The house of Nsengiyumva Elias, 33, and his wife, who were planning to legally marry on Friday, September 20, was destroyed by a fire. They lost all their belongings in the blaze.
Nsengiyumva and his wife have two children and are expecting a third. They live in Kacyiru Village, Ntendezi Cell, Ruharambuga Sector, Nyamasheke District. The fire broke out around 1 p.m. on Monday, September 16. At that time, Nsengiyumva was delivering bananas to a neighbor, and his wife had gone to the Kamonyi Health Center for a check-up.
Two of their children were outside the house, which was made of wood. The fire also destroyed the kitchen, the porch, and the latrine, leaving only ruins behind.
Among the lost items were a cow worth 700,000 Rwandan francs, 10 rabbits, a television recently bought for 200,000 Rwandan francs, 300,000 Rwandan francs intended for the wedding ceremony, and other belongings totaling over 2,450,000 Rwandan francs, according to the local administration.
Nsengiyumva told Imvaho Nshya that when he and his wife were away, their children, aged four and two, were left with a neighbor.
He said, “Around noon, I fed the children with cold food because I had no means to heat it. I left them at the gate, locked the door, and went back to work. While I was transporting bananas, I heard someone saying my house was on fire.”
He described how he found the house engulfed in flames, noting the intensity of the fire due to the wooden structure. Despite the arrival of local authorities and security personnel, they could not help.
“I tried to salvage some clothes from the fire but found it had completely consumed everything. DASSO, who was nearby, helped me,” he added.
He suspected the fire might have been caused by electrical faults, although he had no confirmed issue with the electricity supply.
Nsengiyumva thanked his neighbor for offering temporary shelter to his family and appreciated the support from other community members who provided clothing and other necessities.
His wife, who was distressed upon arriving from the clinic, was comforted by neighbors. Despite the disaster, Nsengiyumva affirmed that their wedding plans would continue. They might have to use clothes provided by others, but their plans to marry both legally and in church will not be stopped.
He requested local authorities to help him find a new home so his family would not have to live in temporary conditions. He also asked for continued community support during this difficult time.
Charles Habimana, the head of Kacyiru Village, informed Imvaho Nshya that the sector administration was aware of the incident and would seek assistance to help the family return to normal life.
Nyamasheke has been affected by recent fires. Just a day before this incident, a fire broke out in Nyungwe National Park in the Wimana Cell area but was extinguished. Less than a week ago, another house in Kanjongo Sector caught fire, possibly due to a battery. In Banda Cell, Rangiro Sector, a solar-powered phone exploded and caused a fire, destroying property worth 150,000 Rwandan francs.
Authorities are investigating the causes of these fires and are urging a review of the quality of electrical wiring and technological equipment to prevent further incidents.
