The Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya

This week we are joined by international lawyer and  former prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, Dr. Charles Adeogun-Phillips. He joins us to discuss his work investigating and prosecuting the crime of genocide at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), shares his biggest regret and divulges the evidence proving the double genocide theory false. 

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About Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya:

The Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya is a weekly podcast intent on keeping you up to date with current affairs in Rwanda. The topics discussed range from politics, business, sports to entertainment.

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

Be a part of the conversation.

#Kwibuka30 This week we are joined by Christian Intwari, the Founder and director of  'Our Past Initiative. He shares memories from the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi,  reveals acts of activism in high school, opens up on how ‘Our Past’ begun and suggests how memory can be transmitted to young people.

SUBSCRIBE to get the latest Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya content: YouTube/ @thelongformrwanda

Listen to the Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya podcast on Apple Podcasts

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Follow Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya on Twitter: @TheLongformrw

Follow Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya on Instagram: @thelongformrw

Follow Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya on TikTok: @sannyntayombya

Follow Sanny Ntayombya on Twitter: @SannyNtayombya

About Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya:

The Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya is a weekly podcast intent on keeping you up to date with current affairs in Rwanda. The topics discussed range from politics, business, sports to entertainment.

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

Be a part of the conversation.

Our guest this week is Dr. Didas Kayihura, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Rwanda. An expert in international business law, Dr. Kayihura not only the Dean of the Faculty of Law at the former National University of Rwanda.

He discusses the challenges that the University of Rwanda has faced, why its global rankings are so low, and rejects the perception that  its graduates are competitive.

SUBSCRIBE to get the latest Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya content: YouTube/ @thelongformrwanda
Listen to the Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya podcast on Apple Podcasts
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Follow Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya on Twitter: @TheLongformrw
Follow Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya on Instagram: @thelongformrw
Follow Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya on TikTok: @sannyntayombya
Follow Sanny Ntayombya on Twitter: @SannyNtayombya

About Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya:

The Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya is a weekly podcast intent on keeping you up to date with current affairs in Rwanda. The topics discussed range from politics, business, sports to entertainment. 

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

Be a part of the conversation.

This week we are joined by business tycoon Faustin Mbundu. We discuss his childhood and life in Uganda, navigating Rwandan identity, his first forays in international gold trading in the 80's, doing business in Rwanda just after the Genocide and what advice he'd give to aspiring entrepreneurs

SUBSCRIBE to get the latest Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya content: YouTube/ @thelongformrwanda

Listen to the Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya podcast on Apple Podcasts

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Follow Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya on Twitter: @TheLongformrw

Follow Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya on Instagram: @thelongformrw

Follow Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya on TikTok: @sannyntayombya

Follow Sanny Ntayombya on Twitter: @SannyNtayombya

About Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya:

The Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya is a weekly podcast intent on keeping you up to date with current affairs in Rwanda. The topics discussed range from politics, business, sports to entertainment.

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

Be a part of the conversation.

Our guest is Innocent Tuyubahe, an ex-FDLR rebel. He unveils the anti-Tusti ideologies taught by the FDLR, the real members of the anti-M23 coalition, how we discovered the truth about Rwanda from a captive and his journey for redemption after joining the Demobilization and Reintegration center in Rwanda. 

SUBSCRIBE to get the latest Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya content: YouTube/ @thelongformrwanda

Listen to the Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya podcast on Apple Podcasts

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Follow Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya on Twitter: @TheLongformrw

Follow Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya on Instagram: @thelongformrw

Follow Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya on TikTok: @sannyntayombya

Follow Sanny Ntayombya on Twitter: @SannyNtayombya

About Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya:

The Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya is a weekly podcast intent on keeping you up to date with current affairs in Rwanda. The topics discussed range from politics, business, sports to entertainment.

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

Be a part of the conversation.

Our guest on  is Eugene Ubalijoro, a Rwanda business executive who serves as Vice President at Molson Coors beverage company responsible for sales in Central region states of the US.

We discuss his career journey from starting as a sales rep at Bralirwa, to becoming the first African Regional Manager in the entire Heineken system and now Vice President at Molson Coors. He reveals his future plans and his hope for Rwanda.

