A 39-year-old woman has died after falling into a ravine while reportedly heading for prayers on Mont Kigali, located in Kimisagara Sector of Nyarugenge District.
Residents told BTN TV that the woman had informed her husband she was going to pray on the hill after taking her children to school. According to witnesses, she slipped while descending the mountain and fell into a deep trench.
“One hears that many people come here from different provinces to pray on the mountain. People need to be cautious and stay in safer areas,” one resident said. “We heard that someone had fallen from the upper side of the hill, but when we arrived, she had already died.”
Another resident described the deceased as a neighbor and mother who leaves behind children and family members.
“The issue with this mountain is that many people have turned it into a place of worship and come here every day,” the resident added.
Local residents are now calling for tighter security measures in the area, including regular patrols, to prevent further loss of life.
The spokesperson for the Rwanda National Police in Kigali, CIP Gahonzire Wellars, said the area where the woman died is already monitored by community patrol teams.
“We normally prevent people from going there to pray and from carrying out other unauthorized activities,” he said.
According to police, some residents use hidden paths to access the hill despite security measures. Authorities also noted that some individuals visit the area for illegal activities, including unauthorized mining.
The deceased was identified as Hagenimana Gaudence. Residents said she fell in an area commonly known as “Banguka Ngutabare,” near Katabaro, where she lived close to the mountain.
CIP Gahonzire urged residents to avoid dangerous activities in the area.
“We continue to advise the public against going to such risky places with steep slopes, rocks, and deep ravines like the one where the deceased fell,” he said.
Police further confirmed that the family agreed to proceed with burial arrangements without requesting a postmortem examination.
People who regularly pray on the mountain say they do so in imitation of Jesus Christ, believing that just as he prayed in solitude and in the wilderness, praying in isolated places brings them closer to God and increases the chances of having their prayers answered.
KIGALI TIMES