Rwanda: Who Is Olivier Kabera, the Engineer Named State Minister for Infrastructure?

14 June 2024
The New Times (Kigali)
By Emmanuel Ntirenganya

President Paul Kagame, on Wednesday, June 12, appointed Olivier Kabera as the Minister of State in the Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA), replacing Patricie Uwase who had held the position since February 2022.

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The latest changes in the Cabinet saw the 45-year-old engineer join the Ministry now headed by Jimmy Gasore, an atmospheric scientist who was appointed in September 2023.

A father of two, Kabera has 20 years of experience in the built environment. He began his career as an urban planner in the City of Kigali in 2004. He later served as Director of Infrastructure, Urban Planning and Environment in Nyarugenge District.

In 2007, Kabera joined the then Central Public Investment and External Finance Bureau (CEPEX) as an infrastructure monitoring and evaluation specialist.

He joined the infrastructure ministry in 2008, as a monitoring and evaluation specialist for World Bank-funded projects. He became the projects' coordinator from 2010 to 2012.

In 2013, he was appointed coordinator of the Single Project Implementation Unit at Rwanda Transport Development Agency (RTDA), where he oversaw technical preparation and execution of transport infrastructure projects, until mid-2017.

In mid-2017, Kabera joined investment company Crystal Ventures (CVL) and led its real estate arm, Real Contractors (RCL), as the Managing Director until January 2022.

From 2022, Kabera joined Macefield Ventures, an investment firm, and led its business in the Central African Republic (CAR). In CAR, the Rwanda-based company deals in mining, commodity trading, construction and private security businesses.

Prior to his appointment to cabinet, he was the Managing Director of NPD Ltd, another subsidiary of CVL, a position he assumed earlier this year.

Kabera holds a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering and Environmental Technology from the University of Rwanda (from 1999 to 2004), a Master's Degree in Environmental Management from the University of Stirling (UK) and a Diploma in Sustainability in Business and Leadership from Swedish Management Institute (Sweden).

He has also completed courses in leadership, business development and project management.

Read the original article on New Times.

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