Malawi court sentences Rwandan woman to 40 years for murder

Lilongwe, 29 April 2026 - The High Court in Lilongwe has sentenced a Rwandan national, Gentille Giramata, to 40 years in prison after convicting her of the murder of her former husband, investor Noël Emile Habimana.

Habimana died on 17 October 2022 in Malawi’s capital. Initial reports suggested he had been involved in an accident, but investigations later established that he had been killed and that efforts were made to stage the incident as a road accident.

Following the discovery, Giramata and her co-accused, Rafiki Munyamagaju, were arrested and charged with the intentional killing. In December 2025, the court found both individuals guilty, rejecting their claims that the death was accidental.

During the trial, the court heard that the accused transported the victim’s body to Kamuzu Central Hospital in an attempt to obtain a report indicating death by accident, a move the judge said demonstrated an effort to mislead authorities.

After reviewing sentencing submissions, the court handed Giramata a 40-year prison term. Munyamagaju received a 35-year sentence, with the court noting his expression of remorse as a mitigating factor.

The presiding judge described the crime as grave, emphasizing that the victim had been killed using a weapon and that attempts had been made to conceal the true circumstances of his death.