We had this conversation on the sidelines of the recent Rwanda Day event in Washington DC

SUBSCRIBE to get the latest Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya content:    YouTube/ @thelongformrwanda
Listen to the Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya podcast on Apple Podcasts
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Follow Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya on Twitter: @TheLongformrw
Follow Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya on Instagram: @thelongformrw
Follow Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya on TikTok: @sannyntayombya
Follow Sanny Ntayombya on Twitter: @SannyNtayombya

About Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya:

The Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya is a weekly podcast intent on keeping you up to date with current affairs in Rwanda. The topics discussed range from politics, business, sports to entertainment.

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

Be a part of the conversation.

Our guest this week on The Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya is Michael Fairbanks. Michael is the Executive Chairman of Akagera Medicines,  bestselling author,  development expert and member of President Kagame's Presidential Advisory Council (PAC).

We discuss his life journey, Akagera Medicine and delve into his personal relationship with Rwanda and President Kagame.

SUBSCRIBE to get the latest Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya content:    YouTube/ @thelongformrwanda 
Listen to the Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya podcast on Apple Podcasts
Listen to the Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya podcast on Spotify

Follow Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya on Twitter: @TheLongformrw
Follow Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya on Instagram: @thelongformrw
Follow Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya on TikTok: @sannyntayombya
Follow Sanny Ntayombya on Twitter: @SannyNtayombya

About Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya:

The Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya is a weekly podcast intent on keeping you up to date with current affairs in Rwanda. The topics discussed range from politics, business, sports to entertainment.

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

Be a part of the conversation.

In today’s episode, we are joined by fitness guru and wellness advocate, Ivan Munyengango.  Ivan is not only a personal trainer with a certification from the International Sports Science Association, he is the founder of FitPipo, a health and wellness management firm. Ivan also owns Cali Fitness, a popular Gaculiro-based gym. 

SUBSCRIBE to get the latest Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya content on YouTube
Listen to the Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya podcast on Apple Podcasts
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Follow Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya on Twitter: @TheLongformrw
Follow Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya on Instagram: @thelongformrw
Follow Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya on TikTok: @sannyntayombya
Follow Sanny Ntayombya on Twitter: @SannyNtayombya

About Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya: 
The Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya is a weekly podcast intent on keeping you up to date with current affairs in Rwanda. The topics discussed range from politics, business, sports to entertainment.

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

Be a part of the conversation.

My guest this week is Samson Ndayishimiye, newly elected president of Ferwacy, the Rwandan cycling federation. He shares his personal journey, talks representing Rwanda at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, his ongoing tenure as FERWACY president and what to expect from this year’s edition of Tour du Rwanda.

SUBSCRIBE to get the latest Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya content on YouTube

Listen to the Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya podcast on Apple Podcasts

Listen to the Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya podcast on Spotify

Follow Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya on Twitter: @TheLongformrw

Follow Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya on Instagram: @thelongformrw

Follow Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya on TikTok: @sannyntayombya

Follow Sanny Ntayombya on Twitter: @SannyNtayombya

About The Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya: 

The Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya is a weekly podcast intent on keeping you up to date with current affairs in Rwanda. The topics discussed range from politics, business, sports to entertainment.

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

Be a part of the conversation.

My guest this week is Yseult Polfliet Mukantabana. Yseult  is a Rwandan Jewish Queer woman who has worked in advocacy, hosted a podcast and is a published author. She is also currently co-directing a romantic comedy “The heights of Kigali” a film portraying a Rwanda Queer couple. 

She is  going to give perspective on what life is like through the lens of diversity, her conversion to Judaism and a guide to having uncomfortable conversations.

SUBSCRIBE to get the latest Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya content on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLongFormRwanda     
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About Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya: 

The Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya is a weekly podcast intent on keeping you up to date with current affairs in Rwanda. The topics discussed range from politics, business, sports to entertainment.

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

Be a part of the conversation.

My guest this week is Dr. Frederick Golooba-Mutebi.  Fred is a veteran Ugandan political scientist, researcher and writer.  He is also a member of the Parliament of the Buganda Kingdom, The Lukkiko.  He will give us his perspective on the controversial Banyanrwanda question in Uganda

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

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My guest this week on this special edition of The Long Form podcast recorded from Cabo Delgado, Mozambique, is the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Defense, Brigadier General Ronald Rwivanga.

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

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My guest this week is Christian Irakoze, the co-founder and CEO of Eza Neza, a agriculture company that specializes in hydroponic greenhouse farming of berries. 

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

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My guest this week on The Long Form podcast is Annet Uwizeye, the founder of both Nano Studios Africa and A.Wize Media. She She is one of the few women at the top of the Rwandan film industry, and she has a great story to tell.

