Nsabimana Boniface

Nsabimana Boniface is a Uganda man, mostly a farmer or peasant, from Kibaya Village of Maziba Ward, Bunagana Town Council, Bufumbira South, Kisoro.

Early life, marriage, and Children

Born around 5th April 1944 in Nango Village, Bunagana Town Council, Bufumbira South, Kisoro District. Nsabimana is generally a farmer or peasant. As of today, he is 82 years old, and currently among those that receive ‘old-age salary’ in Uganda, which is rougly 30,000 Uganda shillings per month!

He attended primary school classes at Bwikurure Primary School and dropped out in P.5 class due to lack of school fees. He was probably 15 years old when he dropped out. He was a homeboy, only able to take care of firewood, fetch water, and graze his father’s few cows.

Between 15-20 years, narrates Josephine Nyirakubanza, the wife, Nsabimana mostly participated in trade, mostly trading in fish with Zirim’Abagabo (the inlaw, a husband of his sister, Nyirantereye).

During this time of running around with life, Nsabimana met Nyirakubanza Josephine. According to the wife, they must have met during several endeavors, including during ‘Umugigi’ at Mutolere Catholic Church and in the village, probably during some of his workings with Josephine’s father, Ndagiriye, who was a businessman, mostly trading in skins and hides.

Anyway, his ‘Umugigi’ (Catholic religious training youth would undertake before getting confirmed as full catholics) ended around June 1964, got confirmed the next month, around 1st July 1964 and, by 1966, these guys got married. Nsabimana married his wife, Nyirakubanza Josephine on 10th October 1966.

Josephine has herself narrated how Nsabimana carried her on the bicycle to and from Mutolere Catholic Church and had a simple and gracious reception at Nsabimana parents’ home.

Children of Nsabimana Boniface and Nyirakubanza Josephine

Nsabimana and Nyirakubanza had about 12 children: As of today (September 2026), 8 (5 boys, 3 girls) children are alive. They all have had their own children and families too. Below are the details:

Their children, in birth order, were Saveri Rwarinda, born in August 1967, who died from illness at the age of two; Silvano Bariyanga, born in 1969, who died at the age of ten while in Primary Three at Bunagana Primary School; Ntihabose Emmanuel, born in 1971, who died in 1994 during the Rwandan Genocide and related violence. Emmanuel was married to Bageni, and together they had a daughter, Zawadi. Zawadi had children of her own, thereby giving Nsabimana and Nyirakubanza great grandchildren. Their fourth surviving child is Ndabahweje Julius, born in 1973, who went on to have about five children. Simeo Thomas, born on 17 July 1975, died in August 2019 and left behind about five children. He was followed by Nyiramugisha Shallon, born in 1977, who has had three children, although one of them died, leaving two surviving children; Semanza John, born in 1979, who has about five children; Ntacyotubuze John, also known as Yohana, born in 1981, who has five children; Nzanywayimana Geofrey, born in 1983, who has about five children; Vasitina Mujawimana, born in 1985, who has three children; Nemeyimana Vicent, born in 1989, who has three children; and Stella Nyirabikari, born in 1991, who has two children.

Thus, through their surviving children, Nsabimana Boniface and Nyirakubanza Josephine have become grandparents to numerous descendants. Some of their grandchildren have themselves had children, extending the family line into a fourth generation and giving Nsabimana and Nyirakubanza great-grandchildren.

One of the children, Nemeyimana Vicent, is the founder and CEO of MIKLAH Life, a pro-sustainability tech-enabled startup that applies innovative entrepreneurship to health, education, climate change, and leadership. This is the same organization behind Bafumbira Beza Initiative.

Life struggles and raising family: A life of moving!

Nsabimana Boniface has had his share of life. According to the oral accounts by himself and the wife, they both lived on a borrowed property for a long time. First, it seems, Boniface had already lost his property when he married. After 1 year of staying at his parents’ home, he was asked to leave. They both borrowed and settled in someone’s kitchen (Semukanya). After a year, they moved to Rwamakuba’s home (Rwamakuba was an older brother).

After another year, they moved to DR Congo for livelihood (3 years – Gisharo, following in the steps of Kanyamihana, another brother that had settled there first; Nyaruhange towards Isasha for 2 years, then to Gisharo again for 13 years). About 7 children were born while in DRC. They returned back to his ancestral home Uganda in early 1980s (Ntacyo, one of the children, was like 1 year old).

They settled at Josephine’s home (Ndagiriye’s home) for 4 months, then to Nyiramparirwa’s place (Nsabimana’s sister) for 1 year and 8 months. From there, he secured tenancy (or tenant farming) in Chief Rukeribuga‘s land in Kibaya, Bunagana.

He later moved to Kiboga (1994) to work for Kanyabugoyi (1 year), then to work for Mbanza (1995). Semanza John, one of the sons, joined him around 1997. Semanza is still in Kampala. Nsabimana returned home (Kibaya, Kisoro) in 2000s and settled. They later managed to buy off a small piece of land from their landlord, becoming free from anyone for the first time in their decades of life. He and his wife and some of his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren live in Kibaya Village.

Achievements, Failures, & Lessons:

In his writings about his father, Nemeyimana Vicent, said that the major achievements of Nsabimana Boniface are enshrined in his overall resilience. Given a difficult family background, Nsabimana went through it all, making high-stake decisions, all for his survival and preservation of his family. In his own words, Vicent writes:

‘In the world’s definition of success, dad has never succeeded and doesn’t deserve to be celebrated. But in my own definition of success, dad is the only hero I ever wanna emulate. He has lived a hard life and yet never gave up on it; he always had things to do, deals to cut, hoping to make it any better. It does not matter how many times he fell, he always stood up; still falling and standing up.’

Concerning his failures or weaknesses, Vicent acknowledges that his dad was and is still alcoholic. As such (due to alcohol and drunkenness), his life plans always had challenges and his relationships, especially with neighbors and others suffered. In fact, according to Nsabimana and the wife, Nsabimana tried to marry other wives. However, each one of them left him within days or a few weeks of their forged marriage. Nyirahanze (3 months), Edisa (1 month), and Regina (1 week).

Josephine always makes fun of the chaotic stories around these marriages, and how Nsabimana would leave her caring for his newly married and confused wives every time!

However, on the core (when not under the influence), he is a good man. Additionally, his generous, hardworking, and wise wife, Nyirakubanza Josephine, always works behind the scenes, clearing out the weaknesses left out by her husband and his drink!

Vicent says Nsabimana Boniface is a lesson on resilience. He never quits. In his own ways, he loves and cares. And fights with life, in his own ways.

Summary on Nsabimana Boniface:

Nsabimana Boniface is a Ugandan old man, mostly a farmer or peasant from the village of Kibaya, Bunagana Town Council, Bufumbira South, Kisoro. He is married to Nyirakubanza Josephine, and together have had about 12 children, with 8 of them still alive and also with several other children and grandchildren.