Richard Nyirishema, the newly appointed Minister of Sports, has outlined his priorities as he takes over the responsibilities, saying he aims to engage with various stakeholders to drive the nation’s sports ambitions forward. Nyirishema was sworn in alongside other new government officials by President Paul Kagame on Monday, August 19. The sports ministry will continue to work closely with the federations. The first thing is to work with the partners, to know what they want and how we can work together with them to achieve success. The goal is development of sports,” he said in an interview with the national broadcaster. He expressed his gratitude for the trust placed in him by President Kagame and emphasised his readiness to contribute to Rwandan sports development. “When you are given responsibilities, that is the first step. After that, you need to get advice. You have to talk to others about how you are going to do your job,” he noted. Prior to his new role, Nyirishema served as the Vice President in charge of competitions at the Rwanda Basketball Federation (FERWABA) since 2016. He is also a member of the FIBA Zone V Board, where he coordinates regional basketball events. Nyirishema's expertise extends beyond sports as he has a background in water resources management, having worked as the Senior Water Supply Manager for the USAID Isoko y’Ubuzima Project. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering and Environmental Technology from the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), a Diploma in Water Resources and Environment Management from Muroran Institute of Technology in Japan, and a Program Diploma in Project Management from the International Business Management Institute in Germany.
