Hakizimana’s career reflects a professional journey spanning media, digital technologies and scientific research.
Currently a Doctoral Researcher at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid in Spain, he is also involved in international discussions on the role of artificial intelligence in shaping the cities of the future.
He is among the experts collaborating with the United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC) initiative, through which he contributed to the development of a document entitled Guiding Principles and Frameworks for People-Centred Smart Cities in the AI Era.
“I am one of the experts working with U4SSC. We took part in developing this document, which is intended for use by governments around the world,” he explained.
U4SSC is a global United Nations initiative coordinated by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and UN-Habitat, with the support of several international partners.
The initiative supports cities and communities in their transition towards smarter, more sustainable and people-centred development. Through assessment tools, policy guidance and partnerships, it helps authorities identify priorities and turn technological innovations into practical action.
The document to which Hakizimana contributed sets out principles and guidelines to ensure that artificial intelligence and emerging technologies serve people, while addressing issues such as inclusion, sustainability and the protection of fundamental rights.
A career bridging media and digital technologies
Before pursuing his academic career in Spain, Hakizimana worked at Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA), where he held responsibilities including serving as a senior engineer in technical planning.
According to a profile published by the International Telecommunication Union, he also gained experience managing projects related to information and communication technologies (ICT).
Among the projects he took part in was the digitisation of audiovisual archives accumulated since the early days of broadcasting services in Rwanda. The project highlighted the importance of digital technologies in preserving the country’s media heritage and modernising communication infrastructure.
His academic background includes studies in electronics and communication systems at the former National University of Rwanda, as well as a master’s degree in communication management obtained through a programme involving the United Kingdom Telecommunications Academy and the University of Rwanda.
Artificial Intelligence at the centre of his research
His professional and academic interests have progressively focused on information technology strategy, digital transformation, innovation, technology management and artificial intelligence.
At Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, he is pursuing research in computer science and technology, with particular interest in the transparency and explainability of artificial intelligence.
Together with Agapito Ismael Ledezma Espino, he has co-authored research addressing deductive reasoning and the development of AI outputs that are more understandable and verifiable.
He also contributed to the preparation of educational material presented as part of the NeurIPS 2025 educational programme. Entitled Understanding Artificial Intelligence: An In-Depth Guide for Non-Expert Readers, the resource aims to make fundamental AI concepts accessible to readers without necessarily having a technical background.
Expertise aligned with the challenges of tomorrow’s cities
Hakizimana’s contribution to U4SSC comes at a time when artificial intelligence and digital technologies are playing an increasingly important role in urban planning, public service management and sustainable development strategies.
For Rwanda, which places significant emphasis on digital transformation and the development of smart cities, the participation of Rwandan researchers and professionals in these international discussions is particularly relevant.
From his experience in audiovisual infrastructure in Rwanda to his current research on artificial intelligence in Spain, Hakizimana’s journey reflects the convergence of several technological fields.
His contribution to U4SSC adds another dimension to a professional and academic path focused on digital transformation and its impact on society.
Rwandan researcher Gedeon Hakizimana is among the experts contributing to UN guidelines on AI-powered smart cities.
Mukashyaka replaces Alexis Kamuhire, who was appointed in 2021, while Kubwimana succeeds Patrick Habimana.
Mukashyaka is an audit professional with more than 15 years of experience in internal auditing and four years in external auditing.
Since 2021, she has served as Chief Audit Executive at I&M Bank Rwanda Plc. She has also worked at the Office of the Auditor General.
She is Vice President of the Institute of Internal Auditors Rwanda, representing the private sector. She also chairs the Audit Committee of the Board of the Parliament of Rwanda.
Mukashyaka holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Rwanda, where she graduated with distinction.
Her professional qualifications include the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and Certified Public Accountant (CPA) credentials. She is also an Internal Audit Quality Assessor and an ACCA member.
During her ACCA studies, she received a certificate of commendation after ranking first in Rwanda and 31st globally in the Advanced Audit and Assurance (AAA) examination.
Mukashyaka was also selected for the second cohort of the Africa Future Leaders programme, organised by the Central Bank of Egypt to develop banking leaders from across the continent.
Her areas of expertise include corporate governance, risk management, internal audit systems and banking operations.
Meanwhile, Kubwimana, the newly appointed Deputy Auditor General, has served as Director General of Fiscal Decentralization at Ministry of finance and Economic Planning (MINECOFIN) since 2024.
