior King was defeated.

He tried a last attempt and sent a message saying, wait, do not do anything in my absence, let me first speak to my mother...

The message was intercepted and before the official messenger got to Rwanda they put Queen Murorunkwere to death.

By the time Rwabugiri got here, she had already been killed. He demanded for an autopsy. They found that his mother was pure. She never sinned, never bore a child..

Sorry for mistakes: it is ‘Nkoronko’ not Nkorongo and Kigeli IV Rwabugiri not III. My apologies.

Good morning everyone

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