Kigali - The long serving Director General of the state media conglomerate ORINFOR, Mr. Joseph Bideri has been relieved of his duties and the flamboyant Director of Rwanda Television Ms. Kije Mugisha takes over as acting head, RNA has established.

According to sources with the Information Ministry, Mr. Joseph Bideri, has been required to step down from his job but as Rwanda Government protocol demands, Cabinet will have to come up with a replacement at a “later date”.

Cabinet reserves the constitutional right to approve appointment to all major positions in government institutions. The cabinet meeting last Wednesday only concurred with the presidential order pardoning former president Pasteur Bizimungu among other issues.

For the meantime, Bideri’s deputy for about a year now takes over “temporarily” in a move that had largely been expected considering that immediately she joined Rwanda Television, marked changes have emerged at the state broadcaster.

Viewers are now treated to 24hour variety of programming with new aspects such as science documentaries sourced from the International science channel ‘Discovery channel’ and a whole lot of entertainment. Rwanda Television regularly airs live programs involving Rwanda happening internationally.

Mr. Bideri replaced Col. Wilson Rutayisire around 1997 who later died in the D R Congo during the Rwanda campaign in that country. Mr. Bideri was brought in from the Presidency.

Some staff that Mr. Bideri found at the national information office tell RNA that “a lot” of changes came up immediately he took over. The office gained marked changes such as acquisition of new materials and studio equipment.

“We were used to going home with ORINFOR vehicles but that immediately stopped and there was always a car for night shift staff and other vehicles were all required to pack at the offices except when on duty”, a former driver told RNA.

The then airing 2nd channel on Radio Rwanda for the weekends was also closed and has since never surfaced. As the only alternative channel, it was mainly for music as the current wave of private stations had not come up. Various staff also lost their jobs.

The tenure of Mr. Bideri may have actually ended later than expected. In October last year, President Paul Kagame spoke out strongly against the performance of the conglomerate describing it as “sick”.

“Our media is sick, in particular ORINFOR, they have stayed long with their sickness,” the President said. The statement was in response to a concern raised by a local mayor that Orinfor does not give coverage to his district.

Barely a few days, Ms. Kije Mugisha was brought in as his assistant but was to focus on Rwanda Television.

Contacted for comment, Kije deservedly declined to say anything. When pressed further she only accepted to talk to RNA “after 20 minutes”.

However, she could not respond to numerous call attempts after the 20 minutes elapsed. She instead accepted the call but set the phone aside till RNA hanged up because nobody was answering. (End)

For Mr. Bideri, by press time RNA was unable to get to him as his phone was switched off.

It is not however the first time that such a case happened. In December last year during the Digital Radio conference co-organized by ORINFOR and the German broadcaster DW, Mr. Bideri shunned various RNA attempts for comment as head of the host institution.

“No...No...No...I don’t talk to journalists”, he told RNA. “I said I do not talk to journalists”. There has howver been no official explanation of why Mr. Bideri was dropped.

Rwanda News Agency