It is 10 a.m. on 26 October and there is a meeting to prepare the Rwanda National Congress (RNC) election that will determine the leadership at the national level in South Africa.
An election that brings to light the true dynamics within RNC leadership.
Pitting Karegeya against Kayumba, the election was to unfold as a clear illustration of the common goal that brought these two men together: the quest for power.
Kayumba’s choice is simple; he wants his brother in law to stay in power. He makes it clear, “Kennedy Gihana must not be elected to the RNC Executive Committee.”
Gihana was Karegeya’s choice, whose strategy revolves around attracting new blood to appeal to the kind of members that donot identify themselves with current RNC leaders. Read, members who may have reason to question the sudden switch from RPF members to FDLR allies.
A heated discussion ensues with veiled threats thrown back and forth. A meeting is called to review the causes of disagreement and come to some sort of compromise. The result: Karegeya and Kayumba agree not to attend the election. The next day, in Devonshare Hotel in Johannesburg, Karegeya shows up early. Kayumba does not.
For the next six hours, the same leaders are elected by a dozen attendees, all carefully selected to side with Kayumba.
Not surprisingly, Frank Ntwali is elected chair. Genocide suspect Mr Etienne Mutabazi scoops vice chair, while Mr Kennedy Gihana emerges secretary general from the secret vote.
Not all is well at the top
According to RNC insiders, Mr Karegeya, who considered himself RNC’s cash cow, demanded that his choices pass which angered Kayumba who considered himself the legitimate RNC leader.
Karegeya accused Kayumba of being camera hungry even though RNC was losing momentum and becoming disorganized by the day. Kayumba responded that Karegeya was a womanizing traitor who leaked secrets to the government of Rwanda through Gihana. Kayumba believed that this is what contributed to his attempted murder.
A compromise was reached after a long discussion between the two but Kayumba advised the executive committee that Gihana should never access any RNC documents. The Kayumba bloc now holds meetings without Gihana.
Tensions continue
A few months later, on Saturday, 21 December, a meeting dubbed Ingando and coinciding with RNC 3rd anniversary was held in Pretoria. With both men in attendance, people complained that they were not satisfied with the executive committee and mentioned being threatened by Kayumba not to vote for anyone but Ntwali. The meeting quickly degenerated into chaos.
Karegeya was said to be surprised. He called Ntwali a “total disaster” for RNC. Mr Karegeya wondered why Mr Ntwali as leader did not make any effort to solve the divisions by approaching each individual personally to understand their grievances. He said good leaders must know how to handle crisis otherwise they will be stoned to death. Mr Karegeya said the manner in which Ntwali had handled the matter is a “total failure”.
He said the executive should have dealt with the conflict before the Ingando as that had caused the meeting to discuss issues that should have been handled earlier by the executive.
According to our sources, Karegeya left the meeting, claiming he had another important meeting that he described as being in “RNC’s actual interest.” This was the last time Karegeya was seen with Kayumba.
Last Wednesday, Karegeya was killed. Very soon after, Kayumba was in the news expressing with deep sadness his intention to carry on the very same torch the two men fought over a few days before Karegeya’s death. One might consider this the political equivalent of crocodile tears.
Could Kayumba and his bloc be counted among those with motives to take Karegeya out? One certainly would not rule it out.
A saying goes: he who benefits from a crime most likely committed it. Any good investigator knows this…