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

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Our guest this week is  Yamina Karitanyi, the CEO of the Rwanda Mines, Gas and Petroleum Board.  She help us better understand the mining industry and the role it plays in Rwanda. 

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

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Jes'ka Washington (popularly known as Jai Essence) is an educator, author, Youtuber and businesswoman. Jai's pursuit of new horizons led her from the United States  to Rwanda in November 2020. This journey inspired the creation of Jai Essence Enterprises, encompassing My Cousin Connection, 365 Rwanda, and the Inzozi Center, and also led to the establishment of Jai Essence Farms, focusing on sustainable rabbit farming.

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

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As Rwanda welcomes the world, the world will change what Rwanda is. How shall we navigate this? What are the risks and what are the opportunities? Is Rwanda ready to become a multicultural country?

Dr Alphonse Muleefu, Acting Principal of the University of Rwanda, College of Arts and Social Sciences joins us on The Long Form podcast this week

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

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He is an artists favorite artist. He has fans in Rwanda, East Africa and across the globe. He’s been bubbling over for the last few years but I think its his time now. 
I am excited to have Mike Kayihura on the week’s episode of The Long Form podcast 

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

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For far too long, Rwandans have spent their hard-earned money enriching other countries, especially when it came to apparel. we either were the target market for second hand clothes from the West, or new, cheap clothes from the East. 

Since the Government of Rwanda decided to ban second hand clothes, and facilitate a local clothing industry, we have seen some positive movement. 

Today, on the Long Form podcast, I speak with Mathew Rugamba, Founder of House of Tayo, a pioneer in Made in Rwanda clothing space.  We discuss his journey, the lessons he’s learnt, the failures and the future of Made in Rwanda. 

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

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Human Rights Watch recently released a report titled “Join us or die: Rwanda’s extraterritorial repression”, in which they accuse the Government of Rwanda of committing human rights abuses on Rwandan nationals living abroad.

In reaction, local writer and activist Gatete Nyiringabo Ruhumuliza, penned a rebuttal titled ‘Human Rights Watch: Rwanda’s ‘Uninvited Savior’. 

We shall discuss the Report in question, Gatete’s rebuttal and the way forward for the Government of Rwanda in this week’s episode of The Long Form podcast. 

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

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Rwanda is many things. On one hand, it is among the poorest countries in the world and on the other hand, it is, to me at least, one of the most forward-thinking nations on the globe. Actually, when you think about it, the lack of resources perhaps creates the innovation. 

Let’s look back at what’s been done so far. Rwanda partnered with an American startup, Zipline, to deliver lifesaving drugs to rural health centers by drone. Then it partnered with Starlink, Elon Musk’s company, to provide high speed internet to rural schools. 

The country, made up of citizens that earn an average of a thousand dollars a year, has still found the means to launch satellites into space, and found coding academies. 

How is this possible? What are the driving forces behind it? What are the tangible benefits? What are the risks involved? And what does Rwanda look like, technologically speaking, in the next couple of years and decades? And how does Rwanda’s Artificial Intelligence policy fit into all of this?

To answer these questions, I am joined on the Long Form podcast this week by Paula Ingabire,  Rwanda's Minister of ICT and Innovation

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

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Rwanda, like many other developing nations, has borne the brunt of climate change. We’ve seen searing hot temperatures over the last long dry season and now, when it rains, its not the gentle drizzle of the past. Rather we suffer rain storms that destroy farmers fields, and cause killer landslides. 

What is most unfair about this climate change is the fact that we aren’t the cause of it, but rather the victims. It is the industrialized countries that have put all of us at risk, with their love of fossil fuels. They are the ones who have cut down all their trees and replaced them with cities. 

 In fact, it is us, the developing nations, with our forests and swamps, that have kept the temperatures from rising even further. Because we have, it is only right and fair that we get something back for our efforts to push back the tides. And that is where carbon trading comes in. And that’s what Paul Foster specializes in. 

Paul Foster is Executive Director and Founder of Co2 Capital, a company that provides technology-based carbon offset solutions

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

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It’s been a trying few months for our pockets. Food prices are consistently rising and with new prices for fuel, transport costs will be higher. This will surely make life harder for each and everyone of us. In addition to all of this pressures, our national currency, the Rwandan franc, has been losing value against the US dollar, leading to what podcast listener called, an issue of “inflation, inflation, inflation”. 

 So what is going on, how did we find ourselves in this situation and more importantly how do we get out of it? 

 To help us make sense of the inflation issue, as well as other fiscal challenges, I am joined this week by the Deputy Governor of Rwandan Central Bank, Soraya Hakuziyaremye. 

