Nsengiyumva Bernard, one of the first Rwandans to participate in the Tour du Rwanda cycling competition, has passed away at the age of 73 after battling illness.
He was born in 1952 in Kibangu, Muhanga District, where he also grew up. He began his cycling career at the age of 27 and once revealed that he bought his first bicycle for just 1,000 Rwandan francs.
In his cycling journey, Nsengiyumva first appeared in the Tour du Rwanda in 1988, but it was in 2001—at the age of 49—that he remarkably won the race, before it became an international event. This achievement was rare for a cyclist of his age at that time.
He is scheduled to be laid to rest on Monday, July 7, 2025, in Muhanga, where he had been residing.
