MODEST CABINET RESHUFFLE IN RWANDA

C O N F I D E N T I A L KIGALI 000166 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/03/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR KDEM RW SUBJECT: MODEST CABINET RESHUFFLE IN RWANDA REF: KIGALI 0002 Classified By: Ambassador Michael R. Arietti, reason 1.4 (B/D) ¶1. (C) Summary. President Kagame reshuffled his cabinet on March 7, issuing a late-night communique listing a 28- person body of Ministers and Ministers of State, twenty-three of whom served in the previous cabinet. Most major ministries went unchanged, with the Prime Minister and Ministers of Defense, Finance, Internal Security, Justice, and Local Government remaining in their positions. Three new ministerial positions were created: Youth, Cabinet Affairs, and East African Community. The overall number of ministers and ministers of state dropped from thirty to twenty-eight. Representation among the two major ethnic groups is balanced at fourteen Hutus and fourteen Tutsis. As required by the Rwandan constitution, the President Kagame's ruling Rwanda Patriotic Party (RPF) retains no more than fifty percent of the cabinet positions. The Social Democratic Party (PSD) kept its three seats in the cabinet, while the Ideal Democratic Party (PDI) kept its single seat. The Liberal Party (PL) appears to have lost one of its two seats. The reshuffle represents a modest repositioning of personnel, some ministers exchanging comparable portfolios, some under-performers dropped or shifted to minor ministries, and some go-getters receiving promotions. End summary. ¶2. (C) With the March 7 late-night announcement of the reshuffled cabinet, the Kagame government embarked upon a modest reshuffle of personnel, with most Ministers and Ministers of State either staying in their current positions (12),or trading places at comparable levels of responsibility (10). Little regarded Minister of Information Laurent Nkusi lost his job, as did Minister of Public Service Manasseh Nshuti (Rwanda's candidate for a senior position with COMESA) and Minister of Gender Valerie Nyirahabineza. Long-serving Foreign Minister Charles Murigande has been transferred to the Presidency as Minister for Cabinet Affairs (a position suggested by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is now an unpaid advisor to the govenment, during his March 23-24 visit to Rwanda). Trade and Industry Minister Protais Mitali has been shunted to the newly created and relatively unimportant Ministry of Youth. Education Minister Jeanne d'Arc Mujawamariya, on the hot seat over allegations of genocide ideology in secondary schools (reftel) has moved to Gender. ¶3. (C) Mujawamaryia's replacement at Education, Daphrose Gahakwa, promoted from Minister of State for Agriculture, will be back-stopped by the dynamic former Governor of the Eastern Province, Theoneste Mutsindashyaka, as Minister of State for Primary and Secondary Education -- this puts two Tutsis in Education, and may dampen Parliamentary unhappiness over the genocide ideology reports. Well-regarded Finance Minister of State Monique Nasanzabaganwa steps up to Trade and Industry. Foreign Affairs Minister of State Rosemary Museminali, groomed as Murigande's replacement for several years, moves up to Foreign Minister. From outside government, Monique Mukarulira joins the cabinet as East African Community Minister from a position with the African Union Commission in Sudan, and Infrastructure Minister Linda Bihire comes from the private sector in the United Kingdom. QBihire comes from the private sector in the United Kingdom. ¶4. (SBU) The PSD kept three Ministers, two of them shifted to comparable ministries (Public Service and Natural Resources), and one remaining at his previous position (Health). The PDI (formerly the Islamic Party) retains the Internal Security portfolio. The only real loser may be the PL, which lost one of its two ministers. The political affiliation of the new Information Minister Louise Mushikiwabo is unclear (sister of PL founder Lando Ndasingwa, she previously worked with Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank) -- some local observers believe she is RPF, or independent. Of the seven Ministers or Ministers of State dropped from the cabinet, four were RPF (three likely slated for other positions in government),two were independent, and one from the PL. Women now represent thirty-six percent of cabinet positions, up from the constitutionally required thirty percent. Among the two major ethnic groups, the cabinet now has fourteen Hutus and fourteen Tutsis; previously it was fourteen Hutus and sixteen Tutsis. ¶5. (C) Comment. In typical Rwandan fashion, the cabinet reshuffle occurred by means of a tersely-worded late-night communique -- no words of thanks for service rendered, no highlighting of accomplishments of the previous cabinet, no foreshadowing of future plans or intentions. President Kagame will swear in the new cabinet on Tuesday, March 11, and may offer some comments then. With the economy performing well, local markets weathering the turmoil in Kenya (Rwanda's main link for exports and imports),the government fully engaged in the push for peace in eastern Congo, and the donor community largely satisfied with the Kagame government's performance, the President embarked upon a modest repositioning of personnel as he enters the final two years of his term of office. End comment. ¶6. (U) The full cabinet follows: Ministers: Prime Minister: Bernard Makuza Agriculture: Christophe Bazivamo Defense: General Marcel Gatsinzi East African Community: Monique Mukaruliza Education: Daphrose Gahakwa Finance: James Musoni Foreign Affairs: Rosemary Museminali Health: Jean Ntawukuliryayo Infrastructure: Linda Bihire Internal Security: Moussa Fazil Hareliman Justice: Tharcisse Karugarama Natural Resources: Stanislas Kamanzi Local Government: Protais Musoni Office of Prime Minister - Gender: Jeanne d'Arc Mujawamariya Office of Prime Minister - Information: Louise Mushikiwabo Presidency - Cabinet Affairs: Charles Murigande Presidency - ICT/Sci-Tech: Romain Murenzi Presidency (no portfolio): Soline Myirahabimana Public Service: Anastase Murekezi Sports and Culture: Joseph Habineza Trade and Industry: Monique Nsanzabaganwa Youth: Protais Mitali Ministers of State: Agriculture (Animal Resources): Agnes Kalibata Education (Primary and Secondary): Theoneste Mutsindashyaka Infrastructure (Energy): Albert Butare Land (Water, Mines, Environment): Munyanganizi Bikoro Local Government (Community Development): Christine Nyatanyi Trade and Industry (Industry and Investment): Vincent Karega ARIETTI