This is meant to hide stolen wealth. Just in case things fall apart and they are no longer in power, they run away to where their wealth is.
The case is not different in Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame who has his wealth hidden in US in property bought in his children’s names.
According to a website that reveals people’s wealth in US, the Truth People Search, Kagame’s son, Ivan, is already living a big life in US courtesy of public money from Rwanda.
Ivan Kagame (27) owns a Ksh200 million house in Beverly Hills, Carlifonia.
The website reveals that Ivan lives in Scarsdale, New York.
DRC sources indicate that Ivan lacks credible track record in business or academic acumen, hence it is surprising for him to be eating life with a big spoon at the age of 27.
His father, Paul Kagame, is estimated to earn USD85,000 (Ksh8.5 million) per year.
Read: Kagame Releases Jailed Opposition Leader and Musician After Campaign by Kenyan Bloggers
Eugène-Richard Gasana, a former Rwandan diplomat and Permanent Representative of Rwanda to the United Nations in New York City, is listed as a possible associate of Ivan Kagame.
Little is known about Gasana, a part from being a diplomat and serving as a President of the United Nations Security Council in April 2013 and July 2014.
It is reported that President Kagame owns four Range Rovers worth Ksh50 million each, a Ksh6.5 billion Gulfstream private jet and large tracts of prime land in Congo, among other wealth stolen from public coffers that is not known to the media.
Kagame has served the country since 1994, and was elected to serve another seven-year term in 2017.
Kagame has been termed as a dictator who does not condone freedom of expression from the opposition.
Those who speak against his government risk going to jail.
An example is Ms Victoire Ingabire, leader of the unregistered FDU-Inkingiwas, who was jailed in 2010 to serve a 15 year jail sentence but was released after serving 8 years.
The opposition leader was charged with forming armed groups, undermining the government and trying to minimize the 1994 genocide by fundraising for FDLR, a terror group linked to the genocide against the Tutsi.
Still behind bars is one of Kagame’s fiercest critics, Diane Rwigara who opposed him during the 2017 vote.
Ms Rwigara, a women’s rights activist and businesswoman was arrested and accused of fraud and incitement, claims she continues to deny.
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