Nyirakubanza Josephine

Nyirakubanza Josephine or Nyirakuba Yozafina is the wife of Nsabimana Boniface of Kibaya Village, Maziba Ward, Bunagana Town Council, Bufumbira South, Kisoro District, Uganda. She is a daughter of Ndagiriye Paul and Nyirabyiruka Juliana of Gatsibo village, Bunagana.

Early Life and Education

Nyirakubanza Josephine was born in 1947 to Paul Ndagiriye (of Munyantole of Ndabaramiye of Bakunzi of Kumenya of Bitorwa) and Nyirabyiruka Juliana (of Nyirabakwiye of Nyandoha) of Gatsibo Village, Bunagana Town Council.

Josephine’s siblings are or were: Nyirabahimana Mauda, Nyirahabizana Sarafina, Yozafina Nyirakubanza, Sebitama Deogolous, Nyirabisusa Gorette, Nyirazibanje Feresta, Nyirabarambuzi Malciana, Veneranda Nyiramahane, and Ntwawenderundi Peter.

Nyirakubanza grew up in Gatsibo, Chihe kitiriz’abana ubusa. She attended school at Giharo Primary School (Protestant) from P.1 to P.2 under the mentorship of teacher/pastor Mihigo. John (the father of Mwise and Gaparata) removed her and took her to Muramba (Catholic) where she did her P.2 under the mentorship of teacher Mariamwiza and then to Nshora, Nyarurembo (Catholic) where she did her P.3 under teacher Brandina.

And then she dropped out!

According to her own narrative, she must have been swayed by money, for she was already working for money (3 shillings of that time) in DRC under businessmen father-figures like John and her own father, Ndagiriye. Later, John sent her for ‘Umugigi’ at Giharo (Ntebeko).

After that, she was then sent for full ‘Umugigi’ course at Mutolere, probably where she met the one who would later become her husband, Nsabimana Boniface. They both enrolled and graduated at the same time, 1st July 1964.

Finding a man, getting married, and struggles

At the age of approximately 14-15 years, she was done with the ‘umugigi’, Josephine then continue normal home life, digging with her mother, involving herself in trading, and supporting her father with business here and there.

By age 16, Nsabimana was already doing some business with her father and therefore visiting their home once in a while. According to Josephine’s narrative, her father would ask her to serve visitors, including Nsabimana who was a young ambitious man.

Nsabimana of course started ‘vibing’ her. At first, she resisted. However, she says, her own mother and another relative called Simon (the father of Friday), convinced her. She later accepted. Nyirakubanza says he even passed through other men, for example, a man called Ssembagare to reach her.

Well, when she accepted, the rest was history. ‘Gusaba’ and introduction happened around August 1965. Nsabimana had a bit of a journey to Kampala, returned around 1966, and did the wedding on 10th October 1966. Yozafina Nyirakubanza was now a wife of Nsabimana Boniface.

What followed was: Children,  many of them, life challenges, movements from different homes to others, to DRC, back to Uganda, and settling in Kibaya Village. Details regarding her children and life following marriage, see Nsabimana Boniface’s Page.

Considering the overall life she shared with her husband, Josephine was mostly both the man and the woman, the father and mother, the wife and husband, for rarely was Nsabimana fully available. And yet their love never broke.

Achievements, failures, and lessons

Yozafina Nyirakubanza is a woman that loved a man. She is a hero of love. As of today (September, 2026), she still takes care of her husband, fighting for his health and welfare amidst everything. She loved him even when he was young, jumpy, annoying, and polygamous. She served him and his ‘wives’, and she is still serving him, while those other women left long time ago!

Nyirakubanza Josephine is hardworking, wise, and self-reliant. She took care of children for years alone through some of the hardest times. She faithfully worked the land, met the requirements of landlords, and faithfully waited for Nsabimana to return. When he finally returned in the 2000s with nothing to show for all the years, she welcome him, nurtured him, and has grown old with the man of her life. She is a hero of self-reliance and resilience and a mother.

Could she have done better if she had left earlier in time? Maybe yes! How about school? What if she had continued with her studied? She could probably be better off. Or what if she did not wait for Nsabimana and instead married another man? She did not do all the above. And it is well with her, she says. She is grateful to life, and all things she has managed to see and enjoy lateralone. She says she is grateful to life, for every blessings she currently has.

If there is something to learn from Nyirakubanza Josephine, it is unwavering love and commitment. Choose a life, and stick to it. She just did that.