Therese Bishagara Kagoyire

Therese Bishagara Kagoyire (25 December 1952 – 8 July 2019) was a Rwandan politician. From 2011 to 2019, she served as a member of the Rwandan Senate. She was a member of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF).

Bishagara researched in the Programme de la Lutte Contre le SIDA et les Infections Sexuellement Transmissibles and Permanent Executive Secretariat of the National AIDS Commission, which together form Burundi's national HIV/AIDS center (1995–1996). She was a Director of Kigali Health Institute (1996–2004). She was a part-time lecturer at National University of Rwanda (1999–2003).

She worked as Resident Advisor Features group International /Measure Evaluation /USAID from 2006 to 2007. She was a technical advisor in Save the Children UK in 2006, and also in PSI – Features for VIH prevention (2005–2006). From 2008 to 2011, Bishagara was the national program manager of Jhpiego/MCHIP International, an NGO affiliated with Johns Hopkins University (USAID).

She held board member positions at White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood (2007–2011), Université Libre de Kigali (2008–2011) and Rwanda Local Development Support Funds (2007–2011). She was a member of Association d'Exécution des Travaux d'Intérêt Public (ASSETIF). She served as president of Profemmes Twese -Hamwe and COCAFEM /Great Lakes (2007–2011).

Bishagara joined the Second legislature of the Rwandan Senate in 2011, as a representative of the Western Province.

Bishagara fell ill in April 2019. She died on 8 July 2019 at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. She was buried at Rusororo Cemetery in Kigali.

Quotes about Therese Bishagara Kagoyire

• She participated in the Liberation Struggle and when she returned to Rwanda she remained hardworking in the complicated tasks she was given. Said at her burial ceremonies
  • Therese Bishagara Kagoyire at her burial ceremonies (on 8th July 2019)
• Even though today's theme is that we strengthen the principle of equality, we further develop women and it is clear that you are well positioned on the road to development, you should not forget that you achieve everything in cooperation with your men. Also, you should strive for these activities that we enjoy to spread throughout the country.
• Même si le thème d'aujourd'hui est que nous renforçons le principe d'égalité, nous développons davantage les femmes et il est clair que vous êtes bien positionné sur la voie du développement, il faut bien noter que c'est en travaillant ensemble avec les hommes que vos objectives seront atteint , il ne faut pas ignorer cette cooperation. Vous devriez aussi vous efforcer de faire apparaitre ces activités que nous aimons dans tout le pays.
  • Requesting women of Rubavu district to spread development throughout the country, Rubavu district (26 May 2014)