The House unanimously gave a nod to President Paul Kagame's nominees during a sitting on Thursday, December 5, 2024.
The approval followed thorough vetting by the Senate Committee on Political Affairs and Governance.
'After vetting the qualifications of the nominees and conducting interviews with them, as well as reviewing the responsibilities of the Supreme Court, the Committee concluded that the nominees have the knowledge and experience that would enable them to perform the duties they have been nominated for,' the Committee Chairperson, Senator Usta Kaitesi, told the Senate.
President Kagame made the appointments on Tuesday, December 3, with the nominees expected to serve for a five-year term, renewable once.
Mukantaganzwa will succeed Faustin Ntezilyayo as Rwanda's Chief Justice. She is set to become the country's sixth Chief Justice since the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and the second female to hold the top position, following Aloysie Cyanzayire, who led the Rwandan judiciary from 2003 to 2011.
Until her appointment, the 60-year-old served as the Chairperson of the Rwanda Law Reform Commission (RLRC), a position she assumed in December 2019.
She is renowned for her central role and contributions to the success of the Gacaca Jurisdiction, which was tasked with handling cases related to the perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. She led the institution from 2003 until 2012 when she concluded its mandate and presented a comprehensive report to the government.
Mukantaganzwa was also one of the commissioners who drafted the 2003 Rwandan Constitution.
On the other hand, Justice Hitiyaremye has served as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Rwanda since 2019.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/senate-approves-new-chief-justice-deputy
