Rwandan filmmaker and human rights activist, Jean Claude Muhire, scooped the Leader of the Year Award at the Africa Youth Awards 2016.

The producer is among the 18 winners in various categories of the third edition of the awards show announced on New Year’s Day, 2017.

The children and anti-domestic violence crusader is better known for his film, Liza, on violence against young girls and women. He is also a founding member of Rwanda Film Producers Union, and an ambassador of Art of Giving charity organistion.

Muhire is a co-founder of Love the Kids Foundation, a Rwandan not-for-profit organisation, working to provide basic needs to helpless children, and a member at the Executive Council of Young African Leaders Forum (YALF), a continental organisation with a mission to effect sustainable development in Africa.

He has previously received awards and honour at local, regional, continental and international levels. Africa Youth Awards 2016 winners represent 11 countries, and were determined by public votes, which were received from over 145 countries mid-November and late December 2016.

The other winners include Teacher Mendo Mpamire, a Ugandan comedian known for mimicking President Museveni, who bagged Discovery of the Year Award, Gakii Biriri (Kenya) is the Social Entrepreneur of the Year; City Rydes Limited (Kenya) won the Startup of the Year Award; and Sylivia Kakyo of Kakyo Girls Initiative (Uganda) scooped the Advocate of the Year accolade.

The winners will receive their awards during the 2017 Heads of State Summit in Addis Ababa due this month, according to Prince Akpah, the co-founder and president of Africa Youth Awards. Akpah said the winners are a "true testament of the contributions of young Africans to the development of the continent”. "The stories of these young Africans will inspire more youth as they prepare to take up leadership positions in their individual pursuits of moving Africa to the next level.”

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