Grégoire Kayibanda

Grégoire Kayibanda, born on May first, nineteen twenty-four, was a prominent Rwandan politician and revolutionary. He made history as the first elected President of Rwanda, serving from nineteen sixty-two until nineteen seventy-three. As an ethnic Hutu, Kayibanda played a crucial role in the Rwandan Revolution, leading the nation’s fight for independence from Belgian colonial rule.

Under his leadership, Rwanda transitioned from a Tutsi monarchy to a republican form of government. The country achieved independence in nineteen sixty-two, with Kayibanda at the helm as its inaugural president. His administration was characterized by a pro-Hutu policy and the establishment of a de facto one-party system dominated by his political party, Parmehutu.

However, his presidency came to an abrupt end in nineteen seventy-three when he was overthrown in a coup d'état orchestrated by his defense minister, Juvénal Habyarimana. Following his ousting, Kayibanda lived for three more years before passing away.