Dr. Iyamuremye Augustine
Rwanda senate on Friday confirmed a seven-member team that will constitute a commission tasked to offer technical assistance to legislators scheduled to begin amendment of the constitution.
The commission members exhibit law drafting experince and will help review the 2003 constitution and most especially provisions on presidential term limits.
According to Senator Appollinaire Mushinzimana, the chairman of Senate political and social committee, the Senate received the commissioners for an interview, “to see whether they were the right people, or whether they are ready for a huge task awaiting them.”
The commissioners include Augustine Iyamuremye, a former member of parliament who accumulated a good expertise in Rwandan politics and now chairman of Rwanda Elders Advisory Council.
Usta Kayitesi, PhD in law and the Principle for University of Rwanda, College of Arts and Social Sciences is deputy chair of the commission which will be reporting to the Lower Chamber.
Five members of the commission include John Mirenge, the Chief Executive Officer of Rwandair Ltd, who holds a Bachelor Degree in Law.
Evode Uwizeyimana, a lawyer and vice chairman of Rwanda Law Reform Commission is bringing to the commission an expertise from his office’s routine job of law review.
From the same institution, Loyce Bamwine, Manager in charge of legal research and reform and Beata Mukeshimana, Head of Department of law research reform and revision will join the seven.
On this commission is Aimable Havugimana, the Principle of Nyanza based Institute of Legal Practice and Development.
Speaking about this technical team, Laurent Nkongoli, a long practicing lawyer and commissioner at National Human Right Commission told KT Press, “They are the right people included in two categories of expertise.”
Without pointing to individuals, Nkongoli said the first category of this team includes; “people who know very well Rwanda’s history and who have seen the country rise from nowhere to glory.”
The second category includes people who are academically sound in law sector.
Overall advantage, he said, all the team members have a great understanding of the Rwandan leadership and legal system.
Nkongoli was impressed by the good choice of a person with a sound business understanding among the seven.
He said most of the pledges that were filed by Rwandans made sense of Rwanda’s economic development. The member will help teammates to understand the meaning of such petitions and how they would drive constitution review.
For Edouard Munyamariza, the chairman of civil society platform, “there is no point to talk about any individual profile. We are only expecting them to deliver as team for an output that responds to Rwandans’ aspirations.”
It is expected that the commissioners will take an oath in front of the President of Supreme court on Monday, and then take a leave from their usual assignment.
They will report to the parliament lower chamber. Their offices with support staff will be located at parliament premises, first and second floor.
“My country invested a lot in me and gave me capacity to work on Rwandans’ aspirations. I cannot take it for granted,” Kayitesi told KT Press.
Dr. Usta Kaitesi
John Mirenge
Loyce Bamwine
Aimable Havugiyaremye
Beata Mukeshimana
Evode Uwizeyimana
