A plenary session of the Senate on December 27, approved the nomination of five ambassadors, namely Maj Gen Joseph Nzabamwita, Parfait Busabizwa, Olivier Kayumba, Festus Bizimana and Lambert Dushimimana, who were picked by President Paul Kagame as envoys on December 20. The Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and Political Affairs had vetted the five nominees, reviewed their qualifications for their respective ambassadorial roles and approved of their nominations to represent Rwanda in various countries. ALSO READ: Kagame shuffles foreign service, new cabinet members named Who are the new envoys? Nzabamwita, who was appointed ambassador to Russia, holds a master’s degree in international laws and previously served as Presidential Advisor on Security. The former Secretary General of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) also served the Rwanda Defence Force spokesperson. Busabizwa, appointed as ambassador to the Republic of Congo, has been serving as the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth since last year. He previously held roles including Vice Mayor in charge of Economic Development of Kigali. ALSO READ: Senate approves new Chief Justice, deputy Kayumba, proposed as Rwanda’s ambassador to the Central African Republic, has been working as the head of diplomatic mission in the same country. He previously served as the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry in Charge of Emergency Management. Bizimana, a policy analyst, was appointed Rwanda’s new ambassador to Senegal. He previously worked on the United States Embassy in Kigali and is a former Vice President of the Rwanda Cycling Federation. Dushimimana, a former Western Province Governor has been designated as the proposed ambassador to the Netherlands. The former Senator holds a master’s degree in international law and was the Head of legislative drafting and translation department at the Ministry of Justice. Senator Hadija Murangwa, the Chairperson of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, stated that the proposed ambassadors’ qualifications interviews held with them confirmed their suitability for the ambassadorial roles. “We assessed the nominees to ensure their experience aligns with their mission and commended the selection process as our interviews revealed their suitability for the roles,” Murangwa said.