Behind the Presidential Curtain: President Kagame and his house staff

By: Noble Marara

In 1994, our soldiers went out from Byumba to Musha, when I talk of our soldiers I mean the high command alongside President Kagame, they found a child of three years old her parents had been killed. Though she was three she had been sent to explain more about herself. She was unable to provide her own name to the soldiers so was given the name of Kavutse. She came to Mungusha with Kagame and all of the entourage he requires. She grew up in the hands of Lt. Rosa Rujeni, Kagame’s Auntie who was a Lieutenant at the time and is now a Major whereby the heroes from the front lines never even obtained a sergeant , Rosa was responsible for cooking food for Kagame and housekeeping. After sometime this girl came to think she was growing up in her own family who arrived in Kigali in 1994. Kagame’s family turned up from Uganda where they had lived and Kagame would visit them three times per year when other soldiers were not allowed to visit with their wives during the war. This girl stayed in the family for a few days and she was getting use to Kagames children. She believed she was a member of Kagames family. But because Kagame did not understand how this child felt at the time he decided to send this girl to the orphanage home. This was seen as a normal thing at the time and myself I did not question much about it because I knew the girl did not belong with the family legally. But after this time and reflecting on what this child felt like living there I think she was betrayed. That is your Kagame. He doesn’t want anyone to feel like he does enjoying the best of life and not wanting anyone else to have the same opportunities. He thinks that he and his family are the only people to be served by the people and the government. He did not stop there. Patricia, who was his personal secretary, had gone to the same school with Kagame throughout their lives. She was the only woman to answer the phone calls, especially ones from abroad before they can be passed on to HE. After that time Patricia, from 1994-2000, was having a relationship that had to be hidden because of Kagame not want her to be in a relationship with anyone. You wonder why? This woman was not married to Kagame, she was only a personal secretary who was to answer the phone calls and deal with the finances in the house. This woman fell in love with Lt Ronald Mugabo. He was the person who prepared Kagames clothes, Ironing and washing. He was a sergeant and promoted to a lieutenant after some time. He was the first escort of Kagame who had walked alongside him even when he was a captain in Uganda. Lt Ronald Mugabo was a young man who I came to find out that I was related to him in his last days of his life. Lt Ronald Mugabo was found to be in love with Patricia after 1999 and was poisoned and killed because, obviously, Kagame did not like this.

He did not stop there.

This is behind the presidential curtains and also inside Kagame’s home. Harriet was responsible for taking care of Kagames children including washing clothes, tidying the house and preparing meals with cooks. She was a very trusted girl because she was passed on to Kagames family by Major General Kale Kayihura who was a very close friend of Kagame who become a tycoon as well as a general. Harriet was a very friendly girl and loved the soldiers very much. At times she use to bring us milk outside where we were always waiting for Kagame to come out of the house. We would never know when Kagame would come out to leave so we were always on standby even for 24 hours at a time.

She took care of us, not only Kagame’s family but because she thought so much about the soldiers. She fell in love with one of my colleagues Pte Tito Gahigana.  Pte Tito Gahigana was in a silent love with Harriet as well because obviously when it was found that one of the staff was in love with a soldier either that soldier would be imprisoned or expelled and sent to another unit and no one wanted to leave the presidential guard. It is very surprising because we never liked living alongside Kagame because we did not enjoy working with him but we thought it was our responsibility to protect the president as the nation wanted it. So when Pte Tito Gahigana got Harriet pregnant it turned out to be a very bad sitation because Kagame and the children they had lived with Harriet for many years and the children did not want Harriet to leave and Harriet was not willing to abort the child. So, Kagame’s wife decided that Harried could stay there until she gave birth because of the job. Finally Harriet, because she use to live in Kagame’s home, she was sent out to live in the local community and she would come to work in the morning. She gave birth and then she was asked to bring the child to Kagame’s wife and explain who the father was. Harriet revealed that the father was Pte Tito Gahigana and he had to escape to Uganda but Harriet kept in touch with him.  Harriet was fired from caring for Kagame’s children when it was discovered that she was in touch with him.

Pte Tito Gahigana was tracked down in Uganda in order to apprehend him and bring him back to Rwanda because anyone who works for President Kagame is unable to leave their post due to the information they hold. Pte Tito Gahigana continues to be in hiding and his whereabouts are not known even until now.

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