Rwandans in shock as top model is stabbed to death a month to wedding

Tributes are pouring in for Alexia Mupende, a top and celebrated Rwandan model who passed away on Tuesday evening after being allegedly stabbed by her house help.

Mupende, 35, was killed at her father’s home in Nyarugunga Sector, Kicukiro District, in Rwanda, according to Rwandan media, The New Times.

The news of her death first broke on social media at around 9 pm on Tuesday, with a message calling on the general public to help arrest her house help, who has been identified as Niyireba Antoine.

The celebrity’s demise has so far been confirmed by Modeste Mbabazi, the spokesperson of Rwanda Investigation Bureau, who did not give details but said investigations were ongoing.

Reports state that Mupende was set to get married on February 16, with wedding invitations already released.

Born in Kenya, the deceased was the General Manager of a popular fitness centre in Kigali, Waka Fitness. She studied in Uganda and later Rwanda, where she took up a course in Business Information and Technology.

Mupende has represented Rwanda at numerous modelling and fashion shows in Africa and beyond, including Uganda’s most influential fashion platform, Kampala Fashion Week in 2015.

She is noted for her passion to showcase Africa to the world with her fashion brand and other materials.

As an actress, she is a member of the Mashirika Performing Arts Group that has been entertaining families and friends across the country. Mupende recently travelled to Colombo, Sri Lanka and India with the group for a stage production on humanity.

Here’s how people are reacting to her sad demise: