Richard Nyirishema, new M inister of Sports
President Paul Kagame who was inaugurated last week has appointed 21 ministers and 9 Ministers of state to the new cabinet which starts the five-year term that promises to deliver to the expectations of the Rwandans.
Except for the three ministers who were replaced, the cabinet, including the prime Minister who was sworn in yesterday, Kagame kept his team with everyone in the same position and ministry.
The three cabinet members who were ousted are Aurore Mimosa Munyangaju who was Minister of Sports since November 2019 when he replaced the now vice president of Senate Esperance Nyirasafari.
Munyangaju was replaced by Richard Nyirishema who was vice president of National Federation of Basketball(Ferwaba). As permenant job, Nyirishema was heading the project of Water Supply and Isoko y’Ubuzima in the organization called Water For People. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and Environmental Technologies from the former Kigali Institute of Technology-KIST in 2003.
This Ministry of Sports has remained in the news for several years now with ups and downs of the national teams.
The President spoke about cases of witchcraft in football and corruption on top of poor decisions which undermines sports performance in Rwanda. Cases have been pilling up to the extent that several comments had put the leader of this minister on the list of those that were expected to go.
Prudence Sebahizi, new minister of trade and industry
Also going is the Minister of Trade and Industry Dr. Ngabitsinze Chrysostom who was replaced by Prudence Sebahizi.
Ngabitsinze is leaving a pending case of rice farmers of the Western Province who failed to get the market of tones of their harvest.
While presiding over the swearing in of members of parliament, August 14, President Kagame spoke about the case and challenged officials to wake up and follow up on problems of those that they are in entitled to serve-the Rwandan community.
“Farmers have grown rice, and this is all that we wanted them to do. But, how can officials fail to have their rice go the market for consumers to access it,” Kagame wondered.
He said he was surprised to learn about the case on social media while the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the ministry of agriculture, and the ministry of local government reported not knowing it.
He even said it is indecent that the intelligence itself did not report the case.
A part from the issue of market which is recurrent in the Western province including lack of markets for perishables, people will recall the case of one stop centers of government services which are supposed to be available at Rwanda Development Board(RDB).
A couple of years ago, Kagame learnt from the national dialogue, that investors are still going from an office to another to find documents, and asked several officials, including Ngabitsinze to explain. Kagame was not satisfied with the answer.
Amb. Christine Nkurikiyinka, new Minister of Public service and labour
Meanwhile, Amb. Christine Nkurikiyinka was appointed to the Ministry of Public Service and Labor(MIFOTRA). This ministry did not have a minister since July 25 when Dr. Jeanne d”Arc Mujawamariya was suspended following a case of investigation that started when she was in the ministry of environment.
She was at Mifotra for nearly one and half a month.
Change at Rwanda Governance Board(RGB)
Another change that became the talk of the city is at the Rwanda Governance Board(RGB) where CEO Usta Kaitesi ended a five year journey.
She was replaced by Dr. Doris Uwicyeza Picard.
Doris Uwicyeza Picard
Kaitesi is leaving a hot debate related to the closure of thousands of churches which do not fulfill RGB requirements, especially in terms of infrastructure, safety and leadership.
Two days ago, Kagame criticized church leaders for misleading Rwandans, taking the little they have from them while pretending to prophecize over their life. He vowed never to accept churches to cause chaos in the country.
Some churches said RGB went to extreme and lacked a minimum of lenience and consideration.
