Dr. Emmanuel Nkurunziza has officially assumed office as the Director General of Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD). Dr. Nkurunziza joins RCMRD from the Rwanda Natural Resources Authority (RNRA), where he was the Director General and Registrar of Land Titles for over eight years. RNRA is an

authority that leads the management of natural resources which is composed of land, water, forests, mines and geology. Dr. Nkurunziza is a holder of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Public Policy from the University of Birmingham, Master of Science (M.Sc.), Urban Planning from Cardiff University, and Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.), Surveying from Makerere University. Dr. Nkurunziza brings to RCMRD extensive management and technical expertise.

In his first meeting with the staff, Dr. Nkurunziza said he was looking forward to working at RCMRD and was counting on everyone to provide the support required in realizing the Centre’s objectives and goals. He asserted, “I’ve been here for a few days, but am feeling very much at home. I really count on you to give support where needed. I will be there for everyone. I value everybody in the group and our duty as management is to support you.”

During the same meeting, Dr. Hussein Farah, the outgoing Director General thanked the staff for their cooperation and handwork during his tenure at RCMRD. He said, “It was my great pleasure to work with all of you and serve RCMRD for more than 10 years. I believe any success achieved at the Centre was due to the hard work and commitment of all staff. As I finish my term, I wish all of you and the Centre the best. I kindly request you all to extend similar cooperation and support to the incoming Director General so that the Centre can continue to grow and provide quality services to Member States and all clients.”