Before that, he held finance and internal audit positions at the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA), the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, and the former Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST).
He holds a master’s degree in Finance and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.
Kubwimana is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Rwanda (ICPAR).
Claudette Mukashyaka has been appointed Rwanda’s new Auditor General.2. Gratien Kubwimana has been appointed Rwanda’s new Deputy Auditor General.
The list, titled the ‘100 Most Influential Global Leaders’, brings together entrepreneurs, business executives, innovators and other leaders whose work has contributed to positive change in society.
It was compiled by the Pan African Youth Leadership Foundation, an African organisation focused on youth leadership development. The initiative recognises Africans living on the continent and abroad for their contributions across the public and private sectors.
This is the third edition of the list. Nkundimana’s inclusion is based on his work in technology and innovation. The awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in Nairobi, Kenya, on November 28, 2026.
Speaking to IGIHE, Nkundimana said the recognition would encourage him to continue developing innovative technology solutions, particularly EazyLink’s digital business card.
“It is an honour for us to be on this list. It will motivate us to continue adding innovations because the card is still in its early stage, and there are more features we plan to introduce in the next phases,” he said.
Nkundimana founded EazyLink in 2022. The company develops NFC-enabled digital business cards that allow users to share their contact details and social media profiles by simply tapping the card against a smartphone.
About 80% of EazyLink’s users are based outside Rwanda. They include business leaders, investors and professionals seeking an easier way to exchange contact information.
EazyLink has also been showcased at international technology events including GITEX Africa and GITEX Global.
Nkundimana also chairs Elysee Brand Inc., a digital marketing agency that has worked with brands in Rwanda, including Exo Energy Drink and Moreup Cosmetics.
He was also recently recognised for his contribution to technology and innovation at an international conference focused on advancing human development.
Nkundimana Elysée has been recognised among 100 influential African leaders for his work in technology and innovation.
The exchange took place on Today as the hosts discussed the “Hotter Than Your First Cup of Coffee” category, which features Melvin, Strahan, ABC’s Gio Benitez and CBS Mornings anchor Vladimir Duthiers.
Roker, 72, made it clear that he was supporting Melvin, 47, and humorously suggested that the competition was not particularly close.
When an image showing the nominees appeared on screen, Roker praised Melvin and joked that his appearance put the other nominees at a disadvantage.
Saturday Today anchor Laura Jarrett attempted to keep the conversation friendly, telling Roker that there was no need to criticize the other nominees. Roker responded playfully that he intended to do exactly that.
He then singled out Strahan, joking that the former NFL player should not be counted because he is not on Good Morning America on Mondays due to his football commitments.
Melvin responded to the teasing by laughing, while Roker continued his lighthearted campaign for his colleague.
The exchange came shortly after Melvin’s nomination was announced on Today.
His co-hosts had already been joking with him about being included in PEOPLE’s annual readers’ poll.
When the nomination was initially revealed, Roker joked that Melvin’s wife, sports broadcaster Lindsay Czarniak, might have her own opinion about her husband being considered among the hottest morning television hosts.
Roker also joked that she had sent Melvin iced coffee because she did not think he was much hotter than the drink.
Other television personalities have also been reacting to the poll. At CBS Mornings, Gayle King and Nate Burleson supported their colleague Vladimir Duthiers after learning about his nomination.
PEOPLE’s 2026 Sexiest Man Alive Readers’ Choice Poll features 14 categories covering personalities from television, entertainment, sports and other areas of popular culture.
Voting remains open until October 12, with the results scheduled to be announced later in October.
For Roker and Melvin, the nomination has provided another opportunity for the Today team to joke with one another on air, turning the annual poll into a lighthearted moment among the morning show’s hosts.
Al Roker jokes about Michael Strahan while supporting Craig Melvin in PEOPLE’s Sexiest Man Alive Readers’ Choice Poll.
Held at M Hotel, the pan-African gala recognised individuals for their leadership, influence and contribution to the continent’s socio-economic development.
The awards were organised by the International Business Council Africa, The Business Executive Media Group, and the African Chamber for Trade under the theme, “Recognizing the People Determining Africa’s Socio-Economic Direction.”
The event featured high-level networking, business engagements and cultural activities, with participants from different African countries coming together to share experiences and explore opportunities for collaboration.
Among the notable honourees was Dr. Stanley Kamau, Founder and Executive Director of Ahadi Kenya Trust, who received a Community Service Honour.
