Woman sentenced to life for husband's murder in Karusi
Joséphine Ntakarutimana must also pay 20 million Burundian francs to the victim's two children.
Joséphine Ntakarutimana was sentenced to life imprisonment on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, by the High Court of Karusi for the murder of her husband, Salvator Mburizi. The court also ordered her to pay 20 million Burundian francs in damages to the victim's two children born out of wedlock. Ntakarutimana fatally stabbed her husband on Rubuga hill in Karusi commune, Gitega province.
The murder occurred amidst marital tensions stemming from Mburizi's extramarital affairs, which resulted in two children outside his marriage to Ntakarutimana. The accused admitted to the charges and acknowledged long-standing conflict in her relationship with her husband. The prosecution had requested a life sentence, and the court followed this recommendation after deliberation.
The judicial decision was reportedly welcomed by many residents of Rubuga hill. Ntakarutimana, who has no children of her own, was tried in flagrante delicto.
Why it mattersJoséphine Ntakarutimana received a life sentence and was ordered to pay damages to her deceased husband's children.