Earlier this week, the Rwandan National Football body-FERWAFA announced the suspension of Secretary-General Henri Brulart Muhire from his duties pending an investigation of issues to do with accountability.
The FA said that Mrs.Delphine Uwanyiligira, the Legal commissioner will take over on a temporary basis.
Though, the football body did not exactly mention what kind of accountability, the latest updates have emerged, that the secretary-general is suspected of prejudice and co in the 2 Division playoff clash between City and AS Muhanga 2Divion Playoffs.
Rwamagana had faced off AS Muhanga to advance to the semi-final playoffs, but the latter protested that Rwamagana was at fault for fielding an eligible player Joshua Mbanza in the first leg of the semi-final round of this competition.
Muhanga alleged that Mbanza was suspended with three-yellow cards.
Muhire the Secretary-General accentuated, “Rwamagana was penalized with an immediate disqualification, as a result,”
“Everything was done according to the rules, so we just had to verify evidence and take the measure, and that is exactly what we did,” Muhire told the media
Henceforward, the FA released a statement thus declaring Rwamagana City a loser consequently being eliminated from the competition.
On June 13th, 2022, Muhanga was given a green light to face Interforce FC in the semi-final, with the winner automatically securing a ticket to the 2022/23 Rwanda premier league.
Though Rwamagana’s appeal was rejected, the FA carried out an internal investigation, and on the basis of documents including fictional emails, and interviews with the match referee, it was discovered that both Muhire and competition Officer Félix Nzeyimana acted with prejudice.
On June 20th, 2022, Ferwafa announced that both Félix Nzeyimana and his boss Muhire were suspended.
Analysts say the FA’s tough stance on corruption is a move to cleanse itself of chronic graft within its ranks and win back public support.
Unreliable sources have revealed that both men have been summoned by the Rwanda Investigation Bureau.
The publication understands the SG indecorously signed a shady kit deal with Masita Sportswear, without approval from the Ministry of Sports and the National Olympic Committee. All national teams’ kits are supplied by Errea.
Muhire was appointed as the new FA Secretary in January 2022, he replaced François Regis Uwayezu who stepped down on 12th October 2021.
Over the past few years, the Rwandan FA has faced several governance issues that have been of great concern to the Ministry of Sport.
In 2016, former president Vincent de Gaulle Nzamwita and Secretary-General Olivier Murindahabi were suspected of involvement in malpractices and fraudulently awarding a tender for the construction of the FA hotel.
The president was acquitted but the secretary was sentenced to six months in prison paying a heavy fine.
The hotel has been under construction since 2015 but the works were suspended halfway due to financial constraints in 2018.
It was part of the FIFA Goal Project development program aimed at helping developing countries to establish infrastructure and facilities to boost the growth of the game.
