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On Monday, March 15, 2021, President Paul Kagame made key appointments, including two ministers; one for Trade and Industry and the other for Local Government.

Beata Habyarimana became the new Minister for Trade and Industry, replacing Soraya Hakuziyaremye, while Jean Marie Vianney Gatabazi replaced Anastase Shyaka.

The changes which were announced by Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente also saw the appointment of three new provincial governors.

So who are the new appointees?

Beata Habyarimana – Minister for Trade and Industry

Habyarimana is an economist with over 15 years of experience in the financial sector.

Prior to her appointment, she was the Deputy Managing Director at Bank of Africa. She also worked at Agaseke Bank as the CEO and at  Banque Populaire du Rwanda (BPR) where she held multiple senior positions.  

She has also previously worked with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 

People who have worked with Habyarimana describe her as a strategic thinker and commend her leadership skills, saying she is excellent at motivating her teams.

Jean-Marie Vianney Gatabazi – Minister for Local Government

The new local government minister was until his appointment the Governor of Northern Province. He assumed this position in September 2017. 

Prior to his appointment as Governor, Gatabazi was a Member of Parliament. He also served as the vice-chairperson of the National Youth Council and worked at the Rwanda Biomedical Center as the Head of Communications. 

The 52-year-old holds a Master’s degree in Strategic Management.

Dancille Nyirarugero – Governor, Northern Province

Nyirarugero joins local government from the education sector.

Prior to her appointment, she was the Dean of Business Studies at Muhabura Integrated Polytechnic College (MIPC), a vocational school based in Musanze District. 

She holds a Master’s degree in Quantitative Economics and is also a Ph.D. candidate.

Emmanuel Gasana – Governor, Eastern Province

Gasana, who replaces Fred Mufulukye, previously served as the Governor of Southern Province, a position he held between October 2018 to May 2020. 

Prior to joining Local Government, Gasana was the Inspector General of Police. He was also a senior officer in the Rwanda Defence Forces.

François Habitegeko – Governor, Western Province

Habitegeko, who replaces Alphonse Munyantwari, has been the Mayor of Nyaruguru District.

During his tenure, Habitegeko spearheaded efforts to transform Nyaruguru and leaves the district on good footing. More residents are economically empowered and have amenities like electricity and clean water, which were a distant dream just a few years back. 

He is among the handful of mayors who fully served two terms.

Alice Kayitesi – Governor, Southern Province

Alice Kayitesi remains Governor of the Southern Province, a position she has held since July 2020. Prior to her appointment as Governor, she had been working as the Mayor of Kamonyi District since 2017.

Soraya Hakuziyaremye – Deputy Governor, Central Bank

Former Trade Minister, Soraya Hakuziyaremye moves to the Central Bank as Deputy Governor replacing Dr. Monique Nsanzabaganwa who was elected Deputy Secretary-General of the African Union Commission in February.

Before becoming a cabinet minister, Hakuziyaremye worked in the financial sector.

She worked as Vice President, Senior Risk Manager in Financial Services at ING based in London. She also served as Senior Credit Risk Manager Financial Institutions, Financial Markets at the same intuition.

She is a graduate of Solvay School of Economics and Management in Brussels, Belgium and Thunderbird School of Global Management in the United States.