This archive report was first published on 6 July 2020.
President Paul Kagame has issued a stern warning to top officials in Rwanda's ruling party, the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF), amid growing concerns over corruption and embezzlement of public funds.
On June 27, Kagame addressed the RPF National Executive Committee (NEC) ahead of Liberation Day celebrations on July 4, and expressed his disappointment with the latest Auditor General's report, which showed that irregular and unexplained expenditures cost the government Rwf8.6 billion ($9 million) in 2019, up from Rwf5.6 billion ($5.8 million) in 2018.
According to the report, 15 top officials and their accomplices are being investigated for hiding assets, and Kagame has given public officials a deadline of June 28 to declare their assets. By press time (last Friday), 11,000 out of 12,000 public servants had presented their documents.
Notably, influential members of the RPF, including Minister of Infrastructure Claver Gatete, former Minister of Internal Security Gen Patrick Nyamvumba, and Emmanuel Gasana, the former Inspector General of Police, are currently under investigation over alleged embezzlement of public funds and corruption.
At the NEC gathering, Kagame accused senior officials of lacking commitment to protect national resources against embezzlement and misuse, saying, “There is innocent blood that was spilled to liberate this nation; and now some of you are simply playing with that by stealing public resources. I promise you; people are going to start paying,”
He also warned that misusing national resources and making public resources personal property must stop, saying, “It is over like it or not.”
