KAGAME FIRES EDUCATION MINISTER OF STATE FOLLOWING

C O N F I D E N T I A L KIGALI 000534 AF/PD FOR KAY MOSELY, DAN WHITMAN E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/28/2019 TAGS: PGOV PHUM KPAO RW SUBJECT: KAGAME FIRES EDUCATION MINISTER OF STATE FOLLOWING MEDIA ALLEGATIONS OF CORRUPTION REF: KIGALI 454 Classified By: Ambassador W. Stuart Symington for reasons 1.4 c,d. ¶1. (C) Summary. President Kagame fired the Rwandan Minister of State for Education following media reports that the official had abused power during his earlier tenure as mayor of Kigali. Kagame initially criticized the press report, but after a later article provided additional information backing up the charges, Kagame fired the Minister. Rwandan media is frequently characterized by slipshod journalism. This, however, is a case where an independent newspaper report precipitated action that reflects a new watchdog role for the Rwandan media. End Summary. ¶2. (U) President Kagame fired Minister of State for Education for Primary and Secondary School Education Theoneste Mutsindashyaka on July 21 after a series of articles appeared in Rwandan independent English-language weekly "Focus" accusing him of having abused power while he was mayor of Kigali. Kagame, in response to a journalist's query as to what he would do about the charges, criticized the initial "Focus" article published in May as an example of poor journalism. However, a July 8 "Focus" piece provided additional information on Mutsindashyaka, ultimately leading to his removal. "MEN EAT, DOGS PAY" (Rwandan proverb: "big shots steal, small guys pay") ¶3. (U) According to "Focus," an old man in the Remera district of Kigali, Kamiri Batsinda, had inherited a house from his brother, who was murdered during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Batsinda was a returnee who had spent much of his life in exile in Burundi. He received a court summons declaring that the government was going to take over his house for "developments of benefit to the public." (Comment: This is legal if the project is in the public interest, e.g., for roads or schools. End Comment.) Batsinda repeatedly challenged the court rulings. It turned out, according to "Focus," that his plot of land was being acquired by Augustine Bizimana, who owned an adjacent property, for a commercial project (shops and offices). Next, the article continued, the Minister, who was then the mayor, signed a fraudulent demolition order for the house and then-Vice Mayor Claudine Nyinawagaga allegedly made sure that Batsinda's house was demolished despite efforts by the Public Ombudsman and the police to stop the demolition. The then-Mayor's office publicly called Batsinda's charge false and tried to discredit his claims. PRESIDENT KAGAME CRITICIZES JOURNALISTS, THEN FIRES ACCUSED ¶4. (SBU) After "Focus" accused the Minister of wrongdoing in Batsinda's property affair, journalists publicly asked Kagame what he was going to do about the offending officials. He replied that he had "different information" on the case and criticized the journalists as incompetent and unwilling to research their stories properly to get the right information. "Focus" then published a piece on July 8, providing additional information backing up their case. On July 20, Kagame fired the Minister without making the case of dismissal public. Initial reports (reftel) focused on alleged contract irregularities while the Minister was earlier serving as governor of the Eastern Province. However, later reports, and convincing Rwandan contacts, attribute the firing to the property dispute in the "Focus" expose. ¶5. (C) Comment: While the Rwandan press continues often to feature what appear to be unprofessional attacks and unproven allegations, this case is one where the media may have served successfully as a useful Rwandan watchdog. Well-connected Rwandans note that this public expose on corruption affected QRwandans note that this public expose on corruption affected the Rwandan president, who has made rooting out corruption a central tenant of his Administration. The President reassessed his views of the Minister he first publicly defended, and fired him. End Comment. SYMINGTON