The body of 18-year-old Celine Murekatete, known as “Mukuru,” was found near a wetland on Monday, January 26, 2026. She was a student at Groupe Scolaire Cyonyo. Her death sparked confusion and fear in Nyagatare, with people speculating between suicide and murder. The incident happened in Bushoga Village, Bushoga Cell, Nyagatare Sector, Eastern Province.
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Eyewitness Accounts
Residents said Celine may have been killed by unknown individuals while returning from visiting a classmate. One neighbor recalled:
“A parent came and asked me, ‘Mama Ruth, are you still asleep? There is a dead person down there past your house, but we don’t know who it is.’ At the time, we didn’t realize it was our neighbor, our own student. We arrived and found her lying face down; then the people and the police arrived and lifted her up, and that’s when we realized it was the neighbor’s child.”
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The neighbor added that Celine had a peaceful character and that no one knows the motive for her death.
“We went to help, but those who killed her must have done it at night because we heard no screams. We were only alerted in the morning. The body was lying there, and her eyes had been gouged out. Her pills were found scattered in the trench down where we fetch water. They found her with a small bottle of pills containing water; some were saying it was Kanyanga (an illegal local brew), but I don’t know about that.”
Timeline of Disappearance
Neighbors said Celine left home between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM on Sunday, accompanied by other schoolgirls. She never returned. Her brother reportedly called her and she answered, “I am in Mugasima.” That was the last contact before her body was found the next morning.
Celine, an orphan, lived with her siblings. The news devastated her family. One sibling collapsed from shock upon seeing her body, while her brother was visibly overwhelmed with grief.
Official Response and Suicide Theory
The acting Mayor of Nyagatare District, Kakooza Henry, confirmed the incident but suggested a different perspective. He said it might have been suicide rather than murder.
“We received the news in the early morning that an 18-year-old girl named Celine Murekatete had died. However, her eyes were not extorted out; rather, the residents saw her with her eyes closed and assumed they had been removed. The body had no other visible trauma. It is possible she committed suicide because she had been saying for days that she would take her own life, and the day before, she was seen buying rat poison in the company of another person.”
The Mayor added that the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) and police are continuing their investigation to determine the exact cause of death.
Continuing Investigation and Community Concern
Celine Murekatete was a Senior 3 student at GS Cyonyo. Authorities urge anyone with information to come forward to clarify the circumstances. The community remains shocked and saddened. Residents and officials highlighted the urgent need for awareness around youth mental health and safety in Nyagatare.
