Rwanda's president fires health minister over mismanagement

Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame has sacked the country’s Health Minister Dr Agnès Binagwaho, whose five-year term has been ridden with scandals.

Rwanda Health Minister fired by the President https://t.co/Dn8CBIzUxp pic.twitter.com/hcJd5apLay

— Rwanda (@RwandaRR) July 12, 2016

Dr Binagwaho has been heading the health docket since May 2011 after she was elevated from the position of Permanent Secretary.

President Paul #Kagame has relieved Dr. Agnes Binagwaho of her duties as Minister of Health RwandaHealth #Rwanda pic.twitter.com/WfCi5ZcuNU

— Government of Rwanda (RwandaGov) July 12, 2016

“In accordance with the Constitution as amended to date, specifically article 116, President Paul Kagame has removed from cabinet Dr Agnès Binagwaho,” read part of the statement signed by Prime Minister Anastase Murekezi.

Her sacking comes at a time when there has been growing concern in the health sector, with the latest upsurge in malaria and mismanagement of health facilities playing a major factor in her removal from from office.

The resurgence of malaria has been blamed on the government procurement of 3 million substandard mosquito nets which cost the country more than $15m in 2013.

Rwanda: MOH Issues Malaria Alert | Kigali New Times https://t.co/zrvQ59Dg9F

— J Paul S (@NetMan3) June 16, 2016

The Auditor General, Mr Obadiah Biraro, in his 2015 report, also singled out the health ministry and its linked institution Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) as some of the government bodies with gross mismanagement of resources.

An ongoing audit in the Ministry and RBC has nipped in the bud key officials, some of whom have been arrested or sacked from government service over the last couple of months, in what has turned out to be a multi-million corruption scandal.