Rwandan gospel singer found dead in police cell

Kizito Mihigo, a popular gospel singer and anti-government activist, has died whilst in police custody, according to officers.

The news comes just three days after the singer was arrested for attempting to bribe border officials as he tried to flee the country.

Accused of trying to join rebel groups fighting against the government, Mihigo was banned from leaving Rwanda as part of bail conditions set following a previous conviction.

A statement released on social media by a police spokesman confirmed the singer’s death, saying officers found his body during a routine check at Remera police station on Monday.

Fans of the singer took to social media to demand more information surrounding the circumstances of his death.

According to local media reports, Mihigo was being held on charges of corruption and illegal border crossing.

Local residents told how they noticed him as he tried to escape into Burundi carrying heavy bags and notified the police.

“I was there, I saw him.  Villagers who stopped him said he was trying to cross to Burundi using illegal roads.  From here to the border it’s less than five minutes’ walk,” said one local who wished to remain anonymous.

In 2015 Mihigo was sentenced to 10 years in prison after he was convicted for attempting to kill the President, Paul Kagame.

However, the singer received a presidential pardon in 2018 on the condition he obtained judicial permission to leave the country.

A survivor of the 1994 genocide, Mihigo was a senior figure in the Rwandan Patriotic Front, once close to leading the party. 

Best known for his songs Inuma (pigeon) and Igisobanuri cy’urupfu (the meaning of death), he often sang about reconciliation and religion.

Photo: Kizito Mihigo/Facebook