President Paul Kagame has appointed new Ministers for Local Government and Agriculture and Animal Resources, according to an announcement by the Prime Minister’s Office on October 18. Patrice Mugenzi has been named the new Minister of Local Government, replacing Jean Claude Musabyimana, who had served in the role since 2021. Meanwhile, Mark Cyubahiro Bagabe has been appointed Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, taking over from Ildephonse Musafiri, who held the position since March 2023. Bagabe, prior to this appointment, has been the Director General of the Rwanda Inspectorate, Competition and Consumer Protection Authority since March 2024. His general leadership experience includes key roles at various government institutions, such as the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board and the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB). He holds a PhD in Plant Health and an MSc in Technology of Crop Protection from the University of Reading. Mugenzi, who steps into the role of Local Government Minister, most recently served as Director General of Rwanda Cooperative Agency (RCA). He brings 15 years of experience as an agribusiness management specialist and has served as a lecturer at University of Rwanda. Additionally, Mugenzi has worked as a consultant, researcher, and expert in managing multidisciplinary projects with a focus on socio-economic research, supply and value chain analysis, rural finance, and agribusiness. Mugenzi holds a PhD in Agribusiness Management from Egerton University in Kenya and a Master’s degree in Management, Economics, and Consumer Studies from Wageningen University in the Netherlands.
