King Kigeli V, Rwanda’s last King has died at the age of 80 early Sunday morning in the United States.
The King went to exile in 1960 after clashing with the Belgian colonial power which lead to the abolishment of the monarch in 1961 and Rwanda gained independence the following year.
Kigeli V, who was named Jean – Baptiste Ndahindurwa at birth in Kamambe in Rwanda, lived in several African countries starting in east Africa, including Kenya and Uganda during his exile before settling in Washington in 1992.
While in the United States, the exiled monarch led the King Kigeli V Foundation to aid Rwandan refugees.
“It is with a very heavy heart that we announce that His Majesty King Kigeli V Ndahindurwa, the last King of Rwanda, died early this morning. He was a devout and dedicated believer and the last anointed African Roman Catholic king to reign over a full country. Funeral details, the heir to the Royal throne of Rwanda, and related details are being discussed and will be announced in good order.” Reads the statement published on the King’s website
