Vestine Ishimwe files for divorce from husband

Rwandan gospel singer Vestine Ishimwe has filed for divorce from her husband, Idrissa Ouedraogo, at Kicukiro Primary Court, just over a year after their wedding.

A preliminary hearing in the divorce case was held on Monday, 14 September 2026, according to InyaRwanda. Neither Vestine nor Idrissa attended the hearing in person, with both represented by their lawyers.

Vestine, one half of the gospel duo Vestine and Dorcas, is seeking to formally end her marriage to Idrissa after the couple married on 5 July 2025.

The pair held their wedding at Intare Conference Arena after committing to live together as husband and wife.

Idrissa has reportedly been formally notified of the divorce proceedings but does not want their marriage to end through divorce.

The exact grounds on which Vestine is seeking the divorce have not been publicly disclosed.

However, signs of possible difficulties in their relationship emerged months after their wedding.

On 18 November 2025, Vestine shared a lengthy message on social media in which she spoke about going through a difficult period and regretting some of the choices she had made in her life.

She said the life she was living was not the one she had chosen and that her experiences had taught her important lessons.

Vestine also said that if she chose another partner in the future, she would first take time to know him, his family and his background properly.

The comments prompted questions among some of her followers about the state of her marriage, although she did not publicly confirm any marital problems at the time.

She later deleted the message.

Vestine had not publicly announced a separation or divorce proceedings before details of the court case emerged.

Vestine performs alongside her younger sister, Dorcas Kamikazi, as Vestine and Dorcas. The pair are among Rwanda's well-known gospel music acts and currently live in Canada.

By Elisa UWINEZA