Sandrine Isheja Butera

Not notable enough October 16 2026 12:22 20261016122220 Sandrine Isheja Butera (also known as Isheja Sandrine Butera) is a Rwandan journalist, radio presenter, master of ceremonies and media executive. She has been Deputy Director General of the Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA) since August 2024, when a cabinet meeting chaired by President Paul Kagame appointed her. Before that, she was one of the best-known radio presenters in Rwanda, and was popular for her charming and silky voice. Butera was born in the late 1980s, the youngest child and only girl in a family of three. She attended primary school at Ecole La Colombière and ESCAF, and secondary school at APACE and College Saint André. She began her media career at Radio Salus, and became known for her entertainment and general-interest programmes on several Rwandan radio stations, including KISS FM. She also became a popular MC, presenting major events, and she chaired the jury for the Miss Rwanda 2018 competition. In August 2024 she was appointed to lead the daily running of RBA alongside its Director General, and said she was ready to give her mind, heart and hands to continue building Rwanda. In February 2026 she presided as master of ceremonies at the opening of the 20th National Dialogue Council, where she urged Rwandans at home and abroad to believe in themselves and stand together, recalling that the first edition of the Council was in 2003, when she was 15. In an interview with The New Times in 2015, she said she challenges those who look down on women. Quotes "I always challenge those who look down on women." I always challenge those who look down on women - Isheja The New Times (July 9, 2015) "I remember the day I decided to be a winner. I was just six or seven years old. It was at a wedding ceremony during the “Gutwikurura” ceremony where children and the bride and groom are taken to the bedroom and given milk. That day, some women refused me to go among those children because I did not have a father. In fact, they even started talking about how a child who is raised by a woman doesn’t get far in life. I was deeply hurt but my mother told me that I could be whatever I wanted to become in life. She has always been motivating and supportive. That’s the day I decided to show those women and everyone who thinks like them that you can be raised by a woman and become a successful woman yourself." https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/120504/Lifestyle/i-always-challenge-those-who-look-down-on-women---isheja? "I can’t think of a specific moment right now but the lowest moments of my show are those days when I feel like I could have done better. The highest moments are days when I receive a phone call and the caller gives an amazing and touching testimony. You don’t plan for those moments, they just happen." https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/120504/Lifestyle/i-always-challenge-those-who-look-down-on-women---isheja? “U Rwanda nirugusaba amaboko uzaruhe n’umutima! Ibi nibyo mwadutoje, Nyakubahwa PaulKagame, mbashimiye icyizere mwangiriye." (“If Rwanda ever calls on you, give it not only your hands, but also your heart. This is what you taught us, Your Excellency Paul Kagame. I thank you for the trust you have placed in me.”) https://inyarwanda.com/rw/amakuru/ishimwe-rya-sandrine-isheja-kuri-perezida-kagame-wamugize-umuyobozi-muri-rba-146216 "To everyone who has a dream, it is possible, be yourself, don’t try to be someone else, don’t copy because you will always be one step behind. Work hard and never stop learning. Be honest, be patient, consistent and work without expecting a reward or recognition. You will succeed." https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/120504/Lifestyle/i-always-challenge-those-who-look-down-on-women---isheja? "My mother. She had everything, lost everything during the genocide and then she rebuilt everything from scratch. She is a prayerful woman and she cares for others. She is a strong woman, I rarely see her cry and I always beg her to take a day off because she works too much." https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/120504/Lifestyle/i-always-challenge-those-who-look-down-on-women---isheja? "If we continue to stand together as Rwandans, where can't we reach?" Speaking at the opening of the 20th National Dialogue Council. Sandrine Isheja Butera Urges Rwandan Youth to Believe in Themselves The Kaminuza Star (February 5, 2026) "Niteguye gutanga ubwenge, umutima n'amaboko yanjye mu gukomeza kubaka u Rwanda." ("I am ready to give my mind, heart and hands to continue building Rwanda.") After her appointment at RBA; translation by the editor. Ishimwe rya Sandrine Isheja kuri Perezida Kagame wamugize Umuyobozi muri RBA InyaRwanda (August 24, 2024)\ “It was incredible! The thrill, speed, and adrenaline were amazing! I gained a new appreciation for the sport’s intensity and the exceptional focus and precision required from both the pilot and co-pilot.” https://www.africa-press.net/rwanda/sport/blazing-a-new-trail-how-sandrine-isheja-found-herself-into-motorsport?utm_source “But as I’ve grown, I’ve realised how lucky I am to live in a country where there are no limits for women, where we are free to dream and pursue whatever we desire.” https://www.africa-press.net/rwanda/sport/blazing-a-new-trail-how-sandrine-isheja-found-herself-into-motorsport?utm_source “This partnership between RBA and the Al Jazeera Media Institute marks a significant milestone in our commitment to strengthening public service journalism in Rwanda.” https://www.rwandainqatar.gov.rw/actualites/info-details/al-jazeera-media-institute-and-rwanda-broadcasting-agency-sign-mou-to-advance-media-cooperation?utm_source “It is not only an opportunity to build the capacity of our media professionals, but a gateway to reaching broader audiences and telling Rwanda’s stories — and Africa’s stories — in our own voice, with authenticity and pride.” https://www.rwandainqatar.gov.rw/actualites/info-details/al-jazeera-media-institute-and-rwanda-broadcasting-agency-sign-mou-to-advance-media-cooperation?utm_source Category:Women from Rwanda Category:Journalists Category:Living people