# Grégoire Kayibanda

_Rwandan politician, 1st and former President of Rwanda (1924-1976)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/gregoire-kayibanda
Last updated: 2026-11-01

> Grégoire Kayibanda was a Rwandan politician, revolutionary and military dictator who was the first President of Rwanda from 1962 to 1973. An ethnic Hutu, he was a pioneer of the Rwandan Revolution and led Rwanda's struggle for independence from Belgium, replacing the Tutsi monarchy with the First Rwandese Republic. Rwanda became independent from Belgium in 1962, with Kayibanda serving as the country's first president, establishing a pro-Hutu policy and a de facto one-party system governed by his party, Parmehutu. He was overthrown in a coup d'état in 1973 by his defense minister, Juvénal Habyarimana, and died three years later.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 1 May 1924 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q557995#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Musambira ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q557995#P19))
- **Died:** 15 December 1976 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q557995#P570))
- **Place of death:** Kabgayi ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q557995#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Rwanda ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q557995#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q557995#P106))
- **Political party:** Parmehutu ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q557995#P102))
- **Spouse:** Vérédiana Mukagatare ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q557995#P26))
- **Positions held:** President of Rwanda (26 October 1961 – 5 July 1973); Prime Minister of Rwanda (19 October 1960 – 1 July 1962); president ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q557995#P39))

## Questions

**When was Grégoire Kayibanda born?**  
Grégoire Kayibanda was born on 1 May 1924 in Musambira.

**What positions has Grégoire Kayibanda held?**  
Positions held by Grégoire Kayibanda include: President of Rwanda (1961–1973); Prime Minister of Rwanda (1960–1962); president.

## Related

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Grégoire Kayibanda](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gr%C3%A9goire_Kayibanda) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q557995](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q557995) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Grégoire Kayibanda illustration.png by Voice of America (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gr%C3%A9goire_Kayibanda_illustration.png)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Grégoire Kayibanda, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Grégoire Kayibanda illustration.png — Voice of America, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Grégoire Kayibanda". DigiNepal. Last updated 1 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/gregoire-kayibanda. Retrieved 6 November 2026.