The cabinet meeting that convened on Saturday, June 18 has appointed Michaella Rugwizangoga as the new Chief Tourism Officer in Rwanda Development Board (RDB).

She brings a wide range of expertise related to strategic planning, project management and product development to the tourism development team.

The Council member of the World Economic Forum has previously served as the CEO of Volkswagen Mobility Solutions making her the first African woman CEO within the group.

She is also making a second stint at RDB as Chief Tourism Officer, after she worked in the institution as the technical advisor to the CEO in 2015.

Rugwizangoga replaces Belise Kariza, who left RDB to join the Africa Wildlife Foundation as country director.

Africa Biomanufacturing Institute

The cabinet also approved the establishment of the Africa Biomanufacturing institute in Rwanda.

The scientific education institution comes at the time when Rwanda is about to start the construction of the mRNA vaccine factory.

Vaccines expected to be manufactured in Rwandan facilities will be dedicated to domestic use and export to other member states of the African Union at a not-for-profit price.

The vaccine manufacturing facility will be set up in the Special Economic Zone in Gasabo District with the groundbreaking expected next week.

In other decisions of the cabinet meeting, the United Arab Emirates’ embassy also got an additional staff member, Ines Umutoni, who will be the second counsellor at the Rwandan embassy in Abu Dhabi.