Rwanda President Paul Kagame has dropped vocal State Minister for the East African Community, Olivier Nduhungirehe, for “consistently acting based on personal opinions”.
Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente made the announcement, that took many by surprise, on Thursday night noting that he was acting under the authority of the President.
“The President of the Republic has removed from office Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe for consistently acting based on personal opinions over Government policies, while serving as Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Charge of East African Community,” Dr Ngirente said in a statement.
Mr Nduhungirehe responded to the dismissal in a tweet thanking President Kagame for appointing him to the job over two years ago.
“I am grateful to His Excellency Paul Kagame for the trust bestowed in me for the past two years and half, when I was privileged to serve as Minister of State in charge of the East African Community. I am committed to continue serving my country and the government in another capacity,” he tweeted.
It was not immediately clear what actions led to his sacking but barely minutes after the firing was made public, Mr Nduhungirehe is reported to have deleted a series of tweets in which he appeared to contradict the official account about the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.