Kanjogera

Kanjogera (c. 1847–2 October 1933), officially known by her regnal names Nyiramibambwe IV and Nyirayuhi V, was the queen mother (umugabekazi) of the Kingdom of Rwanda from 1889 to 1931, becoming the regent and then co-ruler of the state during the reign of her son Yuhi V Musinga.

A member of the powerful Bega clan, she became the consort of Rwandan King Kigeli IV Rwabugiri in 1861 and rose to his favorite wife, bearing him two sons. When Kigeli IV Rwabugiri appointed his son Mibambwe IV Rutarindwa as co-regent in 1889, Kanjogera was chosen as the new monarch's queen mother despite this being a breach of traditional customs. After Kigeli IV Rwabugiri's death in 1895, Kanjogera led a faction alongside her brother that plotted to overthrow Mibambwe IV Rutarindwa to place her own son on the throne. This conspiracy culminiated in the Rucunshu Coup of 1896, paving the way for Kanjogera to establish a new regime with her underage son as puppet ruler. The Bega-led government faced substantial resistance from various groups over the next years, contributing to Kanjogera and her brothers opting to accept submission to the German Empire to gain allies and stabilize their rule. After also organizing a series of purges, she gradually cemented her reign and continued to hold great power after her son came of age. Her rule saw the gradual colonization of Rwanda, first by the German Empire and then Belgium. In 1931, Kanjogera and her son were deposed by the Belgian administration, spending the rest of their lives in exile.