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Rwandan party expels fired minister

Saturday March 07 2020
min

Former Rwandan minister Isaac Munyakazi was expelled from the Ideal Democratic Party. FILE PHOTO | NMG

By IVAN R. MUGISHA

Rwanda’s Ideal Democratic Party (PDI) has expelled its second vice president, Isaac Munyakazi.

First vice president of PDI Abbas Mukama, told The EastAfrican that Mr Munyakazi was expelled for “embarrassing the party” and jeopardising its chances of holding on to a senior Cabinet position.

PDI officials said the expulsion is in accordance with its “zero tolerance to corruption” and keeps it in good books with the ruling party. A general meeting is now being organised at which his replacement will be voted in.

“He had to go. He let the party and country down. There is no need to wait for an investigation by Rwanda Investigation Bureau to conclude because he has already admitted to corruption and asked for forgiveness,” said Mr Mukama.

President Paul Kagame publicly shamed Mr Munyakazi, when he revealed at a leader’s retreat last month that he was fired after he accepted a bribe of Rwf500,000 (about $520) to doctor school rankings.

“Our party was trusted by the Head of State on many occasions with Cabinet posts, and we do not want to jeopardise that trust by keeping ties with someone who has betrayed us,” said Mr Mukama.

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Mr Munyakazi refused to directly apologise to the party’s leadership and declined to attend disciplinary summons on at least two occasions.

A few hours before a disciplinary hearing last week, Mr Munyakazi wrote a letter to PDI president Musa Fazil Harelimana, asking to resign from his post as the second vice president “due to personal reasons”.

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