The cabinet meeting chaired by President Paul Kagame, on July 16, appointed Candy Basomingera as the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Sports. Basomingera, 44, replaced Jean-François Regis Uwayezu. Prior to this appointment, she was the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Convention Bureau (RCB). She joins a youthful administration at MINISPORTS currently headed by Minister Nelly Mukazayire, who also took office in December 2024, replacing Richard Nyirishema. At that time, Rwego Ngarambe, who was the Director of Sports in the same ministry, was appointed Minister of State. Previously, Basomingera served as an Analyst at the Office of the Government Spokesperson and before that, she held different positions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, including Communications Division Manager. She is also the co-founder of Haute Baso, a Rwandan ethical lifestyle brand. Basomingera holds a Bachelor’s Degree of Arts in International Relations from London Metropolitan University, United Kingdom and a Post Graduate Degree in Gender and Development from University of Rwanda. Although she was working at Rwanda Convention Bureau, which is the national agency responsible for organizing large conferences and other investment activities, she is no stranger in the sports industry. She particularly understands the business side of sports, especially how it can generate revenues. On May 4, during a press conference in Senegal, shortly before the launch of the Sahara Conference region of the 2025 BAL (Basketball Africa League), Basomingera explained that sports could be one of the ways to help Africa develop.
