Ladies and gentlemen, Friends of Ivan Kigenza , Family , Friends of Rwanda

It is an honor for me to speak at  this very special Memorial.

Ivan Kigenza is like a brother to me  and I take this opportunity to thank you , Ivan  ,for the honor you have bestowed upon me , to eulogize  your beloved Father.

For those of you who did not know the late Bishop  Mzee Kazimili Nyilimbirima, He was born in 1932  to Mr Senyabuzana and Veronica  Kankunyu in what was then Buganza  in the Eastern province of Rwanda .Today it is called  Rwamagana District.

In 1962 Bishop Mzee Kazimili Nyilimbirima  made his getaway to Uganda, after his father’s murder , when Rwanda was going through yet another crisis.He , like many young Rwandan refugees in exile , joined the  movement (INYENZI) in  an attempt to return to Rwanda . They were defeated and he subsequently decided to settle in Uganda .

 

Bishop Mzee Kazimili  Nyilimbirima was an exceptional man .  He was an exemplary Christian who mentioned the greatness of God in all his conversations . He was a great man by Rwandan standards, a pillar in his community , a father of 21 children, a grandfather of 25 and a great grandfather of 5.

When I think of Mzee Bishop Kazimili Nyilimbilima, I am reminded of what a storyteller he was ,  a fine narrator , a brilliant speaker. He was of the generation that made us dream and idealize Rwanda  when we were in exile.

Because ours is an oral culture , men like Mzee Kazimili  were the guardians of our history.

They  were the guardians of the legendary poetic wisdom that  is so unique to Rwanda and I would like to center this tribute to him  on the celebration of Mzee Kazimili’s sense of humor .

There is a story he loved to tell  about his encounter with Idi Amin Dada .

It is a long story , and I cannot  re tell it as well as him but to cut the long story short ,Mzee Kazimili was trying to get accreditation for his church , that is how  came to meet Idi Amin Dada. He was summoned from his prison cell with his fellow pastors and he managed to get an intimidating and armed Idi Amin on his knees … to pray for him.

Every time he recounted this story , baring in mind the oppression and repression in Rwanda today  , Mzee Kazimili never failed to remind us that when fighting evil , you must arm yourself with good and with humor.  

He would remind us that  a gentleman never loses sight of his sense of humor  because it is only armed with humor that you can look at the madness of a despot  and bring him to his knees.

That  day ,Mzee Kazimili  looked at a threatening Idi Amin  and told him what he wanted to hear: that he was , as he famously  demanded to be addressed as ,

“His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin Dada, Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular etc…”

And Idi Amin was so happy , he  not only accepted to kneel and be prayed for , he eventually let Mzee Kazimili and his colleagues go and continue their religious activities.

Mzee Kazimili was  a mentor to many of us, since the early days of the struggle of Afande Rwigema’s RPF,  he was like a father to many of us . We have taken his teachings and advice to heart and we will honor his memory .

To conclude , I would like to quote a verse of the bible that I feel  recapitulates his life well.

Proverbs 22:1

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.

 

Thank you.

 

( Noble Marara)