Jacqueline Muhongayire (born 28 August 1961) is a Rwandan politician. She was a senator in Rwanda parliament beginning in July 2014 as a member of Social Democratic Party (PSD). Prior to that she worked as EAC Minister for a period of one year. She was in East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) for five years.
Muhongayire was born on 28 August 1961. She is married with three children. [1]
Muhongayire holds a bachelor's degree in accounting and a master's degree in project management. [1] She studied politics and international relations at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB; 'Free University of Brussels'), Belgium. [2] [3] [4]
For 12 years (beginning in 1995), Muhongayire worked as a lawmaker representing the Social Democratic Party (PSD) in the Transitional National Assembly. [5] From 1997 to 2000, she was its vice-president. [3]
From 2008 to 2013, Muhongayire was a member of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA). [5] She next became a member of Rwandan President Paul Kagame’s Cabinet from July 2013 to July 2014, serving as Minister for East African Community. [5] In July 2014, he named her to the Rwandan senate, replacing outgoing member Penelope Kantarama. [5]
The East African Community (EAC) is an intergovernmental organisation in East Africa. The EAC's membership consists of eight states: Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Republics of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania. Salva Kiir Mayardit, the president of South Sudan, is the current EAC chairman. The organisation was founded in 1967, collapsed in 1977, and was revived on 7th July 2000. The main objective of the EAC is to foster regional economic integration.
The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) is a sub-organ of the larger East African Community, being the legislative arm of the Community. Members are sworn into five-year terms.
The East African Federation is a proposed federal sovereign state consisting of the eight member states of East African Community in the African Great Lakes region – Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. The idea of this federation has existed since the early 1960s but has not yet come to fruition for several reasons. Though the federation has not yet been established, many steps have been taken to advance this goal. Institutions and governing bodies already exist for the eventual union of these nations, with representatives from all of the related nations working together towards this common goal. A voluntary confederation will be formed as an intermediate step prior to the establishment of a full political federation.
Pierre-Célestin Rwigema is a Rwandan politician previously associated with the moderate faction of the Republican Democratic Movement (MDR) party. He was Prime Minister of Rwanda from 1995 to 2000 and Education Minister from 1994 to 1995. When he was sworn in as prime minister he pledged to reunite his then ethnically torn country.
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