What You Didn’t Know About Himbara And Why He Lost The Nuts

Himbara, whose real name is Murunganywa, was born in Rwanda, but grew up in Gashojwa in Nakivale, Ankole, Uganda and lived a lonely life as a child due to the circumstances of his birth.

He is a son to late Mzee Byabagamba, who fathered him with his step mother, the last wife to his father. This, in any African culture is not only a taboo, but an omen. Himbara had become an unwanted child, which greatly affected his life.

Those who grew up with him told us they know him as a loner who never socialized with other children, but a good traditional dancer as his dad was a trainer.

Himbara endured refuge life as did so many other young Rwandans. He was very unfortunate he was one of those who succumbed to jiggers, which was a common scenario to many a village children who lived a poor and miserable life.

As a youth, he never had the opportunity to succeed academically, life had become such a huge burden.

In the 70s, late Idi Amin as the President of Uganda was targeting Rwandan refugees, forcing many to flee.

Some crossed to Kenya, others to Tanzania and beyond seeking asylum and employment. Himbara was then in his twenties, he also crossed into Kenya.

Life squeezed him so hard, he ended up on the streets of Nairobi, hanging out at spots frequented by tourists.

His unscrupulous charm netted an unsuspecting African-American woman. They hooked-up so quickly and the woman helped him get travel documents and flew with him to Toronto, Canada.

“They lived together unofficially married for about three years,” one of his old friends who met him in Canada says. Later, he adds, “Himbara was able to acquire Canadian nationality and that was it, he abandoned her and disappeared.”

Himbara struggled with life and managed to settle down with another woman, a Lucayan from the West Indies.

Himbara’s life was difficult to describe, but quite interesting. He had been washed, had no single Rwandan trait or values. It was some sort of an adventure. Traditionally Rwandans smoke tobacco. Himbara smoked marijuana, abused drugs and kept dreadlocks.

He was completely a knew character, but consistent with his lifestyle, violent, reckless and understandably selfish.

That was in the 80s. The struggle for Rwandan refugees to return home was then gaining momentum, including as far as Canada. Rwandan refuges in Canada started mobilising funds and resources to support the movement, the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF).

They kept a good network and all Rwandans knew who was living where and doing what. Despite the fact that he had distanced himself from the network, but he was known.

He was never supportive of the cause nether did he care to know. His interests were far in South Africa, where he later lived after moving from Canada in the 90s.

He created some sort of an association, called “Solidarity”. While the RPF mobilised and recruited the youths in Canada to join the movement, Himbara was also competing to recruit them to join the Apartheid struggle in South Africa for the African National Congress (ANC).

He never succeeded though, it was such a big task to undertake. The late Claude Dusaidi who was a staunch RPF mobiliser and a prolific political activist, had become a magnet for the young exiles in Canada. Dusaidi knew Himbara very well enough than many of his associates.

In fact when the Apartheid ended, Himbara ceremoniously flew to South Africa and abandoned his wife. While there, he encountered Dusaidi and exchanged contacts as brothers from the same country.

The genocide had ended and RPF had defeated the genocidal regime and was then in power. Dusaidi had been appointed a political adviser to then Vice President, Paul Kagame, and was respected and admired for his determination.

Himbara desperately lived in South Africa. It was hard there. The country was still fragile and shaky. He traveled to Uganda from where he crossed to Rwanda.

He met relatives and a couple of long time friends and the boys he played with in the childhood days in Uganda.

Himbara is now preoccupied with creating his own memes

Dusaidi was one of the people who spotted Himabara in Kigali, but wondered what had changed Himbara to make him love the country he never had at heart.

But trust Himbara, his manipulative and fearless antics worked well.

Despite Dusaidi having advised the RPF not to extend any favours or offer him a job, we are yet to establish what means he used to become the President’s Private Principal Secretary.

Unfortunately, Himbara abused the office he was given, including refusing to go through security checks and occasionally harassing presidential guards, and putting the president’s security at risk.

He would abandon his car at the gate, blocking the president’s entrance, whenever guards insisted they had to check it.

The relationship between him and other institutions was always sour. He regularly abused the Prime Minister, several times telephoning him and insulting him. His late night phone calls with insults while drank is what every minister knows about from Himbara.

He would even force and intimidate them and other heads of public institutions into signing on doubtful documents.

Apparently, the number of tenders he forced to be awarded to people of his choice are countless. All these cases are well documented.

Simply put, David Himbara, a womanizer,  is a hostile, careless, selfish arrogant and a big-mouthed fella who sucked life and energy out of his colleagues.

He cannot count how many times he had to apologise for dubious acts, until the day he fled the country. He was given another chance to come back.He never changed. It got worse.

The damage he has caused with his subversive activities for Rwanda while in exile has no price tag.

We are investigating what transpired during his time as a public servant. Once all facts are established, conclusively, no sooner than later, we will have the article published.