It is a classic African song in “The Lion King”, it goes,
Doctor, Colonel, Minister, Ambassador, Senator, Elder Karemera was a special man. If only, his numerous titles, ranks and accolades, just indicate that all he started; he finished; with excellence!
We owe our return from exile to special men of this caliber who offered their youth, their lives, so that what’s written be fulfilled, namely: the reunification of the banyarwanda people and the recreation of the Rwandan nation.
He was my friend, one of my mentors. He had been battling the disease for a long time, but even in hospital abroad, he called me often to recount the history of the struggle, to just argue with me and crack jokes. Like all refined Rwandan elders, he was a consummate comedian, happy to laugh about himself with such an explosive and contagious laugh. I’ll hold on to these fond memories of him…
Typically, our president doesn’t preach, he says less to mean more. Whenever that happened I turned to Dr. Karemera to break it down for me. He did more than that, he told me the back story, and presented a special side of President Kagame that most don’t know – the side that’s not in books; the youth side, the human side, and the war commander side.
When the President’s mother passed away, in the Mass to send her off the President recalled how in the middle of the campaign to stop the genocide, his late mother summoned him. “I was rather busy, the President recalls, but she insisted she wanted to see me” So he traveled through the night to meet her in Uganda, she told him: “I know the situation must be hard my son, but do not commit revenge, it is not in our culture. If you do, you will not survive, and that country you are fighting for will never know peace.”
After the mass, Dr. Karemera told me: uzanshake nkubwire ibyo President yavuze (Look for me to elaborate on what the president said). So I went to see him, and he said to me: “when HE came back from meeting his mother, he summoned all the seniors, and gave each one of us the task to follow up on commanders on the battlefield and make sure they do not kill civilians. He put me in charge of Ibingira (Rtd. Four Star General Fred Ibingira). So I told him: “Afande yavuze ngo niwica abasivili azakurasa” (Afande asked me to tell you that if you kill civilians he will shoot you).
I radioed him every hour:
- ‘Ibingira where are you?
- I am in this and this place..
- You remember what we talked about?
- Yes sir”
Afande called me every evening to verify if I had followed up on Ibingira. He did the same with every senior member to report on it. He did so until the genocide was stopped!” That and many backstories he told me, always ending with a laughter.
Chinua Achebe once wrote that anecdotes are the palm oil with which stories are consumed. Retired soldiers get restless sooner, yet they feel as though they need special clearance to write memoirs or make public lectures. So they become storytellers in confidence, fulfilling the african tradition of oral transmission. Doctor Karemera was undoubtedly one of the best griots, with priceless anecdotes, only interrupted by a burst of laughter.
Dr. Karemera is a history maker. He lived a meaningful life; one of service to his people and his country. He has passed on, but his legend will remain. It is well that he rests, after all, retirement doesn’t sit well with revolutionaries, for they are inhabited with a life duty to public service. Instead of slowing down with age, they want to go fast. Retired generals, for instance, complain of civilian drivers, who aren’t as sharp as soldiers…
My generation has had the privilege to live with our elders for thirty years thus far. One of the pleasures of being home, is to live historic times with the people who made history! They gave us a country, they gave us life. There is really no debt owed to us, they paid it in full, with interest; It is us who owe them! We are settled, in our homeland, we are thriving.
We will forever be grateful, and fulfill the promise. We will keep safe this nation entrusted to us, and preserve it on their behalf, so that when the time comes, we too will pass it on to those who come after us. We will speak of our elders gracefully and kindly.
I will miss him. There is a whole chapter in the Rwandan book that evanesced with Elder Karemera’s resting. We ought to be taking notes whenever we speak to these men, for we don’t know how much time we are left with them.
Go well Afande Karemera. It was fun, it was joyous, it was edifying, for the time that it lasted, I cherish every moment of it. I still needed you though, there are stories you didn’t finish…
Thank you for everything you and your comrades have done. Perhaps we do not tell you often how grateful we are, how proud we are. In this world, at this time, there are no people I know of, who live with heroes in their midst; we do, and that makes us special!
Go be with other heroes, greet the ancestors on our behalf. Until we meet again, Afande, tonight we’ll sing in your honor:
The Lion Sleeps tonight..
Thanks Gatete and heartfelt condolences to you too. You are part of the Karemera Family like us. Besides that, as a Rwandan younger citizen do keep the flame on for the future of our country and younger generations as we gracefully learn how to retire. Thanks again for your tributes to Afande Karemera. Amb. Mutaboba Joseph
Asante sana @gatete.