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

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Rwanda is just emerging out of its long dry season, and as if often the case during that time, food prices have risen around the country. 

What is particularly shocking this year however, is just how high prices of our staple foods have become. Kigali residents are seeing prices of potatoes, beans and rice double or even triple. 

The question that I, along with many other people, ask ourselves is, what is going on? Have our farmers simply stopped going out to their fields to farm? Or are we dealing with something much more sinister? A food mafia of sorts! 

 To help answer these questions, I am joined this week on the Long Form by Antoine Kajangwe, Director General-Trade and Investment at Ministry of Trade and Industry. 

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

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FDLR, FNL, and the other genocidal militia operating out of the forests and hills of Eastern DRC have one goal in mind, the violently overthrow of the Rwandan government and commencement of another genocide. 

In 2008, Chris McGreal, a journalist from The Guardian, travelled to the jungles of Eastern DRC and reported on the FDLR.

In one extremely chilling exchange with a 13-year-old FDLR militiaman, who left Rwanda as a baby on his mother’s back, Chris revealed the hateful ideology that powered FDLR’s fight. 

In the words of the teenager, “it was the Tutsis, the inyenzi, who were to blame for his predicament. He had to kill them. He hated them all. They stole his country, Rwanda - a Hutu country, as he called it - and he wanted them dead”. 

With such hate, it almost seems impossible that someone like that can be brought back to Rwanda and turned into a useful, productive citizen. It seems a task too steep, but it is not. 

Since 1997, the Rwanda Demobilization and Reintegration Commission has turning terrorists into citizens. 

To explain how this is possible, I’m joined on the podcast by Francis Musoni, The Secretary General of Rwanda Demobilization and Reintegration Commission. 

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

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Over two months ago, veteran journalist, Marc Hoogsteyns, became the very first international reporter to pay a visit to the M23 rebel strongholds in Eastern DRC. 

As he recounted during an interview that he had on this very podcast in July, he not only spoke to a couple of M23 junior officers, he also met and interviewed young, Rwandan-born FDLR fighters who had been captured on the battle front. 

Taking advantage of a lull in the fighting Marc last week went back to the DRC, and got the opportunity to not only interview the president of M23, Betrand Bisimwa, he was able to talk to senior commanders, talk to them about their future military plans as well as witness daily life in the rebel stronghold. 

He's back on this platform to share his insights on M23’s battle readiness, what normal life looks like in their zones of control and what the political arm of the rebel movement expects from not only the DRC government but also the region as well. 

Marc is a Belgian freelance journalist who has been living and working in Africa for 25 years. He has made reports for BBC, ABC-Australia, TV5 and Reuters. He also manages Kivu Press Agency

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

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The announcement that Rwanda will partner with German-Canadian company, Dual Fluid, to conduct a Critical Demonstration Experiment is probably the biggest news this month. Why? Because this experiment is the first step in Rwanda’s nuclear journey. 

This partnership is really exciting for me because this means that Rwanda is on the cusp of joining the exclusive club of nuclear states. And for a country like ours that needs cheap, sufficient power for both people and industries, nuclear is a game changer 

But the thing is, after the excitement, comes the fear. When you think of nuclear fusion, and its ability to create power, you also think about what happens when things go wrong. You think about the Fukushima and Chernobyl nuclear disasters. 

So, to discuss not just Rwanda’s partnership with Dual Fluid, but also what nuclear regulators are doing to ensure that the expected nuclear power generation doesn’t become a hazard for the millions of people that call Rwanda home, I am joined this week by Dr. Fidele Ndahayo, the CEO of the Rwanda Atomic Energy Board. 

Created in 2020, the mission of the Rwanda Atomic Energy Board is to promote the peaceful use of atomic energy for sustainable socio-economic development. 

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

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Adonis Filer currently plays point guard for the Rwanda Energy Group (REG) basketball team. He holds the BAL record for the most assists in a single game. Adonis has also represented  Rwanda in the Afrobasket tournament. 

Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois in 1993, Adonis Jovon Filer started his basketball career in high school and sustained to college and beyond. Adonis played for the Clemson Tigers and Florida Atlantic teams in college.   

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

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With the announcement yesterday of the new partnership with German superclub, Bayern Munich, it brings to three, the number of European football teams that Visit Rwanda partners with. The first two being Arsenal FC, in England, and Paris Saint Germain in France. 

