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President Kagame receives complaint from young man allegedly exploited by Rtd soldier

By Jane Babirye
On 24 August 2023 at 02:24

Rwandan young entrepreneur, Frank Musinguzi has voiced his concerns to President Paul Kagame about an alleged exploitation case involving retired Colonel Joseph Mabano. Musinguzi claimed that he purchased a hotel from Col. Mabano, but the retired soldier refused to transfer ownership to him.

In response to the complaint, President Kagame has instructed relevant authorities from the City of Kigali, Ministry of Justice, and Ministry of Defence to address the situation.

The incident came to the President’s attention on Wednesday during the celebration of YouthConnekt’s Aluminum anniversary at Intare Conference Arena.

According to Musinguzi, he paid Rwf210 million in 2021 for a hotel located in the Kicukiro suburb of Kigali. However, despite his payment and reporting the matter to authorities in Kicukiro District, the ownership transfer has not occurred as expected.

Musinguzi also raised the issue of the duration of the certificates offered by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) to new business owners. He suggested extending the validity period of the certificates from the current two years to at least five years, to better support their business establishment.

Furthermore, he appealed to the President to reconsider the age requirements for youths aspiring to join the army, proposing a lower age limit. He emphasized the youth’s eagerness to contribute to their country’s service.

Kagame, in response, called upon the mayor and relevant institutions, including the justice system, hotel managers, and district officials, to promptly address the issue of alleged exploitation by the retired Colonel. He also assured Musinguzi that concerns regarding RDB certificates and other related matters would be examined.

In line with Kagame’s directive, the concerned authorities engaged with Musinguzi to better understand the details of his claim. IGIHE has learnt that Musinguzi was invited to the Rwanda Defence Force headquarters on Thursday morning to receive assistance.

Present at the anniversary event was 23-year-old Mugisha Robinson, known as Producer Ele, who encouraged fellow youths to leverage Rwanda’s peaceful and secure environment for the country’s future development.

Ezekiel Nziyosenga, representing visually and hearing impaired youths, appealed to the President to facilitate their access to information on how they could join the army as handicapped individuals. He cited the example of Captain Michael Nsengiyumva, who returned to Rwanda and joined the army out of patriotism, despite receiving education abroad.

Kagame assured Nziyosenga that the army welcomes individuals from diverse professions and pledged to ensure inclusivity for handicapped individuals.

The President graced the celebration as the guest of honor, marking 10 years of YouthKonnekt’s impactful presence in Rwanda. The event was attended by Youth Minister Abdallah Utamutushima, representatives from Imbuto Foundation, UNDP, European Union, and other dignitaries.

Utamatwishima remarked, "As we reflect, we witness a transformation led by the determination of young innovators. YouthConnekt has provided Rwandan youth with a platform to thrive, enabling them to convert challenges within their communities into opportunities."

Initiated by Rwanda in 2012, YouthConnekt has emerged as a successful collaboration between the Rwandan government, youth, and development partners, including UNDP, Imbuto Foundation, MTN, KOICA Rwanda, European Union, UNICEF, UNFPA, UN Women, WHO, MasterCard Foundation, Airtel Rwanda, Bank of Kigali, BPR, and others.

Since its inception, YouthConnekt Rwanda has generated employment for over 36,000 youths, trained 24,000 enthusiastic advocates, and engaged more than 4,000,000 volunteers.

Beyond Rwanda, YouthConnekt operates in 32 other African countries, aiming to connect youth from across the continent, offering them opportunities to interact with their leaders and access mentorship.

President Kagame has instructed relevant authorities from the City of Kigali, Ministry of Justice, and Ministry of Defence to address the situation.
Musinguzi voicing his concerns to President Paul Kagame.

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