Francis Gatare is back to Rwanda Development Board (RDB) as Chief Executive Officer again, after President Paul Kagame appointed him to the top position on September 27.
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This is the second time for the 56-year-old Gatare to head the key government body mandated to accelerate Rwanda's economic development by mainly faciliating private sector growth.
He was previously the chief executive of the institution from 2014-2017, while he was also earlier involved in setting up the agency.
Gatare replaces Clare Akamanzi as the chief executive of RDB.
Born in 1967, Gatare is married with three children. He has extensive experience in the public sector spanning decades.
Prior to his latest appointment, Gatare served as Senior Economic Advisor to President Kagame – from September 2021. Before then, he was the CEO of Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board (RMB), from February 2017.
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From October 2009 to July 2014, he served as Principal Private Secretary in the Office of the President. He also served as the Chief Economist and Deputy Head of Policy and Strategy in the Office of the President.
Prior to joining the Office of the President, he served as the Principal Deputy CEO of the RDB, from January 2008 - October 2009. This followed the government policy to consolidate business-facing agencies into RDB, mainly to create a one-stop centre for business and investments. Here, Gatare coordinated the transition plan and built a governance framework for the Board.
Playing that role, he managed the entire merger process including the migration of agencies, closing and consolidating financials, and establishing a unified human resources management framework, among other tasks.
Gatare also served as the Director General of the now-defunct Rwanda Investment and Export Promotion Agency - from May 2007 to September 2008, which existed before RDB was established.
From April 2005 to October 2009, he was Rwanda's Representative to the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) – a holistic, comprehensive integrated strategic framework for the socio-economic development of Africa.
Gatare also served as Country Office Economist at UNDP Rwanda from September 2000 - April 2005.
University education
Gatare’s education journey includes a Masters of Public Policy and Public Administration at Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government from 2013-2014. In this programme, he expanded his knowledge and understanding of advanced economic development policy and strategy, the interlinking partnership between private and public sectors.
He spent most time studying disruptive innovations, as well as successful strategic investments in infrastructure and energy sectors.
Prior to that, he studied at the University of Windsor, Canada, in its Master of Arts, Economics, from 1996 –1998; and at the University of Toronto’s School of Graduate Studies, in Ontario (Canada), from 1991 to 1993.
He also studied at Makerere University, in Uganda; Bachelor of Arts, Economics and Political Sciences, from 1988-1991.