Qui est qui au Rwanda?

Who is who in Rwanda
Radio Katwe, 28 Nov 2008, Kampala
By a Correspondent


Paul Kagame, President and Commander in Chief of the Rwandan Defence Force. Chairman of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, chief planner of the operation in which a Rwandan presidential jet was shot down with SAM-7 surface-to-air missiles in 1994.


Jeanette Kagame, the First Lady and wife of President Kagame, she owns a string of businesses in Rwanda, Europe, and South Africa in a country which is supposed to be free from corruption. Very powerful woman.



Col. Dr. Emmanuel Ndahiro, Director of the National Security Service and childhood friend of Kagame when they grew up together in Toro in western Uganda. Ndahiro organized the incident at the Uganda-Rwanda border in mid 2005 in which the convoy of Uganda's President and dictator Yoweri Museveni was stopped, searched, and harassed.
Ndahiro is the most trusted right-hand man and keeper of Kagame's secrets.
Lt. General Charles Muhire, a senior officer of the RDF, Air Force Commander and a close friend of Ndahiro.


Rosemary Museminari, Minister of Foreign Affairs.


Lt. Col. Rose Kabuye, Chief of Protocol in the Rwandan government, currently under arrest in France for her role in the death of French citizens who were flying the presidential jet which was shot down in 1994. She is said to have hosted in her house the men who shot down the plane. She arrested a number of prominent Hutus in Kigali after the RPF took power in 1994 and locked them up in an abandoned UN container near Amahoro national stadium, before they were murdered and secretly buried.


Martin Ngoga and Richard Mugisha, the Government Prosecutor General and a prominent lawyer respectively.


Joseph Bideri, the Managing Director of the New Times, coordinates media affairs.
Dr. Aisha Kirabo Kacyiru, coordinator of local government officials. She is the Mayor of Kigali City.


Mary Baine, Director of the Rwanda Revenue Authority and a sister to Rosemary Museminari.
Ambassador Joseph Mutaboba, the new appointed presidential envoy for the President in the Great lakes region.


Linda Bihire, Rwanda minister of infrastructure and Colonel Ndahiro's first wife.

Connie Bwiza Sekamana, a parliamentarian and a long time bush war friend of Colonel Ndahiro.

Robert Bayigamba, Chairman of Rwanda private sector federation.

Minister Protais Mitali, coordinator youth affairs. He is the Minister of Youth affairs.

Boniface Rucyagu, the governor of the northern province.

Juvenal Nkusi, a member of parliament.


A keen reader will notice how almost everyone of these people revolves around Col. Ndahiro, who being one step removed from the core, in turn, for the time being, faithfully orbits that core (president). The question is this: we know he is interested but what chance does the Colonel have of ascending to become the center of all things?