At the center of this secluded escape was a hotel known as Canard Sauvage, officially owned by a Belgian man named Paul Henrio. Yet, according to locals and those who observed events at the time, the hotel was effectively under the control of Habyarimana himself, along with Colonel Elie Sagatwa (his brother-in-law), Félicien Kabuga, and the then-mayor of the former Muhazi Commune, Nkurunziza.
The hotel was located in what used to be Kabare Sector, in the former Muhazi Commune. Eugène Mutamba, a 54-year-old man who was born and raised in this area, recalls growing up right next to this hotel and occasionally seeing President Habyarimana visit.
'This was Habyarimana's hotel, shared with others close to him, what we could call a clique. I've known it since 1984â€"1985; we lived just across from it,' Mutamba told IGIHE.
When Habyarimana was present, the hotel was strictly off-limits to the public. 'Whenever he came, we would go stand by the roadside, and our parents would say, 'There goes the President,' as he passed. Once he arrived at the hotel, no one else could enter. He had a house down the slope here, I don't know if he ever stayed in it.'
Just nearby, Habyarimana's son-in-law, Alphonse Ntirivamunda, had a large piece of land. Ntirivamunda, married to Jeanne Habyarimana, fled Rwanda and died in Belgium in 2020 after being accused of involvement in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Mutamba, like other locals, said Ntirivamunda acquired the land by force.
'They came and took it. They just measured land and displaced people without compensation. That's what dictatorship was like. Today, under the Unity Government, that could never happen, a citizen cannot be removed from their land without due process.'
Another resident, Isaie Rusanganwa, shared similar experiences. 'We were peacefully living there when Habyarimana and the white man came, surveyed the land, made us sign papers, and started construction. They even gave us jobs.'
But he said they were never compensated. 'After construction began, they made us sign documents, but we never received a single franc. Later, my cousin and I went to ask the mayor, Nkurunziza, why we hadn't been paid. We told him we were growing desperate.'
According to Rusanganwa, the mayor reacted angrily: 'He told us, 'How dare you question the President? The land belongs to him now. Who do you think you are?''
Undeterred, Rusanganwa confronted the injustice: 'I asked him, 'Did Habyarimana come all the way from Gisenyi just to take our land? Where did he expect us to goâ€"into the sky?' The mayor told me, 'Let me show you how I deal with people like you.' We ran away. Later, I returned and became a worker there, just to survive.'
Rusanganwa said he worked at the hotel and frequently saw Habyarimana, Kabuga, and Sagatwa together.
'I saw Kabuga with my own eyes, with the President and Sagatwa. When they were there, I worked as a helper under military supervision. Our job was just to wash dishes in the lake. You'd only move if a soldier told you to.'
The tide turns
In 1993, as the liberation war intensified, the Canard Sauvage hotel became a training ground for French soldiers sent to protect Habyarimana. When defeat became inevitable, Paul Henrio, who was still listed as the legal owner, fled back to Belgium. From 1993 to 2004, the hotel was abandoned and overtaken by wild vegetation.
Donatien Murenzi, who had grown up nearby but later moved to Belgium, learned that the property had been deserted. In 2004, knowing the history of the area, Murenzi returned to Belgium and purchased the property from Henrio. He later acquired additional surrounding plots from local residents.
'I went to the Rwandan Embassy and made the purchase. When I returned, I expanded the land and took time to design a project,' Murenzi said.
He renamed the site from Canard Sauvage to Muhazi Beach Resort, which has since become a renowned hospitality destination in the Eastern Province.
'The idea to invest here came from the leadership's encouragement to contribute to rebuilding the country after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, especially by focusing on rural development. Kigali was already growing, so I wanted to create something outside the city.'
He added, 'I chose tourism because I knew the history of this hill in Kabare, surrounded by the iconic areas of Umurambi w'Inyambo, Gakoni, and Kavumu, all connected to Lake Muhazi.'
A new chapter
Today, Muhazi Beach Resort spans seven hectares, with 63 guest rooms overlooking the lake.
It is peaceful, serene, and a world away from the past it once bore witness to. The resort features family suites designed for groups of more than two, each equipped with two bedrooms, a living area, bathroom, and essential amenities.
Spending a night in these suites costs $100. There are also double rooms for two guests, priced at $50 per night, and single rooms available for $30. Each space offers a unique experience, combining comfort with a tranquil view of the lake.
Once marked by forced evictions and military surveillance, this site now welcomes families, travelers, and tourists with open doors.
Karirima Aimable Ngarambe