The award recognised his work supporting vulnerable families, addressing the impact of jiggers and promoting initiatives aimed at restoring dignity among marginalised communities in Kenya and elsewhere in East Africa.
Upon receiving his award, Kamau reflected on the wider purpose of leadership, saying:
“If the work touches even one life, opens one door or inspires someone else to make a difference, then that is recognition enough.”
Another honouree was Mrs. Zainab Ansell, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Zara Tanzania Adventures. She received a Certificate of Honour recognising her leadership and contribution to sustainable tourism and local economic empowerment.
The AFRIMIPA awards bring together influential figures from different sectors, including business, public service, law, healthcare, education and community development.
The programme also placed emphasis on mentorship, community empowerment and cross-border collaboration, with participants highlighting the importance of experienced leaders in creating opportunities and inspiring younger generations.
The awards are intended to recognise individuals based on their influence and position of authority, while encouraging them to use their platforms to contribute to Africa’s development.
The ceremony brought together honourees and guests from countries including Ghana, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania and Rwanda, creating opportunities for networking and exchange among professionals from different parts of the continent.
The third edition concluded with participants celebrating the achievements of the honourees and strengthening connections built around leadership, business and Africa’s socio-economic development.
Oliva Mutoni, Rwandan Poet was also awarded.Leading the vision and bringing Africa’s brightest minds together under one roof.Determining Africa’s socio-economic direction, one powerful connection at a time.
They later formed the armed group Army for the Liberation of Rwanda (ALiR), which evolved into the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). The group included former Rwandan Armed Forces (Ex-FAR) soldiers and Interahamwe militia members and continued its activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including attacks against Congolese Tutsi communities.
In 1997, ALiR fighters infiltrated Rwanda and carried out attacks in several areas, including Ngororero. They looted communities, abducted girls, subjected them to sexual violence, recruited them into their ranks and forced young men to join them.
One of the women abducted during that period is Mukagasana (not real name). Now 43, she is among former members of groups such as the FDLR who recently completed reintegration training at the Mutobo Demobilisation and Reintegration Centre in Musanze District.
Mukagasana was 14 when the infiltrators reached her family home in the former Kanama Commune in 1997. They killed her father and cousin, abducted her and took her to an area controlled by the group.
“They took my father and killed a visitor who was there, my cousin. They beheaded my father and took him to the area where the FDLR was operating. They hung him from a tree so that everyone could see,” she said.
The fighters also stole 10 cows from the family before taking Mukagasana to the former Ramba Commune.
She said she was sexually assaulted while still on the journey.
“They raped me because I was a young child. I was 14. I could no longer walk, so they left me along the way and later came back for me when I was able to walk,” she said.
She was later forced to undergo military training. According to her, the fighters gave her cannabis to make her less fearful of the activities they forced her to undertake.
She said the sexual abuse continued during her time with the group, including by commanders such as Colonel Nkundiye, making it impossible for her to determine how many men assaulted her.
Forced to participate in attacks
Mukagasana said she was also taken to areas where the group attacked communities sheltering Tutsi refugees, including Karumbi.
During one attack in 1997, she said, fighters killed a man, a woman and three girls aged 12, 13 and 14.
She was later ordered to look after children who had been abducted.
Mukagasana decided to help some of them escape.
“I told them, ‘I am going to help you. I will show you where to pass. Go and follow the route we came from,’” she said.
The fighters punished her with 150 strokes of the cane. The beating left her unable to walk properly and, she says, caused a disability that still prevents her from doing physically demanding work.
She was later taken to Mukura forest in the former Kibuye area, where the fighters left her with a large stone placed on her back to prevent her from escaping. She remained there for four days before they returned for her.
They subsequently continued using her knowledge of the area to identify households where they could obtain food.
Taking part in Nyange school attack
Mukagasana says she was among the fighters involved in the attack on students at Nyange Secondary School in the former Kibuye area on the night of March 18, 1997.
She said the operation was planned in the evening, with some fighters sent ahead to gather information about the area and security arrangements.
“We carried out the attack and asked them to separate, Tutsi on one side and Hutu on the other,” she said.
According to her account, the students refused to separate.
She said the fighters had expected to identify and abduct Hutu students and kill Tutsi students, but their refusal to separate disrupted that plan.
“The Tutsi could not separate and the Hutu could not separate, so we killed all of them and left,” she said.
