Rwanda has confirmed that 35 Heads of Government are expected in Kigalifor the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). They are among the 5000 delegates who will attend the meeting that kicks off on Sunday, June 19. 

Speaking at a news briefing on June 17, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Prof. Manasseh Nshuti, announced Nauru is the only country that will not be represented at the gathering because it is in the middle of an election. 

"We'll also be welcoming several First Ladies to the meeting and there will also be other special guests. Several clusters have been lined up, including the Heads of Government Meeting, Youth Forum, Women Forum, People’s Forum, Business Forum and several other side events,” said Prof Nshuti adding that all arrangements were in place including, transport, protocols, conferencing, hospitality and social events.

Government Spokesperson Yolande Makolo highlighted some of the issues the Heads of Government will discuss in their closed session. 

"Their discussions will centre around a number of things, including climate emergency as a result of climate change which is very important because many island nations, which are members of the Commonwealth, just like many developing countries, are among the highly affected.”

"Other topics to be discussed by the Heads of Government include youth and job creation, especially digital affiliated jobs. They will also discuss pandemic recovery and resilience and the impact of geopolitical situation, with the war in Ukraine and its impact on inflation, especially in developing countries,” she added.  Preparedness

Rwanda considers the health of delegates as a top priority, according to Dr Tharcisse Mpunga, the State Minister in charge of Primary Healthcare, who also said that all delegates attending CHOGM will be tested for COVID-19 at no cost. 

"We have also deployed medical personnel at all hospitals and event venues who are capable of handling any emergency health situation. They will be there at all times,” said Mpunga. 

The hospitality industry is also ready, said Zephanie Niyonkuru, Deputy CEO at Rwanda Development Board (RDB). He noted that all preparations were in place to ensure effective service to the delegates. 

"Our hospitality industry is ready and our preparedness is the reason we scored an 80% growth in the latest GDP report by the National Institute of Statistics (of Rwanda),” he said.