From Jail, Kayumba Christopher Forms Political Organization

Dr. Christopher Kayumba

“This serves to inform members of the media and the general public about the formation of the Rwandese Platform for Democracy (RPD) as a forum to advance, and contribute to the development of a freer, democratic, just, secure and sustainably peaceful and developed Rwanda,” is how Dr Christopher Kayumba begins a statement announcing the launch of his political career.

Fresh from jail, the media academic has opted to drop the chalkboard for a stint in Rwanda’s political waters. It is a highly an unexpected move, considering that Kayumba has repeatedly said he is not a politician in the many media interviews and appearances he has held for many years.

Dr Kayumba has been a senior lecturer at the University of Rwanda’s journalism school for more than 15 years. In December 2019, he was arrested following incident at the Kigali International Airport after he became violent and threatened to “shutdown” the airport, according to Police.

He would later be arraigned in the courts and sentenced to a year in jail. He was released January this year after completing his term.

Dr Kayumba is a founding partner of The Chronicles, and has been its Managing Editor.

Reacting to the development, Fred Mwasa, editor of The Chronicles, said: “We will release a more detailed statement about way forward after we have discussed with Dr Kayumba.”

Details on this story later.

See statement he released a short while ago.