Marie Immaculée Ingabire passes away

Ingabire died on the morning of Thursday, October 9, 2025, as confirmed by Transparency International Rwanda, the organization she led.

In a message posted on X, TI-Rwanda expressed deep sorrow over her passing, stating that she died after a period of illness.

The message read: "TI-Rwanda extends its heartfelt condolences to her family and friends, and may her soul rest in eternal peace." 

Ingabire attended her primary and secondary education in Burundi, before continuing her university studies in the Democratic Republic of Congo, from where she returned to Rwanda in 2001.

She once revealed that she had always dreamed of studying law, but couldn’t pursue it due to life in exile.

She studied languages in high school, which led her to study journalism at university, even though it was not her preferred field. Later, she pursued postgraduate studies in France, specializing in Political Science and Law.

Ingabire worked for many years at ORINFOR and contributed to several print media outlets.

She was among the women who helped establish Pro-Femmes Twese Hamwe, IBUKA, and other women’s civil society organizations.

Ingabire was one of the 20 founding members of Transparency International Rwanda in 2004. In 2015, she was elected to lead the organization for a second term. A fierce advocate for integrity and justice, Ingabire passed away at the age of 64.