Former state minister Edouard Bamporiki has described his return to the RPF Inkotanyi national congress as a personal rebirth, following presidential clemency granted after his conviction on corruption-related offences.
Bamporiki made the remarks on December 19, 2025, during the 17th RPF Inkotanyi national congress held at the Intare conference arena in Rusororo, which brought together more than 2,200 party members and invited guests.
Addressing the congress during the session for questions and contributions, Bamporiki publicly apologised to party members and to President Paul Kagame, the RPF chairman, expressing remorse for the offences for which he was convicted and acknowledging the punishment imposed by the courts.
The congress was held under the theme “Building a strong foundation for our nation,” with discussions centred on strengthening Rwanda’s development trajectory towards Vision 2035 and Vision 2050.
Explaining why he requested to speak, Bamporiki said his presence at the congress was only possible because of the clemency granted by President Kagame.
“Chairman, I stand here because of the mercy you extended to me, which allows me to speak before the congress you lead. Without it, I would not be here. I would still be where the law required me to be because of the crimes I committed,” he said.
President Kagame responded by urging him to draw lasting lessons from the experience and to focus on the future.
“I hope you learned from what happened. Now we look ahead and work to do better,” the president said.
Bamporiki, speaking in a calm and reflective tone, said standing once again before the RPF leadership and members felt like a second beginning.
“Being back in this congress is a blessing. I see this gathering as a place where I can be reborn,” he said, adding that he would never repeat actions that caused harm to the party and its members.
He rejected claims that he had been wrongly convicted, openly admitting to the crimes, including receiving bribes, and stressing that his release was solely due to presidential compassion.
“If it were not for your clemency, I would not have moved from Mageragere prison to stand here among party members. I assure you this will never happen again,” he said.
Bamporiki also urged party members to take lessons from his case and similar ones, warning that misconduct by leaders undermines both the party and national development.
“The chairman loves us, but our mistakes should serve as lessons to younger and senior members alike, so that we do not burden the party or the country,” he said.
Bamporiki was imprisoned after being removed from his post as state minister in the ministry of youth. On January 23, 2023, the high council of the judiciary increased his sentence from four to five years in prison and imposed a fine of Rwf 30 million after finding him guilty of fraud and abuse of office for personal gain.
He was released on October 18, 2024, after being included among 32 prisoners granted presidential clemency by President Kagame.
The RPF national congress marked Bamporiki’s first public address before a large audience—many of them senior government decision-makers—since his release.