She said the incident discouraged the attackers because they realised that distinguishing between the students was not possible.
Mukagasana also recalls taking part in other attacks, including one in which she says she shot and killed two soldiers.
FDLR fighters received support from the DRC
After arriving in the DRC, Mukagasana said, the fighters initially looted government facilities and health centres.
She said this later changed when Laurent-Désiré Kabila, who led the DRC from 1997 to 2001, began using the fighters in the conflict against Rwanda.
According to Mukagasana, the fighters received clothing, shoes and salaries from the Congolese government.
She held the rank of corporal in the FDLR.
She also recalls attacks in areas around Rubaya, where fighters looted cattle belonging to Congolese communities, including Banyamulenge.
“We killed them, took their cattle and ate them. We also abducted girls. Many died and others were raped,” she said.
Women were also used for intelligence gathering
Mukagasana said women and girls abducted by the group were subjected to sexual violence and were often assigned tasks such as gathering intelligence.
Some were selected because they were tall or could pass as members of Tutsi communities. They would enter areas inhabited by Congolese Tutsi communities to collect information without raising suspicion.
“During the day, her work was to gather information. Those who were not gathering information were raped or sent to loot and look for food,” she said.
Some women were also sent back into Rwanda to collect information before returning to report to the fighters.
Mukagasana said many did not perform these tasks willingly, but were controlled through threats and violence.
Returning home
She eventually escaped the FDLR and returned to Rwanda in 2003, but initially concealed her past because of fear.
She said fighters had told them that anyone who returned to Rwanda would be killed, creating fear among those who wanted to escape.
Mukagasana was pregnant when she returned to Rwanda as a result of sexual violence and did not know the identity of the father of her first child.
She later married a soldier in the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), after first telling him about her past.
“He comforted me and told me that what happened was not something he would use against me or something that would make him stop loving me,” she said.
The couple now have four children.
Mukagasana says the stigma and trauma associated with her past made her fear that neighbours would label her an Interahamwe or an enemy of the country. She eventually asked her husband to move to another district.
She says her recent reintegration training at Mutobo has helped her overcome some of that fear after hearing the experiences of other former fighters.
Mukagasana also expressed gratitude to the Rwandan government for allowing her to rebuild her life, saying that much of what she experienced happened after she was abducted at the age of 14 and forced to participate in the group’s activities.
Mukagasana (name changed) explained that she was abducted by the infiltrators and took part in their attack on students at Nyange in Ngororero.
Now serving her second term, Mukabalisa is also known for her performances in athletics competitions involving East African legislators, where she has won several medals.
Speaking to IGIHE, Mukabalisa disclosed her interest in leadership began long before she entered Parliament. As a student, she regularly took part in school clubs and activities, including Scouts, and later became involved in student leadership at university.
“I liked being among the first people to volunteer whenever there was something to be done or whenever others needed help,” she said.
Mukabalisa studied law at the University of Rwanda after completing her secondary education. At university, she was elected to represent law students before later becoming a commissioner responsible for gender in the wider students’ association.
She said these experiences taught her that leadership could provide a platform to raise issues affecting others, particularly women and students who might otherwise struggle to have their concerns heard.
After graduating, Mukabalisa spent time as a volunteer at a sector office in Musanze while looking for employment. She said the experience eventually helped her secure her first job after she used computers and internet access at the sector to apply for opportunities online.
“Volunteering is what I would say brought me into employment,” she said.
Mukabalisa said she did not grow up dreaming of becoming an MP. Instead, she developed an interest in serving people and gradually recognised opportunities to do so through different stages of her career, including her work at the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Her entry into Parliament in 2020, she said, was driven by a sense of responsibility towards the women who supported her campaign.
“I do not see myself as Germaine asking a minister a question. I see myself as Germaine who has an agreement with a citizen to ask the minister how this or that issue was addressed,” she said.
Among the recent laws she is particularly pleased to have participated in is the 2024 family law, which recognises that unpaid domestic work performed by women can, in certain circumstances, be given value and taken into account.
She described the provision as an important step because women often spend much of their time performing household work that does not generate a formal income.
Mukabalisa has also found an unexpected platform for service through athletics. She first competed in the sport after joining Parliament, when legislators resumed competitions in 2022 following the disruption caused by Covid-19.
Having no previous experience in athletics, she taught herself through training and online resources and eventually began winning medals. In 2023, when Rwanda hosted the competition, she won a gold medal.