Nicely written Gatete. He was, is and will always be intwali. May he RIP and sincere heartfelt condolences to the family.
Thank you sir. We cannot fail, for we stand on the shoulders of giants.
Afande Karemera vient de nous quitter et il laisse en même temps un esprit qu’il a laissé, des jalons qu’il a défriché. Les jours qui ont suivi la prise de Kigali et la fin du genocide contre les Tutsi à demandé des hommes et des femmes d’un certain calibre. Et deux fois plus quand on se retrouvait à un poste de responsabilités. Il a accompli toutes ces fonctions avec hardiesse, lucidité et intelligence. Un baobab vient de s’écrouler et nous sommes reconnaissants pour toutes les pousses qu’il a laissé sur son passage. Nos condoléances ???? à sa famille. Amicalement, Jean-Louis Kayitenkore
Thanks for this piece Dear Gatete. Honourable Doctor KAREMERA, like many other famous and public figures, was a gift from our beloved Creator. In my youthhood I knew him remotely in media till I found myself and him on the same panel in a Conference at SKY BLUE HOTEL or MOTEL in current Eastern Province while he was a Senator in Rwanda Parliament. I was a young graduate from Kigali Institute of Science, Technology and Management in the Faculty of Management working as Program Manager of Rwanda Entrepreneurs Development Marketplace Business Plan Competition, a Program then funded by the World Bank and the Government of Rwanda-with many Development Partners in Rwanda and abroad like International Finance Corporation-then based in Kimihurura (Place commonly known as Ku Kabindi) at Rwanda Private Sector Federation not far from Rwanda PRIMATURE, Rwanda PARLIAMENT and Rwanda Ministry of Defense. Both Dr. KAREMERA and I had speaches for our audience. I remember Dr. KAREMERA as a clever human being who allocated most of his time to what matters most for the nation, for the World, for the Universe and invested very little time to person to person common interactions. May his family, relatives and friends stay strong. And may His Soul Rest In Eternal Peace till we’ll meet again in Heaven (For those who believe in resurrection) or in a renewed Earth (For Jehovah Witnesses and the likes). Let’s pray as Jesus Christ preached us in the Holy Bible…Heavenly Father….AMEN.
Thanks Gatete, but as it is said in Kinyarwanda, “Intwari ntizipfa ziratabaruka” which is if I am right in my translation, “Heroes never die, they rest”. Afande Karemera, rest in peace.
You couldn’t have described him his contribution to the liberation war and his selfless service more. You were privileged to have had close quarter cockpit close liaison with him. We shall meet him again as you aptly conclude Gatete ….and thanks
Thank you Mr.Gatete, you have written a true description of Afande Karemera. Those of us who happened to interact him can bear witness.
His contribution to this country speaks more stories.
RIP Afande, let your legacy be an inspiration to the young generation.
You said it all Gatete! We will always cherish our hero in this gallant Rwandan. Rest in Eternal Peace our Doctor, Coloner, Minister, Ambassador, Senator and RPF Commissioner.
Thank you for sharing these heartfelt words. Afande Karemera was not only a hero to you but also to many of us. We lived through those difficult times together, and I saw firsthand his unwavering commitment, wisdom, and humor that you’ve captured so well. He taught us all the true meaning of sacrifice and service. His stories, his laughter, and his lessons will live on in us, and it’s our responsibility to carry forward the legacy of those like him who built our future with their lives. He will be deeply missed, but his spirit remains with us.
RIP afande, Hon, Ambassador, Dr,…. you have lived a meaningful and impactful life. Exactly as Gatete narrated how HE mother impacted on protection of civilians during the RPF military campaign, this is exactly how our parents were wired. HE mother now brings back memories about my father who was the same generation i guess as HE’s mother. In late 1970s, being the last born and most favored, i would sit near my father and ask many questions including “Dad, you say you had a better house in Rwanda, who evicted you from the house and how can we get it back?” , “my son, some people wrongly argue that its Bahutu who evicted me like many refugees but they are wrong because i survived death traps of Belgian colonialists so i know who really evicted me..” leaving me confused, sometimes because the geographical and psychological distance between me as a kid and Belgium was huge. He would then add that “if we are to return to Rwanda with or without me, never take revenge against the Hutu because one of them is the one who saved my life when a Belgian colonialist/administrator had plotted my death by poison following a strong honest speech i gave that “disrespected” colonialists! 27 years latter, i came to Rwanda and came across a book (Afrique, Afrique by Omer Marchal, 1983) in which the same speech that annoyed the colonialists is recited by the author….
long live our patriotic parents and their replica!