Alliance of Evil: The Case of Rujugiro, The Gang of Four

In last week’s article, I articulated the relationship between the gang of four and their chief financier, Ayabatwa Rujugiro. I pointed out that, the relationship is merely driven by perceived financial interest Rujugiro, may anticipate from a crazy and a futile project, that involves financing terrorists and wishful thinking of overturning a democratically elected government. That an old man of his age, and certainly a ‘father’ of the gang of four would want to be associated with a crazy group of disgruntled ex-government officials who failed every test of service, least accountability has left many Rwandans in awe. Many have wondered why such an old man, instead of counseling this gang against the imaginary and psychotic project, chooses to finance it. And although attempts to deny this on his part also exposes explicitly the character and substance of an old man, available evidence which collaborates the financing scheme was highlighted in the previous article, but suffice to add the following facts that constitute part and parcel of the scheme. As stated in the previous article, the relationship with the gang of four and their financier is on record. He travelled with Kayumba in 2010 on a private jet for their mobilization campaigns, which also saw them go to Qatar. In January 2011, Kayumba travelled to Mauritius from where he was to proceed to India, facilitated by Rujugiro with a private jet for a similar mission. This mission was not to be as Rujugiro’s smuggling record caught up with him and was refused landing rights to this effect. Such a journey in the company of the most wanted fugitives and terrorist could not have been another one of his business trips. Nor was it a holiday or both. It was a journey of doom, for the fugitives, and certainly doom for an old man, who by simple logic would be preparing for an honorable and respectable retirement in his mother land. At this stage in life the old man, who has made his money mainly by buying political constituencies (impossible to purchase in Rwanda unlike in many other countries in Africa), some of which he had to pay in prison currency, would have consolidated his wealth and secured from any form of uncertainty political or otherwise. What he has chosen to do has seemingly done the reverse, and with immediate consequences. You can’t fight a government for bogus and crazy reasons and get away with it. No matter how much you own, and no matter how long it takes, a government has the capacity and capability to bring such criminals to justice. This is simple logic. The illusions of support from whatever sources; be it foreign governments or a few individuals for a crazy project, can never threaten the resilience of a people hardened by the past, and prepared to foot the bill for the future, to avoid the past repeating itself no matter the cost and sacrifice that this duty calls. Capacity for this duty abounds in Rwanda. No one should doubt this. The Past meets the Present, and his Future Available records reveal the character of an old man, who has earned money through crooked ways. In late 1990s, he acquired 39 hectares of land in Kagarama upper market residential area of Kigali ostensibly to construct modern houses. It was later found out that, this land was for speculative purposes. It was repossessed by Kicukiro local administration, but was to involve a circus where he disguised himself, hiding behind other individuals for the sake of making money on this parcel of land by conniving to get documentation that would facilitate the transaction. It was never to be. Just before he was incarcerated in London for tax evasion in South Africa, this old man had shares in RIG. One project that was earmarked for financing is Cimerwa, the national cement factory in Rusizi District. This project came face to face with his unscrupulous ways of doing business. He was to re-export machinery meant for this project to Burundi’s Cyibitoke for a similar project. This shocked most people who had counted on his entrepreneurship to steer this project of national interest to completion. That a Rwandan can divert a national project to another country for his personal gains, left many questioning of his patriotism and sense of judgment, at a time when the government has tirelessly been promoting foreign investments in projects of priority such as the cement factory with its multiplier effect on the economy through construction synergies. This puts into context the character of one of own, and an investor many had looked to for inspiration that never was. Alliance with a Dubious Character: Dr Himbara. The old man now works with Himbara as his ADC (Aide De Camp) in this crazy and futile project. Himbara was a total failure, a disaster to the country when he was given a second chance to serve, after his absconding from duty in early 2000 for reasons that dismayed many then. His second abscondment and certainly the last, recently did not take many by surprise. He had totally failed, as he was only full of himself. Just before he left, he had engineered a scandal where he was to be a World Bank consultant in capacity building (demanding to earn $ 15,000), and at the same time a government official. This scheming was to expose Himbara, and his lack of sense of judgment in the extreme. Many in the government will remember him for abuse of office, insults to all who happened to work with him directly or indirectly, including senior government officials. But this failure to deliver has of late been traced back to his failed education career. It has emerged that he failed his o-levels in Uganda scoring 71 points which is a mark of absencia in an exam (maximum failure mark is 72). It has also emerged that, he used his brother’s certificates to go for his further studies. It is criminal for a person to disguise himself this far. This tells a story of a failed character that was asked too much for national duty. Available evidence indicates that, he was rejected by his own under-graduate students in a South African University for failure to deliver, resorting to out reach programs. That he can now be an ADC to an old man for a crazy and a futile project, collaborates what the pair are, rather than what they are not. To be continued next week. Email:jkayitakirwa@yahoo.com.