Mu 1984 nibwo Edward Karangwa na Faith Grace Dukuze babyaye umwana w’umuhungu bamwita Thomas Muyombo. Yavukiye ahitwa Masindi mu Burengerazuba bwa Uganda.
Akiri umwana muto, Thomas Muyombo ntiyagize amahirwe yo kwitabwaho no guhabwa urukundo rwuzuye n’ababyeyi be kuko basize umuryango bakajya ku rugamba rwo kubohora igihugu.
Nubwo yahuye n’ubuzima bugoye akiri muto, Thomas Muyombo yaje gukura, abaho afite intego, ndetse abasha kuyigeraho, nk’uko abigarukaho muri iyi nkuru ishingiye ku buhamya yahaye Kigali Today na KT Press.
Ku izina rye hiyongereyeho andi ashingiye ku byo yize, aba Dr Thomas Muyombo, abifatanya n’umuziki agakoresha izina rya Tom Close.
Ashimira ababyeyi be (batakiriho) kuko batizigamye ahubwo bahisemo kwerekeza ku rugamba rwo kubohora igihugu, bazi neza ko bashobora no kuhasiga ubuzima, ariko bafite intego bashaka kugeraho, yo gusubirana uburenganzira mu gihugu cyabo.
Tom Close avuga ko atakunze kubana na se, ndetse ko yamubonye inshuro eshanu zonyine mu buzima bwe. Se yagiye mu gisirikare Tom Close akiri muto cyane.
Nyina na we yaje kujya ku rugamba, Tom Close arerwa na sekuru na nyirakuru babyara nyina.
Se wa Tom Close yitabye Imana mu 1995, nyina yitaba Imana mu 1996. Bapfuye urupfu rusanzwe urugamba rumaze kurangira. Se yari Lieutenant Colonel, nyina akaba yari Sergeant.
Nyina ngo ubwo yajyaga ku rugamba mu 1991 yajyanye Tom Close ku mucuruzi w’umunyamahanga bari baturanye i Masindi witwaga Johnson amubwira ko icyo azajya akenera nk’ikayi cyangwa ikindi gikoresho azajya agenda akagifata.
Tom Close avuga ko icyo gihe akiri umwana yakundaga guta amakayi, andi akayibagirwa cyangwa bakayamwiba.
Nyina agenda ngo ntiyamubwiye aho agiye, ahubwo agarutse mu mpera za 1992 amaze umwaka urenga nibwo yamubwiye ibyo yari arimo.
Tom Close yari yaratangiye ishuri mu mashuri abanza ndetse akajya yiga aba mu kigo n’ubwo yari akiri muto cyane, kuko ababyeyi be bari baragiye ku rugamba. Abavandimwe be babiri babanaga na sekuru aho bita Kiboga muri Uganda. Na we ngo yaje kujyayo mu mpera za 1993 no mu ntangiriro za 1994, ni ho bavuye bataha mu Rwanda.
Ababyeyi be bajya ku rugamba kuko bari bazi ko no gupfa bishoboka, basize baguriye sekuru wa Tom Close isambu nini n’inka bamubwira ko nibatagaruka abana babo bazaba aho.
Uwo sekuru ni na we batahanye mu Rwanda mu 1994 urugamba rwo kwibohora rwenda kurangira. Ngo bageze mu Rwanda basanga ibintu byinshi bikimeze nabi kuko aribwo Jenoside yari ikirangira. Babanje kujya kuba i Murambi mu Ntara y’i Burasirazuba.
Mu mpera za 1994 nibwo Tom Close yongeye kubonana na nyina, ariko akaba atari azi niba ababyeyi be bari bakiriho.
Ati “Mama yasanze turimo gukina umupira n’abandi bana, ngiye kubona mbona araje, ambonye araturika ararira, nanjye byarandenze nyine numvaga kongera kumubona ari nk’inzozi.”
Tom Close na nyina bahise baza kuba i Kigali ku Gishushu muri uwo mwaka wa 1994. Icyo gihe ngo nibwo nyina yatangiye kumubwira inkuru z’urugamba, amusobanurira impamvu bari barabasize.
Tom Close ati “Mama yambwiye ko twagombaga kuza mu Rwanda kubera ko igihugu twari turimo ntabwo hari iwacu, kandi mu Rwanda ntabwo bashakaga ko tuza ku mahoro. Rero byabaye ngombwa ko dukoresha izindi mbaraga. Byibura twifuje ko bakwemera tukaza ku mahoro, byanze dukomeza urugamba.”
Nyina ngo yamubwiye ko icyo barwaniraga kwari ukugira ngo Abanyarwanda bose bagire uburinganire, bishyire bizane, babone amahirwe angana mu gihugu cyabo.
Mu gihe yari akiri ku ishuri yiga muri Uganda, Tom Close avuga ko abana biganaga bamusererezaga bakamukorera ivangura kubera ko ari umunyamahanga, bakamubwira n’amagambo mabi bashingiye ku kuba ari umunyamahanga.
Ati “Ku ishuri iyo nabaga nashwanye n’abandi bana, jyewe baransererezaga bati wa kanyarwanda we!”
Ibyamubagaho ku ishuri n’ibyo nyina yamubwiye ko babaga mu gihugu kitari icyabo ngo Tom Close yambyumvise neza ubwo nyina yabimusobanuriraga nyuma y’urugamba, yumva impamvu bagombaga kujya ku rugamba rwo kubohora u Rwanda.
