Christophe Bazivamo has said he is committed to fulfill what is required for the benefit of the East African Community.

Bazivamo was recently appointed as Deputy Secretary General of the East African Community (EAC) in charge of administration and finance.

"It’s a new responsibility and, as usual, when it comes to a new responsibility I am committed to fulfill what is required to be done so that the Community can benefit from my way of doing business,” Bazivamo, who will have to step down from his role as a legislator of the regional Assembly, told Saturday Times on Thursday.

At the EAC Secretariat, the executive Organ of the Community, Bazivamo and three other Deputy Secretaries-General serving a maximum of two three-year terms have to support the Secretary-General in the management and executive direction of the Secretariat.

The current vice-chairman of the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF-Inkotanyi) previously served in various ministerial positions in Rwanda before joining EALA in 2011.

Bazivamo is one of Rwanda’s nine representatives in EALA where he sits on more than one committee, including the Agriculture, Tourism and Natural Resources Committee which he chairs.

His priorities, he said, will be the priorities of the integration process.

"Normally, when you have a clear roadmap on the table, you actually maximise your energy so that targets are achieved. Now we are concentrating on the one single customs territory which we must invest effort in so that it is achieved,”Bazivamo said.

"We are also into the establishment of the Monetary Union and we have to look into it and determine how we contribute.”

The area of infrastructure, he said, is also key because the partner states need all that as they strive for quicker and better integration. Bazivamo as well noted his keenness to also look into the issue of non trade barriers.

"We remove some but then later, there are others that emerge and, as such, we have to look into this matter. We can actually contribute, at our level, in the best way possible,” he said.

Since the next EAC Summit is not likely to convene until November, Bazivamo will be sworn in by the Chairperson of the EAC Summit, President John Pombe Magufuli of Tanzania, before he assumes his new duties.

Who is Bazivamo?

Bazivamo, an agriculturist by profession, had his elementary education in the current Rulindo District and joined secondary school at Lycee de Kigali in 1975. 

He joined the National University of Rwanda (now University of Rwanda) in 1981 where he graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Agro-Engineering. Between 1988 and 1989, he worked as a teacher.

Later, he pursued his Masters Degree in Germany. After graduate studies, Bazivamo worked with several NGOs until 1994.

After the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, he served as the Prefet of the then Gitarama Prefecture.

Later, he became the first Executive Secretary of NEC until 2002, when he was appointed Local Government Minister. Afterwards, he held several ministerial posts in the ministries of; Internal Security, Agriculture, Land, Environment, Forestry and Water and Mines.

He has been the RPF vice chairperson since 2002. 

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