Dear Afande Frank,


Brigadier Gen. F. Rusagara

It’s hard to believe that it is now a long uncertain, although reflective, year you have been incarcerated with no recourse to meaningful justice.  Everyday that passes raises and leaves many unanswered questions.  To many of us we hang on to the saying that, “… Life goes on.  …” only to be confronted with disturbing information about some of the would be comrades that have betrayed you personally, the cause most our Heros like Gen Fred Gisa Rwigema, Vedaste Kayitare (Intare batinya), Captain Bitamazire, Chris Bunyenyezi, Dr. Baingana and many others who shed their precious blood for.  This issue of betrayal and treachery continues to tear apart the only resource, social capital, Rwandans used to take for granted.  Throughout this long year we have been forced to continually carry out deep objective reflections on the situation in Rwanda and everything surrounding your incarceration.  The thoughts and conclusions are mind boggling, as you would expect.

The act of denying you your very basic right of Justice, that is grounded in the principle of being ‘innocent until proven guilty’, as the Rwandan Constitution clearly states, and the whole issue of denying you bail while keeping you in incarceration for a long year now without any tangible or even a smoke of a trial is something incomprehensible.  I was starting to think that the Rwandan Judicial Elites had no idea as regards to bail only to see the Justice Minister, Johnstone Busingye smile at Afande KK being granted bail in London, in June this year.  However this is not the only incomprehensible issue in all that has and continue to unfold in your situation.  The whole idea of trying you in a military court while your were publicly discharged from the military leaves a lot to be desired.  And of course the many would be close comrades who have chosen to offer their souls and join the ranks in keeping you incarcerated just explains everything that has gone wrong with our Rwandan society.  A society where betrayal, mudslinging, backstabbing, firefighting and all the vices that wither the very social capital that is its foundation, is a society heading for the abyss. Something that I am afraid is becoming a norm in the very Rwandan society you and many of you colleagues put your life on the line to establish and ‘hopefully’ nurture.  Those vices are not only eating up that capital but have taken a stranglehold of the ‘1st October, 1990’ spirit that saw you guys spearhead our struggle to return home, leaving behind all the comfort and promises of life ahead as Chief Budget Officer of Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).  George Orwell’s Animal Farm story couldn’t have been any more relevant than it is in our current Rwandan situation.

Afande Frank, in pursuit of getting to understand what is behind the ping pong in starting your trial and the exact motive of your incarceration, I stumbled on statements that I could not believe I was reading.   These so called witness statements that were signed and allegedly supposed to be used by the prosecutors against you in court were in particular attributed to individuals like Col Jill Rutaremara, Rtd Brigadier Gen Kamili Karege (tall), Rtd. Col Jean Bosco Mullisa and Rtd Lt. George Kayitare.  At first I did not believe it and my first instinct was that this was a set up, after all General Kamili and Colonel Muliisa had been dismissed themselves from the army disgracefully.  Apparently for comments they were alleged to have made in privacy.  It did not make sense that they would connive with your tormentors to incarcerate you.  As for Colonel Jill Rutaremara, it was not surprising because he has always thrived from back stubbing and pimping for James Kabareebe.  He would do anything to be given a posting after losing the spokesperson’s role to Joseph Nzabamwita.  The more disturbing one was Lt. George Kayitare whose statement is full of hatred and slur.  Something one would never have imagined if they knew how close as a work colleague in RDF Finance and on family level you were.   I have since learnt that he is an active informer of Afande Jack Nziza, like his cousin Rtd Captain Rushema who masterminded the assignation of Assinapol Rwigara.  That is why I felt I should write to you this open letter to express my solidarity, and I believe of many other comrades, to you and encourage you to remain steadfast in these trying times.  The truth will prevail, “ukuri gucha m’iziko ntigushya”.

My surprises and the many questions of the intentions and justification of the betrayals by these one time “comrades in arms”, were answered when I saw the three of them posing for an end of  training for Peace Keeping army personnel at Nyakinama, posted on MinDef website.  As mentioned earlier the two guys in the picture doning a red tie were dismissed from the army for more than five years now.  Could it be that for betraying the comradeship and conniving with your tormentors to be part of the smear and unfounded allegations against you, they have been given a new ‘lease of life’ in RDF? Mpemuke nda muke syndrome?  Sure not for guys who claimed to be ‘freedom fighters’.  From your wisdom, Afande Frank, would I be wrong to question why all three of them are in Nyakinama at same time for the same event?  Is it pure coincidence or is it ‘birds of the same feathers flying together’. Check the picture below.


Rtd. Brigadier Kamili Karege siting 6th from Left with red tie, Col Jill Rutaremara sitting middle and Rtd. Col Jean Bosco Muliisa sitting 5th from right, in red tie too.

Like you always encouraged us to reflect and learn from situations, I do reflect and continue to learn from you situation every situation that is seeing Rwanda graduate in Totalitarian state worse than the Habyalimana regiment all set out to change.   All because of not holding people accountable.  Something you, as a historian, have always argued for. I know that one of the theories that I have started to develop from my learning might not pass you test.  However I feel I still have a duty to share it with you and hopefully seek you reaction.  Apart from the many theories, the one I am starting to be passionate about is going to the root root or the reason our social capital, the values that we cherished as a people, has quickly been eroded by the vices I have mentioned above.  Ubunyangamugayo, Ubutwari, Gukunda Igihugu hamwe no Kulenganula Abene’Igihugu, are tenets of my theory.  I think and strongly believe that it’s time for Rwanda to stop a culture of impunity that is premised on the zero-sum theory.  I think this can be done by having rules and norms that reflect the stated tenets.  Failure to comply with those rules or short of that norm(s), then there should be clear, simple and transparent sanctions.  It’s is in this regard that I felt we should categorise ourselves in respect to those tenets on three levels; Intwari, Ibigwari and Imbwa.   These lists should be kept and used for key public appointments, civic duty, political office and as a tool to celebrate our Heros and rehabilitate the ‘dogs’.  I hope you won’t be cross with me if you come to learn that the four guys who in my opinion willingly connived with your tormentors to deny you your Liberty, Kukulenganya, have been positive or good candidates for the third category, Imbwa.  Until someone proves me wrong, I do feel that this theory and the parameters used to categories are the most appropriate way of being transparent with our situation.  It doesn’t make sense to brush everyone Rwandan with the same brush.  Intwari ni Intwari nye, ni Imbwa ni Imbwa, period.

I conclude by expressing our admiration for your fortitude and steadfast in the face of all this travesty of Justice and the very ideals you put your life online for.  We are still serving and bound by the spirit that we cannot all leave our country.  However, despite all the lows and trials, guys like you inspire us to think, reflect and learn.  You do provide us hope that you don’t need to betray your very cause in order to be counted.  We shall strive to emulate guys like you and be on the first list, y’Intwari, like Nelson Mandela did.  I hope you have had time to write an extra book.

May the Almighty God grant you abundant strength, good health and ability to maintain you usual spirit.  In the name of Jesus I pray.

Nyakinama Military College Graudate