DAR ES SALAAM, Apr 20 – Ambassador Dr Richard Ssezibera from Rwanda is the new Secretary General of the East African Community (EAC).
Dr Ssezibera was appointed for a non-renewable term of five years by the Heads of State Summit during the 9th Extra-Ordinary meeting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Dr Ssezibera who is currently the Rwandese Minister for Health replaces Amb. Juma Mwapachu whose term expires on April 25, 2011.
The new SG has previously been Rwanda\’s Ambassador to the United States, special envoy to the Great Lakes region in addition to being a senior advisor to President Paul Kagame.
The youthful Ssezibera, who holds degrees in medicine and surgery, was appointed Rwanda\’s Minister for Health in October 2008.
Dr Ssezibera was sworn in at a ceremony witnessed by Presidents Pierre Nkurunziza Burundi, Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda. Also in attendance were the Rwandese Prime Minister Bernard Makuza, and Zanzibar President, Dr Ali Mohammed Shein.
Also sworn in as the new EAC Deputy Secretary General (Planning and Infrastructure), is Dr Enos Bukuku (from Tanzania) who replaces Alloys Mutabingwa of Rwanda.
Mr Mutabingwa relinquishes the post of DSG because Rwanda has clinched the SG\’s post.
The EAC Summit further appointed Kenyan High Court Judge Isaac Lenaola as a Judge of the East African Court of Justice (EACJ). Justice Lenaola will replace Justice Benjamin Kubo who retires from the EACJ on July 1, 2011.
Born on December 21, 1967, Justice Lenaola holds a degree in law from the University of Nairobi and a Diploma in Legal Practice from the Kenya School of Law.
Justice Lenaola was admitted as advocate of the High Court of Kenya in 1991 and served as a Commissioner on the Constitution of Kenya Review Commission between 2001 and 2004.
He has been a Judge of the High Court from October 2003.
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