KIGALI - A Cabinet Meeting chaired by President Paul Kagame Wednesday appointed John Gara as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rwanda Development Board (RDB).

He replaces American businessman Joe Ritchie who has been the head of the body for over a year.

Gara, a lawyer by profession, comes in at the time of restructuring the body which overseas several government agencies including the tourism office, ICT and investment.

Prior to his appointment, Gara has been working with the Special Advisory Services Division (SASD) of the Commonwealth Secretariat in London.

He also worked with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and as legal adviser for the United Nations on legal matters.

Gara worked with the United Nations Centre in Trans-national Corporations as well as a state attorney in Uganda.

The cabinet also changed the rank of the Brig. Gen Emmanuel Gasana to Commissioner General of Police.

Gasana was appointed by Cabinet in October to head the police force, replacing Mary Gahonzire who was transferred to Prisons.

Other appointments made by the cabinet include Faustin Musare who was made the First Councillor at the Rwandan Embassy in Brussels. In a related development Parfait Gahamanyi will serve as the first councillor in the Rwandan Embassy in Holland.

The cabinet also approved Kim Young Hoon as the South Korean Ambassador to Rwanda based in Dar es Salaam.

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