Criminals’ alliance camouflage behind politics

A report entitled “Rwanda briefing” was released by General Kayumba Nyamwasa, Col. Patrick Karegeya, Dr. Theogene Rudasingwa and Gerald Gahima. At first I thought that the report was going to inform Rwandans on how they were ejected by the revolution process ushered in by RPF. Let me begin by describing these individuals who had been entrusted with important government responsibilities but instead of serving Rwandans, they decided to enrich themselves from state funds and behaved like mafias. Gen Kayumba’s downfall was his own creation. He disappointed many Rwandans due to various malpractices such as patronage and unethical promotions in the army that aimed at causing divisions and forced demobilization of some officers who were not his puppets. He amassed a lot of wealth beyond his means. He acquired hundreds of hectares of land when other citizens have to share some acres. When he was advised to apologise for his past mistakes and deeds, he chose to flee the country using panya routes. This is the man who is asking for reforms in Rwanda when he failed to accomplish his duties as the head of the army! I believe he is advocating for reforms that will cripple accountability and paralysing state institutions. Karegeya escaped from Rwanda after serving two years in jail for misuse of public funds, insubordination and recklessness. He was deprived of all military ranks by a competent military court. Which reforms can he offer with such dirty background? Together with Kayumba, they have of recent joined ranks of Al-Qaeda by carrying out terrorist activities in Rwanda. Rwandans will resist terrorists by any means. Dr Rudasingwa Theogene, is the kind of person who will want to exploit any opportunity which he thinks would earn him respect or money. He is an arrogant, self-centred and egoistic individual who doesn’t believe in institutions. In fact he was accused of mismanagement of a state house construction contract and awarding tenders to a ghost company allegedly based in Nairobi to supply substandard goods and second-hand equipment to the President’s Office. For Gahima Gerald’s case, he should not utter any word of advice to Rwandans because he has no moral authority to do it. He is a betrayer, a conman and irresponsible lawyer who put his personal interests before national ones. He cheated all the banks in Rwanda, extorted money from genocide perpetrators. Gahima is addicted to cheating because even when he recently got a job in UN, he continued his cheating habits. He briefly served as a judge on the war Crimes Chamber in the State Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, after suddenly leaving Rwanda in February 2004 in a controversial resignation as Vice-President of the Rwandan Supreme Court, one month after being appointed and citing personal reasons. Gahima was always on the list of borrowers identified by the Rwanda National Bank as delinquent on commercial bank loans. The list, identified ‘’Gerard Gahima’’ as a Class 5 debtor for a 17 million RWF (31,000 USD) loan from BCR bank, and Equatoria Consult, which Gahima describes as a family business. He was a Class 5 debtor for a 313 million RWF (572,000 USD) loan from BCDI (ECO) bank. Mr. Gahima left behind a string of questions surrounding personal debts and several uncompleted buildings abandoned across Kigali. In February 2008, Mr. Gahima was appointed “senior justice adviser” to East Timor on a two-year, $757,960 tax-free contract - paid for by the Australian taxpayer. The Australian media and campaigners were up in arms over the revelations with one newspaper The Herald Sun, referring to fraud levels. In May 2010, Gerald Gahima was wanted by the Australian government (The Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) after being accused of being a “briefcase” consultant who has been earning bundles of money for no serious work done. Mr. Gahima was described as a “briefcase” consultant who was earning massive salaries advising some of the poorest countries on everything from gender integration to sports development, energy and transport. According to reliable sources, he has since been fired from that job. In the report released by the four people who share in common fleeing from accountability, they portray Rwanda in the following manner: “Rwanda is a one-party dictatorship under President Kagame, through RPF, President Kagame denies the people of Rwanda the opportunity to exercise their fundamental human rights, particularly the right of political participation”. This “Gang of Four” that was dumped in the dungeon of history after being implicated in several terrible scandals, and are now trying to attract international sympathy by distorting facts and history of Rwanda. It is public knowledge that there are 10 political parties in Rwanda that are formerly registered. They are allowed to operate from the grass oot to the national level. The Rwandan constitution provides for power-sharing, and the real framework for political activities. Article 2 states that “All the power derives from the people. No group of people or individual can vest in themselves the exercise of power” The group further alleges that “The RPF is no longer the democratic, inclusive and principled organization that its founders and early leaders and members intended it to be, the organization has now become a caricature of its former self”. This is not correct. RPF has been growing from strength to strength and registering positive achievements. The RPF of 1994 was not as strong as the RPF of 2010. RPF derives its strength from its supporters. The number of supporters has increased, the financial capability has improved and political maturity has registered progress. There are internal elections within RPF party ranks, from the lowest levels to the highest level of the chairman of the party. RPF is as principled as yesterday and there is no member who is untouchable. All the four can bear witness. When Dr. Rudasingwa derailed on his duties as SG of RPF, he was shown the exit, this applies to some RPF cadres who have lost track of RPF political line. During Dr. Rudasingwa’s tenure as RPF secretary General, he frustrated some RPF cadres who at the time were struggling to rebuild the country that had been devastated by the 1994 genocide. It is quite absurd that the same person is criticising RPF for being unprincipled and not inclusive. The group has assumed the role of representing the interests of a certain section of Rwandans who they falsely present as marginalised. This is the old politics of pre-1994. In the current Rwanda, irrespective of his/her background; every Rwandan has an equal chance of being appointed to any position, both in government or any other state institution. Previously there was a section of Rwandans that were not allowed to join the army or be admitted to higher institutions of learning. Ethnicity, place of origin are no longer a prerequisite for any appointment or joining the army, being admitted to higher institutions of learning, access to credit facilities as was the case during the previous governments in Rwanda. In the conclusion, the report by this group calls for a change of government by force. This is part-time thinking because Rwandans have embraced the democratic path and any change of government will be through democratic processes. The Rwandans decided with their thumb on 9th August 2010 and voted for President Kagame for a second term of office and those who call for use of force to overthrow an elected government are wasting their time and will be resisted by all means. Ends