Kagame’s Expatriates Who Lead Rwanda’s Banking, Investments, Energy, Aviation, And Knowledge Institutions.

Par Dr David Himbara

General Paul Kagame has ruled Rwanda since 1994. Twenty six is long enough to grow domestic leadership capacities. Yet, Rwanda’s higher education, aviation, banking, energy, and investment are in expatriates’ hands. The truth is that Kagame does not trust Rwandans to lead key national institutions. As the saying goes, true leaders do not create followers. They create more leaders. This is alien to Kagame.

Here are the top Kagame expatriates in charge of higher education, energy, banking and investment.

1. University of Rwanda – Chancellor: Patricia Campbell, from the USA;
2. University of Rwanda – Vice Chancellor: Philip Cotton, from the UK;
3. University of Rwanda – Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Research: Nelson Ijumba, from Tanzania;
4. Aviation, Travel and Logistics Holding Ltd – Chief Executive Officer: Seong-Soo Kang, from South Korea;
5. Aviation, Travel and Logistics Holding Ltd – Chief Operating Officer: Lucky Cheong from Singapore;
6. Rwanda Energy Group – Chief Operating Officer: Ron Weiss from Israel;
7. Rwanda Development Board – Chairman: Itzhak Fisher, from Israel;
8. Rwanda Development Board – Chief Investment Officer: Guy Baron, from the USA;
9. Bank of Kigali – Chairman: Marc Holtzman, from the USA.

Evidently, Kagame does not trust Rwandans to lead and manage even his ruling party’s business interests. Crystal Ventures Ltd’s Chief Executive Officer is Lee Kok Foong, from Singapore. James Gatera who previously led Crystal Ventures mysteriously disappeared after serving there for just one year.