Burundi’s First Lady, Angeline Ndayishimiye, has denied reports that her comb was confiscated at Bujumbura’s Melchior Ndadaye International Airport, issuing the denial 10 days after President Évariste Ndayishimiye replaced the head of the country’s civil aviation authority, two days after the alleged incident.
The presidential decree appointing Capt. Steve Muvukanyi to lead the Civil Aviation Authority of Burundi, replacing Lt. Col. Gervais Harerimana, was issued on Oct. 14. It did not state the reason for the leadership change.
The alleged incident occurred on Oct. 12, when the First Lady was reportedly preparing to travel to Dakar, Senegal. She addressed the controversy on Oct. 24 after returning from the United Arab Emirates, where she attended the Abu Dhabi Health Summit.
In her remarks, Ndayishimiye dismissed the claims as rumours spread by people seeking to profit from misinformation and increase their social media following.
She also cautioned against the spread of misinformation as Burundi approaches the 2027 elections.
“The airport receives many travelers every day, and no one can claim that the passengers passing through it were accompanying me or were entrusted with carrying my personal belongings,” she said.
The First Lady’s statement challenged the narrative circulating on social media, although the circumstances surrounding the alleged airport incident have not been independently established by Burundi Times.
Aviation chief’s replacement raises questions
Reports about the alleged comb incident emerged before Harerimana’s replacement. According to a report, airport security personnel had reportedly stopped a comb containing metal components from being taken aboard the aircraft during the First Lady’s planned trip to Senegal.
The report said the item was subsequently retrieved by officials. Burundi Times has not independently verified those details.
Harerimana was replaced two days after the alleged incident. Although the presidential decree confirms the appointment of Muvukanyi, it does not explain the grounds for Harerimana’s departure.
Sources have linked the leadership change to the airport controversy, but Burundi Times has not independently established that the incident prompted the replacement.
Three members of the First Lady’s protocol team were reassigned on Oct. 19. The report did not establish an officially confirmed connection between those changes and the alleged incident.
The timing of the personnel changes raises questions about whether the controversy played a role in the decisions. However, the sequence of events alone does not establish causation.
Angeline Ndayishimiye’s Oct. 24 denial addressed the claims about her comb and the handling of her personal belongings. It did not provide an explanation for the aviation chief’s replacement.
The decree confirms the leadership change, while the reason for it remains unstated in the published document.
