See: The First Female Prime Minister and President in the History of Africa
Africa indeed is a blessed continent, blessed with both human and natural resources most especially women who had made us proud in their various field of endeavours and are still making us proud we have seen the likes of late Dora Akunyili, Obi Ezekwesli, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala of Nigeria, Winnie Mandela of South Africa, Ellen Sirleaf Johnson, Joyce Banda of Malawi, Ameenah Gurib of Mauritius, Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia, Aminata Toure of Senegal etc.
It is in this light I am presenting to you one of Africa's most exceptional woman, Sylvie Kinigi of Burundi.
WHO IS SYLVIE KINIGI?
Sylvie Kinigi was the former Prime Minister and President of Burundi. Sylvie was born on 24th of November, 1953 in a family in the countryside of Burundi. Her father was a trader and her mother was a house and peasant farmer whose farm products was used in keeping the house and the entire family. Sylvie was the third of six children. The oldest was a girl and had to help her mother, however, Sylvie was allowed to go to a Belgian school for girls run by nuns. She received both primary and secondary education and afterwards went to the then-capital, Bujumbura, to study economics. Sylvie got married at the age of 19 years to a professors and had four children, but continued her studies.
She was a member of the women's organization of the governing Tutsi party and managed to get laws changed and economic and social measures implemented for women. She headed the group in the capital and was a member of the national executive board of the women's branch.
Sylvie Kinigi studied Economics in University of Burundi, and upon graduation, she got a job with the Central Bank of Burundi and at the same time a Lecturer in the university.
At the bank she was promoted and was given responsibility for research and studies. In 1991, Sylvie was appointed as an adviser to the then Prime Minister of Burundi. She became notable and responsible for the reduction of Military Expenditures during an Economic Reform Programme.
There was armed conflict and hostilities between Hutus and Tutsis until 1993. Then elections were organized as a transition to democracy. Melchior Ndadaye, a member of the Hutu ethnic majority, was elected president in June 1993, he appointed Kinigi, a member of the Tutsi minority, as prime minister.
His reasons for making Sylvie Kinigi his Prime Minister was to build unity between Burundi's two ethnic groups. Ndadaye was Hutu, and wished to decrease Tutsi hostility towards his administration by appointing a Tutsi as Prime Minister. Kinigi stated that reconciliation would be her highest priority.
She was the first woman to hold the position. The president and some of his members of cabinet were killed in a coup in October 1993, Kinigi and other senior government figures took refuge in the French Embassy, and survived the chaos.
Later, Kinigi was asked to form a caretaker government, therefore, she became the acting President. In January 1994, however, the National Assembly elected a new president, Cyprien Ntaryamira who was a former Minister of Agriculture of the deceased president, he appointed a new prime minister, Anatole Kanyenkiko, the following month. Sylvie Kinigi then resigned from government service. And due to hostility from both sides towards her, Sylvie left Burundi.
According to a report in year 2004, Kinigi is working with the United Nations Development Programme.
Sylvie Kinigi would never be forgotten in the history of Burundi and Africa for her positive contributions to her country.
She was the first female Prime Minister and President in the history of Africa and the first female and only Prime Minister as well as female President in the history of Burundi till date.
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