On June 13, 2025, members of the Private Sector Federation (PSF) in Huye District gathered at the Ngoma Genocide Memorial Site in Ngoma Sector to commemorate the 31st anniversary of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. During the ceremony, the business community reaffirmed their commitment to unity and to combating genocide ideology and divisionism.
Gervais Butera Bagabe, Chairperson of the PSF in Huye District, addressed the attendees, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and social cohesion among business owners.
“It is truly heartbreaking for a businessperson to engage in divisionism or violence,” he said. “What we are working towards now is strengthening our collaboration as entrepreneurs. We want to be friends, to see ourselves as one community. Here in Huye, we’ve made remarkable progress—today, we are united and we work together across various investment ventures.”
Leopold Mubera, another local entrepreneur, echoed this sentiment, stressing that divisionism is counterproductive to business success.
“A businessperson should never be involved in division or violence, because doing so shows a lack of understanding of how progress is made,” he said. “To thrive, one needs people. You never know who your next client might be—whether a friend or a former enemy, they could all be potential customers.”
Huye District Mayor Ange Sebutege also addressed the gathering, urging members of the private sector to promote unity and take part in the country’s reconstruction.
“Our first message is one of solidarity with survivors of the Genocide against the Tutsi,” he said. “We encourage the private sector to embrace unity and actively participate in national development. They also have a duty to ensure that what happened never happens again, by safeguarding what has been achieved and confronting genocide ideology through their daily activities and partnerships.”
The private sector members also announced that they are preparing various initiatives to support vulnerable genocide survivors during the 100-day commemoration period. These initiatives aim to provide comfort and practical assistance as part of their long-standing commitment to remembrance and healing.