Her determination was tested during an 800-metre race when she noticed that Rwanda was not listed among the competitors. She decided to participate anyway and eventually overtook a Ugandan runner who had taken an early lead.
“I told myself that the worst thing that could happen was failing to win a medal. I put in all the strength we had been taught to use and eventually managed to overtake her,” she recalled.
For Mukabalisa, both Parliament and sport have provided different avenues through which she can represent others, challenge herself and turn opportunities into service.
MP Germaine Mukabalisa has won several medals in athletics competitions involving East African legislators, despite having never competed in the sport before joining Parliament.MP Germaine Mukabalisa says she never dreamed of becoming a parliamentarian, but has built her career around a desire to serve people and use every opportunity to make a difference.
At 22, Bradford was already working on youth enterprise and social impact, but being named one of the Queen’s Young Leaders in 2016 felt far removed from the life of an ordinary young person.
“I thought it was some kind of joke. I was like, ‘No, this can’t be for real,’” Bradford recalled in an exclusive interview with IGIHE.
It was real. And the experience would become one of the defining moments of his life.
Today, Bradford is the co-founder and CEO of Green Horizon Ventures, a Kigali-based social enterprise working across environmental protection, youth development and consultancy. His work includes supporting young creatives through schools and youth centres, working with farmers and foresters on environmental sustainability, and providing technical support to development programmes.
His path to Rwanda, however, is closely intertwined with the experience that began at Buckingham Palace a decade ago.
From disbelief to the Palace
The Queen’s Young Leaders programme was established to recognise young people across the Commonwealth who were making a difference in their communities.
Bradford was among those selected in 2016, an honour he credits with opening his eyes to the scale of what young people were accomplishing around the world.
The programme brought together young leaders from across the Commonwealth, exposing Bradford to people who were tackling social problems with passion, ideas and, in many cases, very limited resources.
For him, that was as important as the award itself.
“I think we all talk about the word leadership and the word leaders all the time, but this was probably the first time really when I was 22 when I found out about the award that I actually noticed that there were so many young people who were using their passion, their ideas, their skills, some of them with very little resources to tackle issues and raise awareness and create change.”
The experience changed how he viewed leadership.
It showed him that leadership was not necessarily about age, position or resources. It could begin with an individual who simply decided to act.
In his early 20s, Bradford was recognised as one of the Queen’s Young Leaders in 2016 for his work in youth enterprise and social impact.
Meeting a Queen who made people laugh
Meeting Queen Elizabeth came with all the expected royal protocol.
There were formalities, the appropriate greetings and the recognition of her status.
But Bradford’s strongest memory was not the ceremony. It was the person behind it.
“She’s incredibly friendly, very approachable and very chatty,” he remembers.
The Queen, he recalls, made an effort to speak to people and put them at ease.
One of the things that surprised him most was her sense of humour.
“She has such an amazing sense of humour. She’s so funny, and she really tried to make everybody smile.”
For Bradford, that was more than a charming personal quality. It was a lesson in leadership.
He remembers leaving the encounter with the feeling that the young leaders had been taken seriously by someone who occupied one of the highest-profile positions in the world.
He also met Prince Harry during the occasion, describing him as equally “cheeky and funny”.
But it was the Queen’s message to the young leaders that remained with him.
She reminded them that the future would be shaped by their decisions and actions.
For Bradford, that was a powerful vote of confidence.
“It was an important message for someone in her position to say that she trusted us, from the highest level, to make the world a better place than it is today,” he says.
Bradford is the co-founder and CEO of Green Horizon Ventures, a Kigali-based social enterprise working across environmental protection, youth development and consultancy.
A responsibility, not just an award
The recognition did not simply give Bradford confidence. It gave him a sense of responsibility.
He came to see the award less as a personal achievement and more as an obligation to help other young people believe that they, too, could create change.
“For anybody who’s had such an award from the Royal Family, you see it as a responsibility to raise the standards for the next generation of youth,” he adds.
That mindset became central to his subsequent work.
Rather than keeping the recognition as a personal milestone, Bradford sought to use the networks and lessons from the programme to support other young people.
He also became one of the founding advisers of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, an initiative created to support young people leading projects across Commonwealth countries.
When he joined, the organisation was still an idea on paper.
His role involved helping shape how it could identify young people doing important work on the ground and understand what they actually needed to move their projects forward.
