Burundian Minister found dead in mysterious car crash

A senior government official in Burundi, Gabby Bugaga, has been confirmed dead in what authorities have described as a car accident, though questions remain about the exact circumstances surrounding his death.

The minister’s body was discovered inside a damaged four-wheel-drive vehicle by local farmers in Kivoga, located about 10 kilometres from the country’s economic capital, Bujumbura.

According to initial reports, the vehicle was found roughly 10 metres off a rarely used road known to be in poor condition and considered unsafe. The discovery was made after photos of the scene began circulating on social media, where locals initially failed to identify the victim.

“The Government of the Republic of Burundi deeply regrets to announce….the unexpected death of the Minister of Communication and Media, Mr Gabby Buguga, which occurred at dawn on April 16, 2026, following an accident,” said government spokesman Jerome Niyonzima in a statement.

It provided no further details.

Earlier, a police source confirmed that the body found was that of the minister.

“The cause of his death has not yet been determined,” he said, specifying that Bugaga had a “deep wound on his skull” and that the right side and rear of the vehicle were heavily damaged.

“The death of the Minister of Communication has many unanswered questions,” the police source said, noting that despite his head injury, “the cabin is intact, why there was no impact at the front of the vehicle.

“The government doesn’t want a scandal; it has decided to bury the case without an official investigation,” they added.

But an administrative official, who also asked for anonymity, told journalists that an investigation was underway “to determine the cause of his death”.