KIGALI - In a bid of conforming to the East African Community, the government has appointed justice minister as the Attorney General, a portfolio that has not been in existence.

Tharcisse Karugarama said that a law confirming him as Attorney General to the Government was passed in August.

Last week, the cabinet appointed the four Assistant Attorney Generals who will head different departments in the office.

"With our entry into the East African Community (EAC), it was deemed necessary that there are some functions/duties that are reserved for the Attorney General and on August 8, the Cabinet decided to merge the office of the Attorney General with the Ministry of Justice,” Karugarama said over the weekend.

The Attorney General is the government’s chief legal advisor and the holder of the Public Seal.

Karugarama’s assistants are Alphonse Sebazungu (Civil Litigation), Isabelle Karihangabo (Legal Advisory service), Jean Pierre Kayitare (Legislation Drafting Service) and Jacqueline Bakamurera, who will head the Legal Aid Services unit.

"The assistant Attorney General in charge of Civil Litigation will be charged with representing the government in court cases while the one in charge of Legislation Drafting will work to ensure that the laws drafted are in conformity with the constitution,” Karugarama said.

He added that these services have been existent in different departments of the Justice ministry.

Civil litigation was being handled by the ‘Mandataire Generale’ but now the vice attorney general in charge of this section (Sebazungu) will be working with a team of Principle State Attorneys.

Sebazungu has been a prosecutor with national competence.

The immediate former mandataire generale Hermogène Higaniro was last week appointed by the same cabinet meeting as prosecutor with national competence.
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