Rwanda business Tycoon Tribert Ayabatwa Rujugiro known for his global tobacco and real estate empire died last week at the age of 84 years and has been laid to rest in South Africa.

Rujugiro, whose remains were flown from Dubai to South Africa, was buried on Thursday, May 9, 2024, next to his late wife, Nathalie Mukagatete who passed on in October 2023.

The family reported that Rujugiro died at his home in Dubai, shortly after he had dinner with his family and was watching a movie with his grandchildren.

Rujugiro, who was the founder of the Pan African Tobacco Group – Africa’s largest indigenous producer of tobacco products, fled Rwanda in 2010 and at the time of his death he was living in Dubai. PTG owned Meridian Tobacco in Uganda which also runs the Leaf Tobacco Company.

Born in Rwanda, Rujugiro's entrepreneurial journey took him across borders as he built a business empire that spanned multiple sectors.

In Uganda, his companies operated in the districts of Arua, Koboko, Pakwach and Nebbi, among others. He helped communities to uplift themselves in fields such as education, food security, afforestation and water access.

Through his non-profit foundation, Rujugiro strove to help young people gain the practical engineering experience required to enter the job market in Africa.

A family friend to Rujugiro said he was a strong believer in corporate social responsibility and supporting communities to develop themselves.

“Rujugiro was one of Africa’s most notable philanthropists. Working with families, communities and governmental stakeholders in countries and regions where he does business in part of the company’s corporate culture. How he left us to join the lord was peaceful, the manner of dying was not by violence, not by accident or a fearsome disease, not by foul means and without pain,” he said.

He extended his condolences to family and friends and said they shall forever miss Rujugiro’s goodness, humility and kindness. 

“As you rest in peace we continue to dedicate your soul to the living God in prayers.”

About Rujugiro

Rujugiro was a Pan-African industrialist. He is the founder and controlling shareholder of the Pan African Tobacco Group, Africa's largest indigenous manufacturer of tobacco products.

The company, which in 2018 celebrated 40 years of operations, manufactures cigarettes in nine African countries: Angola, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda and the United Arab Emirates.

In an exclusive interview with New Vision in March 2019, Rujugiro said he was born in the 1940s: “In those years, there was no birth registrar and I can't recall the exact year I was born but I was told I was born in the early 1940s. At the age of 19, I fled to Burundi, because of the political upheavals and lived there for 20 years.”