What is especially noteworthy is that this new partnership comes exactly half a decade since the first one was signed with Arsenal in 2018. 

In the year that the first Visit Rwanda partnership was announced Rwanda earned $425 million from tourism. Amazingly, five years later, and despite the global slowdown as a result of the covid pandemic, Rwanda is well on the way to earning over half a billion dollars this year. 

To discuss the new partnership with Bayern Munich, as well as what the years ahead look for the tourism industry, I am joined this week by Clare Akamazi, the CEO of the Rwanda Development Board. 

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

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The Government’s investment in building a world class conference and sporting ecosystem is obvious. It has spent a reported 300 million dollars on the Convention Center, 104 million dollars on the BK Arena and is spending around 130 million dollars on renovating the Amahoro Stadium. This is in addition to the close to a billion dollars that has been spent on upgrading Kanombe airport and increasing the Rwandair fleet. 

Some people will say, that that was money that could have been better spent building roads, schools and health centres.  Others on the other hand believe that the money being spent is well-worth the investment. 

 To bring to life the second argument, we are joined by Kyle Scofield, Co-founder & Managing Director of QA Venue Solutions. QA Venue Solutions signed a 7 year agreement with the Government of Rwanda to manage BK Arena in 2020. 

If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

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On the morning of the 26th of July, a group of Nigerien soldiers from the presidential guard detained president Mohamed Bazoum and his family. This action was then followed by Presidential guard commander General Abdurahaman Tchiani proclaiming himself the leader of a new military junta.

The events that followed included presidential guard forces closing the country's borders, suspending state institutions, and declaring a curfew.

This is the fifth military coup d'état since the country gained independence from France in 1960, and the first since 2010. 

The coup has been widely condemned by Western powers and some African nations. In fact, the West African regional bloc ECOWAS, led presently by Nigeria, is currently considering military intervention in the country, leading to the 2023 Nigerien crisis. If a military confrontation is to happen, it will pit 57,000 Nigerien soldiers on one side and potentially 245,000 ECOWAS troops on the other side.

To help us understand why a coup in one of the poorest countries in the world is such headline news, we are joined by Fred Golooba-Mutebi. Fred is a Political Scientist and researcher with a special interest in Political Economy. 

He will also share his thoughts on the news that the World Bank has suspended all new loans to Uganda due to its anti-gay laws. 

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The concept of sheer luck giving us access to untold wealth is a tale as old as time. The other tale that is as old as time is, a fool and his money will be easily parted. The gambling industry is at the nexus of these two concepts. 

The multi-billion-dollar gambling industry is probably the lucrative in the world. In fact, gambling is the foundation of entire cities like Las Vegas, Monte Carlo and Macau. The bright light of the gambling halls and the money they generate hide a darker side. They hide the misery and poverty that gambling addiction creates in the many, many people who simply cannot resist their lure. 

Rwandans are not immune to these challenges and my guest this week, Adam Bradford, is doing what he can to push back against the ills of the gambling industry.  

Adam is a Director at Crucial Compliance Africa , a gaming and gambling compliance company, that aims to promote safe gambling in Rwanda. He is also the Chairperson of the Adam Bradford Agency. 

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When we are asked to identify the East African region’s big brother, we look to Kenya. It’s the richest country in the 8-nation East African community, its home to the biggest metropolis, Nairobi, it’s the regional manufacturing hub and its currency is the strongest. Its Gross Domestic Product in 2021 was slightly over 110 billion dollars. In comparison Rwanda’s was just over $11.5 Bn. Its city of Mombasa is an absolutely important port of entry into and out of East Africa

 A nation with such strategic value has no choice but to be stable because if it sneezes, the rest of the region will catch a cold.  Unfortunately, it seems like Kenya is in the midst of a sneezing fit. 

To help us make sense of the fast moving and complex events, I am joined by Kenyan veteran journalist Eugene Anangwe.

Currently based here in Kigali, Eugene is currently the country manager of CNBC Africa. Before that he was the founding Chief Executive Officer ofCape Media Ltd, the owners of TV 47 Kenya and Radio 47. He has also been a Senior Anchor and Producer in Standard Media Group. 

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The never-ending crisis in Eastern DRC is often in the news. We watch the terrifying scenes of war and carnage on our tv screens, then read stories of rape and killing in our newspapers. And on social media, we see images of the EACs heads of state meeting in different East African capitals to discuss the insecurity that has bedeviled Eastern Congo for close to 30 years.  

