Gospel singer Ishimwe Vestine has petitioned the Kicukiro Primary Court to grant her a permanent divorce from her husband, Ouedraogo Idrissa , slightly more than a year after their wedding. On Monday, September 14, 2026 , an initial case-management hearing was held at the Kicukiro Primary Court. Reliable information indicates that neither Vestine nor Idrissa appeared in person; both were represented by their respective lawyers. Vestine and Idrissa got married on July 5, 2025 , in a ceremony held at Intare Conference Arena after committing to live together as husband and wife. Just over a ye

Gospel singer

Ishimwe Vestine

has petitioned the Kicukiro Primary Court to grant her a permanent divorce from her husband,

Ouedraogo Idrissa

, slightly more than a year after their wedding. On Monday,

September 14, 2026

, an initial case-management hearing was held at the Kicukiro Primary Court. Reliable information indicates that neither Vestine nor Idrissa appeared in person; both were represented by their respective lawyers. Vestine and Idrissa got married on

July 5, 2025

, in a ceremony held at Intare Conference Arena after committing to live together as husband and wife. Just over a year after their wedding, Vestine turned to the courts seeking to formally end their marriage through divorce. According to information available on the case, Idrissa has been notified by the court that he was sued by Vestine. Reports also indicate that he does not want the marriage to end through divorce, although the case is still before the court.

Vestine Had Previously Spoken About Difficulties in Her Personal Life

Before news of the court case emerged, Vestine had shared a message on social media that prompted some of her followers to question whether she was experiencing difficulties in her personal life. On

November 18, 2025

, only a few months after her wedding, she wrote about going through a difficult period and expressed regret over some of the decisions she had made. She said the life she was living at the time was not the one she had chosen and that she had learned difficult lessons from her experiences. She also indicated that, in the future, she would be more careful when choosing someone with whom to build a life. The message was later deleted, while several photos of Vestine and her husband that had previously appeared on her Instagram account also disappeared. This led some followers to speculate that problems may have emerged in their marriage. At the time, however, Vestine did not publicly announce that she had separated from her husband or that she had taken the matter to court. The court proceedings now confirm that the future of their marriage is before the justice system.

Divorce Case Comes Under Rwanda’s Current Family Law

Rwanda’s law governing persons and the family, enacted on

July 30, 2024

, provides several grounds on which either spouse may petition for divorce. These include adultery, abandonment of the marital home without a valid reason, conviction for a serious offence, refusal to provide for the family and various forms of abuse. The law also recognizes grounds including

physical or psychological violence, emotional abuse, economic abuse and conduct that seriously undermines the well-being of one of the spouses

. Other grounds include circumstances in which spouses have not lived together for more than six consecutive months from the date of marriage without a valid reason, as well as situations where continuing the marriage has become impossible because of another intolerable circumstance. However, citing one of these grounds does not automatically result in a divorce. The court must consider the reasons presented, the available evidence and the responses of both parties before reaching a decision. Ishimwe Vestine is widely known for her Gospel music and has built her career alongside her younger sister,

Dorcas

. The two have released several songs and performed at various events, building a significant following among Gospel music fans. Vestine’s personal life also attracted considerable public attention following her wedding to Idrissa in 2025. Now, just over a year after their marriage, she has asked the Kicukiro Primary Court to grant her a permanent divorce. The case remains before the court, with both sides expected to participate in the proceedings before a final decision is reached.

A little more informed. A little more connected.