Clare Akamanzi was on Friday appointed the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rwanda Development Board (RDB), in extraordinary Cabinet meeting chaired by President Paul Kagame, at Village Urugwiro.

This was announced in a statement released by the Minister in charge of Cabinet Affairs in the Office of the Prime Minister, Stella Ford Mugabo.

Akamanzi replaces Francis Gatare, who was appointed CEO of the newly created Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board. 

This automatically makes Akamanzi a member of the Cabinet.

At RDB, Emmanuel Hategeka was appointed Chief Operating Officer, a post from which he replaced Serge Kamuhinda.

Akamanzi was replaced at the Strategy and Policy Unit in the Office of the President by Lt Col Andrew Nyamvumba.

Hategeka was on the other hand replaced by the outgoing Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and East African Affairs (MINEACOM), Innocent Safari.

The Cabinet meeting also appointed other heads of parastatals that were created following the dissolution of Rwanda Natural Resources Authority (RNRA).

Besides the Mines and Petroleum Board, two other parastatals were curved out of RNRA; the Rwanda Land Management and Use Authority, to which Esperence Mukamana was named Director General, and Rwanda Water and Forestry Authority, which will be headed by Prime Ngabonziza as Director General.

Mukamana will automatically become the Chief Registrar of Land Titles. 

Cabinet granted leave of absence from public service to former Director General of RNRA, Emmanuel Nkurunziza, who was recently appointed to head the Regional Centre for Mapping Resources for Development, which is based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Cabinet also appointed City of Kigali Mayor, Monique Mukaruliza as the new High Commissioner to Zambia.

Meanwhile, cabinet made changes in Permanent Secretaries to different ministries, where Safari was replaced at MINEACOM by Rosemary Mbabazi, who has been at the Ministry of Youth and ICT in the same capacity.

She was replaced at the ICT Ministry by Regis Gatarayiha, who was once the Director General of Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority.

At the Ministry of Public Service and Labour, long serving Permanent Secretary Sam Mulindwa was replaced by Gaspard Musonera.

Mulindwa was moved to the Ministry of Education in a similar docket.

Other appointments included that of Josephine Mukesha as Director General of the National Identification Agency (NIDA), replacing Pascal Nyamurinda.

Prof. Mannasseh Mbonye, who has been the principal of the College of Science and Technology was appointed Director General of the National Council for Science and Technology.

Meanwhile, President Kagame exercised his prerogative of mercy to pardon convicted juveniles who academically excelled in national exams.