If you only listen to what the DRC the UN, the NGOs and the human rights groups are saying, you’ll think that the M23 is the cause of every conflict in the region and that they have no legitimate grievances.   

Why? Because rarely do we get to hear from someone who has visited their territory and spoken to them. All the information we have about them is courtesy of Congolese and international media as well as NGO reports. 

 This week, we host Marc Hoogsteyns, a veteran journalist who just got back from M23 Controlled territory.

Marc is a Belgian freelance journalist who has been living and working in Africa for 25 years. He has made reports for BBC, ABC-Australia, TV5 and Reuters. He also manages Kivu Press Agency

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For 4 days, from between 17- 20 July, Rwanda’s capital will welcome thousands of guests from around the world who’ve come to attend the Women Deliver 2023 Conference. With its slogan ‘Where the world comes together to advance Gender Equality’ the Women Deliverconference will host the great and the good of the global gender equality movement. 

Choosing Rwanda as the host nation was, in my opinion, an easy decision. Not only did it have the capacity to host the event due to its investment in the MICE industry, the country itself was at the forefront of the gender equality conversation. 

 Rwanda’s leadership made the strategic decision to turn its back on its misogynistic past and place equal rights for all its citizens, regardless of sex, at the heart of its governance model. Because of that decision, today women are at the forefront of everything that is Rwanda. They are in the security services, they are in the halls of parliament and they are well represented in the private sector. 

 The success that Rwanda is enjoying in the journey towards gender equality is not a fluke. It all started with overturning laws that were discriminatory and replacing them with better ones. 

 To help us understand just where Rwanda came from, legally speaking, to where it is today when it comes to the legal protections that women enjoy, I am joined by Dr Usta Kaitesi. 

 A PhD in law, Dr. Usta is the CEO of the Rwanda Goverance Board and a commissioner in the Rwanda Law Reform Commission. She was formerly a law professor in the National University.  

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On the 30th of June, the Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC) released the second Rwanda NCD Risk Factors Survey, to quite a bit of media fanfare. 

The study surveyed 5,676 people from across the country, the majority between the age of 30 and 44. And while the study included findings about tobacco smoking, physical activity, and food choices, the findings that seemed to have worried everyone, including the President of Rwanda, was the finding on alcohol consumption.

 So, what were these findings? That, national alcohol consumption was up 7% since 2013. 

 Alcohol is part and parcel of Rwandan culture. It is part of our wedding ceremonies; it is what we gift our elders and joining other men for a drink is a rite of passage for many young men. However, while our forefathers drunk plenty of ikigaji, a traditional sorghum beer, I doubt whether they ever envisioned their descendants would be drinking booze with 45% alcohol content!

Because of these new drinking patterns, there is a general belief that the effects of drinking are creating disarray in our community, and most especially when it comes to young people. 

To discuss whether this is true or not, I’m joined by probably the youngest member of cabinet,  Dr. Yvan Butera, Minister of State in the Ministry of Health 

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What is it like being ambassador to the DRC representing Rwanda? What are the motives of the political class in Kinshasa when it comes to the violent escalation of the conflict in Eastern DRC? Will it rope in Rwanda? Or is it all part of the Congo’s election process?  

Former ambassador to the DRC, Vincent Karega, joined me last week to answer my questions on the history of Banyarwanda in Congo. This week we shall try to unpack what is happening today

 If you didn’t listen to last week’s episode, I would encourage you to before you listen to this weeks. 

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Once again, the decades long conflict in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, and its myriad of players in in the news once again. 

This time because of the UN Group of Experts Report that was leaked to media at the start of last week. The Report details the arming and financing of the FDLR by the DRC Government, M23 activity and makes allegations about Rwanda’s involvement in the conflict. These allegations were rubbished by the Rwandan government in a statement that was released on Thursday. 

The M23 is just the latest manifestation of what is the historic tension between the Congolese state and the Kinyarwanda speaking people of North and South Kivu. 

What is this tension about? When did it start and will it ever end? How did Rwanda get roped into Congolese internal affairs?

To answer these questions, I am joined by Vincent Karega, Ambassador-Designate of Rwanda to Belgium. Once Rwanda’s ambassador to South Africa, his last diplomatic posting was to the DRC in 2019. His posting was cut short after a mere three years as relations between the two countries soured. 

Amb Karega stint in DRC’s capital wasn’t his first taste of Congo. In fact, he was born in 1963 in Walikale in North Kivu and left Zaire (as DRC was then know) for the first time as a 27-year-old as a naturalized Zairean citizen. 

