President Paul Kagame has appointed Joseph Nsengimana new Minister of Education replacing Gaspard Twagirayezu who has been at the helm since August 2023.
Prior to that the outgoing Minister was serving as Minister of State in charge of Primary Education. He is living shortly after controversies on placement of students in Senior 1 and Senior 4. Parents lamented that children were given schools far away from their homes, despite Rwanda’s policy to offer students schools in their proximity.
A case that raised much controversy, however, is a case of students who were given inappropriate combinations-oriented in combinations where they earned the worst score. Some parents dared to say that the ministry was corrupt following a number of students who earned excellent score but were not given chance to go to the schools of their choice.
Nsengimana will serve alongside Irere Claudette, Minister of State at the ministry of Education.
Until his appointment, Nsengimana was Director at the Mastercard Foundation Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning.
Prior to joining the Mastercard Foundation, Joseph had a long career at Intel Corporation. His last role at Intel was Executive Director of Global Diversity and Inclusion (GDI) Policy, Strategy, and External Partnerships (PSEP), where he was responsible for helping Intel reach full representation in its US workforce two years ahead of schedule in 2018.
Nsengiyumva becomes the 17th Minister of Education since the last 30 years.
After this change former Minister Twagirayezu was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Rwanda Space Agency.
In Rwanda Development Board, Nelly Mukazayire who was deputy CEO was appointed Permanent Secretary at Ministry of Sports.
She is replacing Zephanie Niyonkuru who was relieved from his position on August 23. Niyonkuru was appointed Permenant secretary in January 2023 replacing Olivier Shema Maboko.
Actually, Niyonkuru was earlier on deputy CEO at RDB before being relieved from his duty and being replaced by the same officer-Mukazayire.
His removal from cabinet comes a week after a broader Cabinet reshuffle which followed President Kagame’s inauguration. In the reshuffle, also Aurore Mimosa Munyangaju was replaced by Richard Nyirishema as the Minister of Sports.
