Evode Uwizeyimana
We may conventionally call the ending week, a week full of lessons that were given to some people here and there.
State Minister Evode Uwizeyimana made a mistake that he will regret the rest of his life. He pushed a security agent – a lady on duty who wanted him to go through the security scanner and she fell down.
State Minister in Charge of consultation and Legal Affairs, Uwizeyimana would have thought that the law exempts him, which is not the case.
Despite quick apologies on twitter and to the security woman, provisions of the code of conduct that is required for a cabinet minister applied. He resigned.
KT Press also learnt that more is even expected because Rwanda Investigation Bureau(RIB) is investigating his case.
The General public kept commenting on this case that dominated the headlines of the local media this week. Most of them say that the Minister lacks good manners and politeness.
They refer to previous cases where he for example called the journalists ‘imihirimbiri’ loosely translated as ‘cheap people, dirty people from the street’.
The media kept that name with grief but could not do anything to him. For that reason, they watched his fall with satisfaction.
Uwizeyimana had earlier on afforded to utter unpleasant words against Catholic Bishop of Byumba Servelien Nzakamwita, a senior citizen during the national dialogue while saying that he does not know family matters because of his status of celibacy.
There, the public commented that Uwizeyimana crossed the line, but there was no official follow up in this case.
Apparently, Uwizeyimana resigned at a time when many people were already cursing him.
Several clips about a number of ‘mistakes’ that he allegedly committed during his tenure as minister and way earlier started emerging on social media.
Also resigning this week was Isaac Munyakazi from the Ministry of education.
Isaac Munyakazi
The resignation of Munyakazi caught many off guard, but local media reports that Munyakazi, the State Minister for Education has been at the centre of scandals that have rocked the ministry charged with ensuring quality of education.
It is reported that Dr Munyakazi interfered with the process of releasing national exam results by allegedly colluding with officials at Rwanda Education Board (REB) to give a good ranking to some schools which had not performed particularly well.
Other reports suggest that the State Minister was caught in a number of personal scandals and using his power to influence things in the Ministry, exhibiting a conflict of interest.
Other sources also indicate that Munyakazi could have been held liable for the recent confusion in the language of instruction to be used in primary schools.
It should be noted that in Rwanda, resignation of a high official in central government is a rare case. But, it is a common trend in the local government, starting with district mayors.
Mayor Rwamurangwa, Kayisime Dropped
Not because they were liable to any mistake like in the previous cases, but Kigali city district mayors were dropped.
It was in line with implementing the new law governing the city of Kigali that was published last year.
In the new structure of city of Kigali, districts do not have legal personality and the title of the mayor was replaced by the District Executive Administrator and the deputy District Executive Administrator.
Kayisime Nzaramba-Left and Stephen Rwamurngwa
Members of this executive organ of the districts of city of Kigali are appointed by the Prime Minister.
Mrs Pauline Umwali was appointed Gasabo District Executive Administrator and Solange Umutesi, as Kicukiro District Executive Administrator.
Emmy Ngabonziza was appointed District Executive Administrator for Nyarugenge district.
Qatar Airways Seeks 49% Stake from RwandAir
The ending week registered several good news on another side though. The State of Qatar broke the news that it was discussing acquisition of 49% Stake in Rwanda’s national carrier – Rwandair.
Qatar and Rwanda love affair is becoming more interesting. This deal that is most likely to mature adds to previous mega deals.
Qatar-RwandAir deal
In December last year, the Gulf Airline and the Government of Rwanda concluded an investment partnership for Rwanda’s new international airport.
According to the government statement issued at the signing of the deal, the partnership features three agreements to build, own, and operate the state-of-the-art facility.
The initial value of the airport project was $818 million but Infrastructure Minister Claver Gatete said it will be expanded to have a bigger capacity and meet World class standards.
Under the new redesign, the new airport will accommodate seven million passengers per year for the first phase – almost double the initial capacity, with a second phase for 14 million passengers a year, expected to start by 2032.
$214 million deal for Nyabarongo Hydropower
In this context of cooperation also, Rwanda and China signed a $214 million financing agreement of Nyabarongo II hydropower plant. The project has three components: 43.5 MW Hydro power plant, a Substation and 110KV transmission line covering 19.2 km from the Power Plant to Rulindo sub-station.
“In addition to the current 224 MW generation capacity, combined with the pipeline of power projects, Nyabarongo Hydro II will increase grid generation capacity to an estimated 513.5 MW,” The Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Dr. Uzziel Ndagijimana said.
Rwanda Cancer Centre (RCC)
This week, President Paul Kagame inaugurated a new cancer centre at the Rwanda Military Hospital. It is the first and only radiotherapy centre in Rwanda and one of the most advanced in the Eastern Africa region.
“The Rwanda Cancer Centre is already saving lives with several hundred patients having been treated. We have been spending large sums of money to send a few patients abroad each year for cancer treatment,” President Kagame said.
The president is already looking forward to the extension of the centre.
Still about the president, he is now in Addis Ababa – Ethiopia for the African Union General Assembly that is discussing ‘silencing the guns’.
Yesterday, the president pledged $500,000 for African Women’s Leadership Fund.
He was also elected AUDA-NEPAD Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee (HSGOC). His term as chairperson will run from 2020-2022.