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The Minister of Finance and Economic Planning on Thursday revealed that Rwanda’s national budget for the year 2023/2024 is 5.1trillion Rwandan francs. That is slightly above 4.3 billion US dollars. 

This years budget is a 6% increase from last years. My biggest takeaway from the budget reading the fact that foreign aid was only 13% of the total budget. While still high, we have to remember that there was a time overseas development assistance was the majority of the budget.  We are slowly but surely weaning ourselves as a nation from the scourge of foreign aid. 

 Due to the different challenges that Rwanda has faced over the last few years, whether it was the covid 19 pandemic, high petroleum prices, national disasters and the Russia-Ukraine conflict, our economy hasn’t grown as fast as we would like it to. 

 So the question is, Will this year’s budget help jumpstart the economy? 

 To help us answer that fundamental question and more, we are joined this week by budget expert,  Victor Omurunga, an Associate Director at PriceWaterhouse Coopers Rwanda. Victor is a Certified Public Account with 13 years of experience with a specialty in government and public sector accounting. 

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The news that the UN court in The Hague would not try infamous genocide funder, Felician Kabuga, for his crimes on the grounds of his old age, though sad, did not come as a shock to me. So, with this and other recent judicial travesties in mind, where do I think this all leaves us? 

I  also  examine the reasoning behind Malawi’s move to revoke the citizenship of over 200 Rwandans following the arrest of Fulgence Kayishema in South Africa. 

We will then conclude the podcast with some positive news. On the sporting front two football teams, both representing PSG Academy Rwanda, defeated teams from Brazil at the just concluded 2023 PSG Club World Cup championhips.  What did their victory prove? 

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This week, I shall share my thoughts on what I saw during  BAL, the week long festival of basketball as well as what this all means for the private sector. 

 I shall also talk about the news that Somalia might soon be entering the East African community and explain why I think it might be a bad idea. 

 We will then end this weeks podcast talking about Uganda’s anti-homosexual law, the international reaction to it and what lessons we can take from the US’s threat to cut its assistance to Uganda’s health sector

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The running joke is that Rwandans should just concentrate on hosting international sporting events and forget about actually winning any competition. 

So, should we just give up, concentrate on building amazing sporting facilities and become known as the country where foreign teams come to win from? Or is there a plan to turn things around?  

To answer this question, I am joined today by the Permanent Secretary of The Ministry of Sports,Zephanie Niyonkuru. 

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Today, not only are over 60% of all members of parliament women , they are also heads of government departments and leading financial institutions.

But listening the conversations that Rwandans have, both on and offline, it seems to be that there needs to be further steps to ensure gender equality. Especially when it comes to certain aspects of Rwandan culture. And in the context of new definitions of sex and gender

Feminist  and activist Sylvie Nsanga, and Glory Iribagiza, The New Times Gender and Innovation Editor join us to discuss this. 

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Research reveals that when fathers are not active in the home it creates in children Emotional and Behavioral Issues, poor Academic Performance, increases the likelihood of Relationship Issues in the future, creates an Increased Risk of Substance Abuse and almost guarantees a Higher Risk of eventual Poverty. 

 So, the main question that I attempt to answer today is, what should fathers do, to ensure that they are raising happy, healthy, well-adjusted and productive adults?  

 To answer this question and many more, I am joined by Senior Consultant Pediatrician and Pulmonologist Dr. Edgar Kalimba. 

Since 2008, the father of three has specialized in the care of children, seeing patients that range from newborns up to 16-years of age.

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The news last week has not made for pretty viewing. Right here in Rwanda, a mammoth relief effort is currently underway in the Northern and Western Provinces, as a result of the disastrously heavy rains that fell between 2-3 of May. 

Further afield, a deadly civil war in Sudan has erupted. The war, that kicked off on 15, April, is pitting two factions of the Sudanese military government against each other. 

And in Uganda, a State Minister in charge of Labour was shot and killed by his bodyguard on 2nd May. All while the MK Movement formally met President Museveni to discuss their, quote, unquote, work. 

This week we try to answer the question, who is at fault for the floods and landslides, what is the biggest lesson we can take from the Sudan conflict  and lastly, how close is Uganda to a civil conflict itself? 

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HDI (Health Development Initiative) Executive  Director Dr. Aflodis Kagaba takes us through the findings of the 2022 'Examination of LGBT people’s lived experiences and public perceptions of sexual and gender minorities in Rwanda' Report. 

