Carmen Nibigira, a leading figure in East Africa’s tourism and hospitality sector, died on Saturday, November 16, in Nairobi after a brief illness. She was 46.
Born in Burundi in 1978, Nibigira devoted more than 24 years to the tourism and hotel industry. At the time of her death, she was serving as the Lead for Tourism and Hospitality Management with the Rwanda Programs team at the Mastercard Foundation.
Nibigira held a Ph.D. in Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management from Clemson University in the United States. She also earned a master’s degree in Travel and Tourism and a bachelor’s degree in Destination Management from University College Birmingham and the University of Brighton in the United Kingdom, respectively.
A respected expert in tourism and conservation, Nibigira was the Project Director at Horwath HTL, a global hospitality consulting firm. She began her career in 2000 and worked in various roles across East Africa, including managing tour operation companies in Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda, as well as overseeing an international hotel in Tanzania.
From 2015 to 2017, Nibigira served as the regional coordinator of the East Africa Tourism Platform and was previously the Director General of the Burundi National Tourism Office.
Her contributions to the hospitality and tourism industries were widely recognized. In 2017, Nibigira was named one of the “Top 100 Influential Women in Travel” and was honored with the African Women in Tourism Leadership Award.
In addition to her professional achievements, Nibigira was a passionate advocate for women’s education and socio-economic empowerment. She also served on the Board of Directors for the Akilah Institute for Women in Rwanda.
Nibigira is survived by two sons, aged 17 and 19.
