A quiet gospel choir in Kigali has become the latest target of the Rwandan regime’s tightening grip on freedom of expression and religious association. According to sources inside the country, a group of young Rwandans have been detained, interrogated, and threatened by security services simply for singing songs written by the late gospel artist and peace activist Kizito Mihigo.

The choir, known as Inyange za Mariya, was formed in early 2022 by a small group of Christian youth who admired Mihigo’s message of forgiveness and unity. Despite focusing only on his religious and worship songs and deliberately avoiding politically sensitive content the choir became the subject of police interest earlier this year.

On 15 August 2022, police reportedly raided a rehearsal gathering in Kigali. Seven choir members, including the group’s organiser, were arrested and taken to Remera Police Station, where they were interrogated, physically assaulted, and accused of promoting the ideology of “enemies of the state.” Their mobile phones were confiscated, allegedly to check for links with opposition figures in exile.

“They told us that even singing Kizito’s name is an act of subversion,” said one choir member, speaking anonymously for safety reasons. “But all we did was praise God.”

The young detainees were released five days later but ordered to report to the police regularly as part of an ongoing “investigation.” However, the situation escalated after Inyange za Mariya became the subject of social media posts and diaspora commentary. Security officers accused them of leaking information to the press — a charge they all denied.

There are now unconfirmed rumours circulating within the community that two of the choir members have disappeared. According to sources, they were allegedly taken by unidentified men in military uniform, but no official reports have been made, and the police deny any involvement. While the details remain unclear, fears have spread among the remaining members of the group, many of whom have gone into hiding or stopped participating in any form of public gathering.

This chilling pattern echoes the fate of Kizito Mihigo himself, who was arrested in 2014, accused of conspiracy, and later died under suspicious circumstances in police custody in 2020. Although the government claims he committed suicide, independent experts and international voices have called for a proper investigation one that Kigali continues to block.

A growing number of young Rwandans continue to live in fear, even for non-political expressions of faith, when those expressions are connected to figures the state views as undesirable. The dismantling of the Inyange za Mariya choir is yet another reminder of how tightly controlled the cultural and spiritual space is in Rwanda today.

“We just wanted to keep Kizito’s peaceful message alive through music,” one source told Inyenyeri News. “Now we’re all living in fear.”

https://i0.wp.com/inyenyerinews.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/field_media_image-20428-Mihigo.jpg?fit=908%2C605&ssl=1https://i0.wp.com/inyenyerinews.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/field_media_image-20428-Mihigo.jpg?resize=140%2C140&ssl=1Placide KayitareHUMAN RIGHTSLATEST NEWSRWANDAgenocide,Kizito Mihigo,Paul Kagame,RwandaA quiet gospel choir in Kigali has become the latest target of the Rwandan regime's tightening grip on freedom of expression and religious association. According to sources inside the country, a group of young Rwandans have been detained, interrogated, and threatened by security services simply for singing songs written...PUBLISHING YOUR NEWS WITH CUTTING EDGE STYLE