Mu 1995 Tom Close yahise atangira kwiga mu mashuri abanza mu kigo kiri hafi yo ku Gishushu ahitwa mu Rugando. Ngo yahize igihembwe kimwe ahita ahava ajya mu kigo cya Remera Academy giherereye i Remera aho bita mu Giporoso, naho aza kuhava yerekeza muri La Colombière.
Tom Close ntiyagize amahirwe yo kumarana igihe kirekire n’ababyeyi be ngo bishimire ibihe byiza nyuma y’urugamba rwo kubohora igihugu. Se yahise yitaba Imana mu 1995.
Icyakora se na nyuma yo kubohora igihugu ngo ntiyakunze kuza kubasura kenshi, kuko ngo yaje kubareba inshuro nk’ebyiri gusa. Ngo kubona uruhushya ntibyamworoheraga, kuko yari n’umusirikare wo ku rwego rwo hejuru (yari Lieutenant Colonel)
Tom Close ati “Mu buzima bwanjye muzi gakeya. Yishwe n’uburwayi, twabimenye nyuma tubibwiwe na Mama.”
Ibyo bintu ngo Tom Close byaramubabaje ariko kubera ibindi bibazo byinshi yabayemo, ibibazo ngo yari yarabimenyereye.
Nyuma y’umwaka umwe, nyina na we yaje kwitaba Imana mu 1996 ndetse baramushyingura mu isambu y’umuryango ariko nyuma ngo umurambo we baje kuwimurira mu irimbi rya Gisirikare i Kigali, naho se we yashyinguwe i Nyamata ku isambu y’iwabo.
Tom Close avuga ko nyina amaze gupfa, we n’abandi babanaga i Kigali bahise basubira kwa sekuru mu burasirazuba (usibye umwe wasigaye i Kigali ashakisha ubuzima), kuko sekuru we yari akiriho, yitabye Imana nyuma muri 2000, Tom Close akomeza kubana na nyirakuru ubyara nyina (yitabye Imana muri 2019).
Bageze Iburasirazuba basanze i Murambi sekuru yarahavuye yimukira ahitwa i Kibondo. Aho i Kibondo ni ho Tom Close yakomereje amashuri abanza, gusa ngo cyari ikigo kibi kuko byabasabaga kwitwaza intebe zo kwicaraho n’amazi yo gutera mu ishuri kugira ngo batarwara imbaragasa. Ngo hari habi agereranyije no muri La Colombière aho umubyeyi we yari yaramujyanye kwiga, dore ko cyari ikigo kiri mu bya mbere byiza i Kigali. Aho i Kibondo yaharangirije amashuri abanza ari uwa mbere, atsinda ikizamini cya Leta akomereza i Kiziguro mu cyiciro rusange (Tronc Commun), nyuma akomereza icyiciro cya kabiri cy’amashuri yisumbuye i Kigali muri LDK.
Aho igitekerezo cyo kwiga ubuganga cyaturutse
Tom Close avuga ko akimara kubonana na nyina yasanze asigaye arwara igifu akaremba cyane ntajye ku kazi.
Tom Close ati “Namuhaye isezerano ko ninkura nzaba umuganga nkazamuvura. Icyo gihe rero nahise ngira iyo ntego. Ni ikintu nagombaga gukora mu buzima bwanjye nkakigeraho.”
Akirangiza amashuri yisumbuye yahise ajya kwiga muri Kaminuza i Butare, ndetse yiga ibyerekeranye no kuvura nk’uko yari yarabisezeranyije umubyeyi we.
Icyakora mbere y’uko ajya kwiga i Butare ngo yagerageje inshuro ebyiri kujya mu gisirikare ariko ntibyamukundira, akavuga ko ubwo ari ko Imana yabishatse kugira ngo abe akora ibyo akora ubu. Ngo yumvaga ashaka kujya mu gisirikare agakomereza aho ababyeyi be bari bagejeje mu gukorera igihugu.
Kugeza ubu Tom Close ni umuganga wabyigiye akaba n’umwe mu bafite izina rikomeye mu muziki mu Rwanda.
Avuga ko muri ubwo buzima bwose yaciyemo, ikintu yumva kimuha imbaraga kikanamufasha gutera imbere, gishingiye ku biganiro yakundaga kugirana na nyina. Ngo ntabwo yamuganirizaga nk’umwana ahubwo yamuganirizaga nk’umuntu mukuru amubwira icyo barwaniye, akamubwira uko urugamba rwagenze. Nyina ngo ntiyakundaga kuba ari imbere ku rugamba kuko yabaga mu by’amafaranga ari na byo yize (Finance) akaba yaranabikozemo muri Minisiteri y’Ingabo (MINADEF) mbere y’uko yitaba Imana.
Ati “Ikimpa imbaraga ni uko ibyo mama yambwiye barwaniye byose njya mbibona. Abasigaye barimo kubishyira mu bikorwa. Yajyaga ambwira ko bifuza ko igihugu gitera imbere, ko barwaniye kugira ngo bazane Amajyambere.”
“Rero ibyo yatubwiye barwaniye byose, uyu munsi ndamutse mpfuye nkamusanga ahantu ari namubwira nti ibyo mwarwaniye byagezweho, n’ibitaragerwaho birimo kugerwaho cyangwa bizagerwaho kandi hari icyizere.”
Tom Close ubu ni umugabo wubatse afite umugore n’abana babiri, akagira n’abavandimwe be babiri, mukuru we na mushiki we. Avuga ko byari kuba bibabaje iyo ababyeyi be barwanira igihugu uyu munsi kikaba ari kibi nk’uko cyahoze mbere.