MP Grant Shapps: UK Minister of State for International Development and Minister for Africa in the Foreign Office
Rwanda and Britain are scheduled to review their relationship after it turned sour in June following the arrest of Gen. Karenzi Karake Rwanda’s Intelligence chief.
The British government has sent its Minister of State for International Development and Minister for Africa in the Foreign Office, MP Grant Shapps arrives Thursday in the capital Kigali.
The UK High Commissioner in Rwanda, William Gelling, recently told the press that his government was drawing a plan to review its relations with Rwanda.
On June 20, Gen. Karake was arrested by the Metropolitan Police at London Heathrow Airport. He was returning home. The British Police claimed they were complying with a 2008 Spanish issued arrest warrant that sought to extradite to spain the Rwandan General.
Rwandans across the world condemned the arrest .
Britain is a major donor to Rwanda extending an estimated at £10 million in annual support to the budget.
According to the British High Commissioner in Kigali, part of Minister Shapps’ two-day visit will include touring different projects funded by the British Department for International Development (DFID) in the countryside.
It is also expected that Rwanda’s Finance Minister Clever Gatete and Shapps will formally sign the DFID Learning for All education programme and later meet members of the press.
In 2013, DFID, in partnership with Rwanda, offered £11.9million (Rwf12b) to support 26 projects promoting innovation in country’s education sector, with a focus on projects promoting English.
One of the successful projects is $1million ‘Teacher Self-Learning Academy project’ run by Plan International Rwanda-a child rights organisation. The project improves quality of teaching and learning in Science and English using innovative technology.
