Chaos As Rwanda Media Council Elections are Held

By Godwin Agaba


The Director General of Information department in Prime Minister’s office and former Managing Director of The New Times, Ignatius
Kabagambe has stunned journalists in Rwanda when he disregarded his own set guidelines for constituting the Media High Council.

This happened on Tuesday at the chaotic elections for representatives to the Media High Council.

Previously in his letter to all private media houses in Rwanda,
Kabagambe stated that, the representatives would be elected by press house members who are media houses representatives.

In his letter Kabagambe clearly stated that, each media house would have one vote and invitations were sent out in that regard but surprisingly when journalists arrived they found The New Times and Contact FM had bused in their entire staff in (two buses ) including support staff like cleaners , receptionists, tea girls and security guards.

Independent Journalists protested insisting that government directives be followed or the voting adjourned to allow mobilization of genuine journalists to attend, but this was rejected by the president of press house, whose term expired two years ago and has refused to quit, Albert Rudatsimburwa who was a candidate himself.

“How can some one who is a candidate be the one to determine the procedures,” one journalist wondered.

In a u -turn Kabagambe who came expressly to explain his instructions said, he had “over stepped” his cue by stating who would vote, although he thought “it was appropriate since in past dialogue this was agreed by all stake holders.”

It’s here one Managing Editor of the Business Daily, Marcel Museminari said that, “it’s like some body invites you to play basketball but when you arrive at the field he tells you must play soccer without the team and uniform.”

The eventual candidates Albert Rudatsimburwa of Contact FM and Arthur Asiimwe of the RPF owned The New Times were voted for by their own staff members, since all the independent media walked out in protest.

After the walk out, independent journalists condemned the process and vowed to petition cabinet to reject the nominees and force a fair and transparent elections.

Both Rudatsimburwa and Asiimwe are the ones who accompany president Kagame on foreign trips.

Our sources say Rudatsimburwa and Asiimwe have been shuttling on RPF errands in their lobbying International media.


Sources add that the Executive secretary to the Media High Council Mulama Patrice and the president of the Journalists Association Safari Gaspard, both alleged government spies, were the architects of the election rigging.

Last year Rwanda was ranked 158 by Reporters without Borders close to Eritrea and Afghanistan in press freedom.

In this election year Rwanda is likely to go even lower in press
freedom ranking.