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This is  second part of the conversation that we  had with  RPF stalwart Protais Musoni . In it he reveals  how exactly RPF was formed.  This year, the ruling party, the RPF celebrated the 35th anniversary of it founding in 1987.   

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If you want to share your thoughts on the topics I discuss use the hashtag #LongFormRw on Twitter and follow us on Twitter and Instagram on our handle @TheLongFormRw

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This year, the ruling party, the RPF celebrated the 35th anniversary of it founding in 1987. Today, the party is the engine of Rwanda’s transformation and has been at the helm since  1984.  RPF stalwart Protais Musoni  will reveal  how exactly RPF was formed. 

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In his acceptance speech, the re-elected Chairman of the RPF, President Paul Kagame, spoke about two things. His happiness to serve. And the need to eventually replace him . To discuss  this we are  joined by Fred Golooba-Mutebi, a Political Scientist with special interest in Political Economy 

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Over the weekend, the ruling party, the RPF held its first National Congress in a few years. During the congress, the top most positions in the organisation were voted on by party members. These positions included party chairperson, the vice, the secretary general and other members of the National Executive Committee.  Why is this a big deal? Because, as RPF goes, so does the country.  This week, I shall talk about why this particular congress is so important for Rwanda’s future. 

On Thursday, Paul Rusesagina, landed back in the US after a few days in Qatar. He was released by presidential pardon, along with is co-accused, and had his sentence commuted. We shall discuss what this means for Rwanda moving forward. 

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#8 Joining me today is one of my favorite young, Rwandan artists Kivumbi King.  From hit songs with 2 Saint, Kenny K Shot and Bushali, he has steadily created a lane for himself in the rising Rwandan hip hop scene.  We will talk not just about his musical journey, we shall also discuss about just how accepting the larger Rwandan community is about hip-hop 

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#7: This week I am joined by Yolande Makolo, the Spokesperson of the Government of Rwanda to discuss the  Rwanda-UK migration partnership. This deal, lauded by some, and absolutely hated by others, aims to create a new way of dealing with refugees and illegal migrants who attempt dangerous journeys  to reach western shores. 

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The Rwanda Development Board is looking to attract at least Rwf19 billion in investments in marijuana.  This week, we shall discuss this push for investment  and how it relates to criminal justice.  We will also spend a bit of time on the issue of misogyny  besetting Rwandan domestic football and then we shall conclude this week’s podcast answering the question on  how should we punish the crime of child rape 

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At around 10pm last Monday, the Government of Rwanda released an odd official statement titled ‘Rwanda Hails Outcomes of AU Meetings, Reinforces Border Security’.   To discuss what this statement means, as well as the quickly moving events on the ground, I am joined by New Times editor and experienced regional analyst, Edwin Musoni 

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44% of all deaths in Rwanda are a result of non-communicable diseases or NCDs. These diseases, most of them 100% preventable, include diabetes, hypertension and cancers. 

How are they preventable? By reducing the amount of tobacco, alcohol and calorie-dense food we consume. And regular exercise of course. 

To discuss not only what is happening as a result of our refusal to change our habits, but what we can do to actually have a successful, and life changing, health journey, I am joined by Ivan Munye. 

Ivan is not only a personal trainer with a certification from the International Sports Science Association, he is the founder of FitPipo, a health and wellness management firm. Ivan also owns Cali Fitness, a popular Gaculiro-based gym. 

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This week, the host of 'The Long Form with Sanny Ntayombya' discusses what  the leaks and mixed signals coming from Kinshasa mean for the peace process in the Eastern part of the DRC as well as the overall viability of the Congolese state.

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This week James Karuhanga, The New Timeseditor, joins todiscuss whether or not additional East African forces will be able to help pacify the restive Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. 

On Friday, February 9, Defence chiefs from the East African Community (EAC) partner states directed the immediate deployment of troops from countries yet to join the regional force in Goma, capital of North province in eastern DR Congo.

The regional military chiefs met in Nairobi, Kenya, in the presence of the EAC Secretariat following the bloc’s Heads of State’s directive on February 4 to have forces on the ground based on a timeline agreed on by the security chiefs.

Presently 900 Kenyan troops have already been deployed on the ground. 

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Today I discuss my thoughts on the just concluded court case against a 15 year old boy that set local social media alight and as well as the just released corruption perception index findings.

I'm then joined by New Time journalist Hudson Kutesa to examine this week’s big story, the acquittal of two doctors on the charge of involuntary manslaughter, and ask  ‘Do Hospitals Have a Case to answer? 

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