“It’s easy, I think, to sit and make a decision from Buckingham Palace where you have that privilege,” he observes. “But what’s happening on the ground?”
The objective was to ensure that young people in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and other parts of the Commonwealth were not simply being spoken about, but were being listened to.
Bradford takes particular pride in seeing the initiative grow from an idea into a programme that eventually supported hundreds and thousands of young people.
The Queen and the road to Africa
Bradford believes the experience at the Palace helped influence his decision to look more seriously towards Africa.
That eventually brought him to Rwanda.
His decision to remain in Rwanda after the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in 2022, he explains, was driven largely by what he saw in the country’s leadership and development story.
“I think one of the most inspiring stories of development has come from Rwanda.”
For a social entrepreneur interested in environmental protection and youth development, he found a country where ambition and experimentation resonated with his own philosophy.
Bradford was particularly drawn to the idea of challenging assumptions about what is possible.
“A lot of it is what’s possible when you say, let’s break the rules as they used to be, let’s dream beyond what others have said is possible and try and do something bigger and better.”
That philosophy, he believes, is visible across sectors in Rwanda, from infrastructure and governance to environmental initiatives.
His decision to stay, he adds, was not simply about a business opportunity, but about finding a place where he felt ideas could be turned into action.
Today, through Green Horizon Ventures, he works with young people and communities on environmental and youth-development initiatives, while also consulting on projects led by others working towards social impact.
His youth programmes have engaged and trained thousands of young people, while environmental projects are reaching hundreds of people and are still expanding.
Turning personal challenges into advocacy
Bradford’s leadership journey has also been shaped by experiences far removed from royal ceremonies and international programmes.
As a teenager, he was diagnosed with autism, an experience that has influenced how he thinks about difference, leadership and inclusion.
He describes autism as something that can present challenges but also bring different ways of thinking.
For him, that different way of processing information has become useful in business, particularly when analysing problems and developing solutions.
But Bradford is equally interested in changing how society views neurodiversity.
He believes families and communities should recognise the abilities of people on the autism spectrum rather than defining them primarily through their challenges.
His own experience has made him more willing to speak publicly about autism, which he sees as a way of challenging stigma and encouraging greater understanding.
That same instinct to turn personal experience into public advocacy has appeared elsewhere in his life.
Bradford’s work includes supporting young creatives through schools and youth centres, working with farmers and foresters on environmental sustainability, and providing technical support to development programmes.
From family crisis to gambling reform
Another defining chapter began with a deeply personal family crisis.
When Bradford was in his early 20s, his father was imprisoned after stealing money connected to a gambling addiction.
The family had not fully understood what was happening until the consequences became impossible to ignore.
As the eldest son, Bradford found himself having to help support his family, deal with the financial consequences and make sense of how an addiction could push someone into such a difficult situation.
The experience led him into advocacy around gambling regulation in the United Kingdom.
He began campaigning for stronger safeguards and greater support for people vulnerable to gambling addiction, particularly young people.
His efforts contributed to changes in policy and regulation, as well as greater attention to support for people experiencing gambling-related harm.
It is a chapter of his life that now intersects with his work in Africa.
Bradford has advised and engaged with gambling-related issues in several African countries, including Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria.
In Rwanda, he welcomes the development of a more structured regulatory environment and hopes the gambling industry will become more conscious of the potential risks to vulnerable people.
The leadership lesson that stayed with him
For Bradford, the lasting lesson from Queen Elizabeth was that leadership can begin at a young age. He continues to encourage young people to focus on practical solutions, build sustainable ventures and remain resilient through setbacks, rather than waiting for others to solve their problems.
“She was a beacon, like a role model for all of the millions of youth in the Commonwealth and the whole world, to say that you can be a leader from a very young age and it’s a good thing to do.”
That philosophy also informs the legacy Bradford hopes to leave through his own work. He wants his projects and ideas to give people another way of thinking and show that challenges can be approached differently. For him, even influencing one person to see a new possibility and improve their life would be a meaningful contribution.
A man sits alone with a book, seemingly unaware, or perhaps simply unbothered, that he is being watched. He does not look up right away. When he finally does, it is with the calm of someone who has spent a lifetime learning to sit still with his own thoughts.
The book in his hands is titled “The New Song”, a work I would later learn was his own. Inside the house, his wife moves quietly, chatting with the new family they have made here.
This was my first encounter with Muhammad Aziz, before he agreed to sit down on camera and tell me about the life he has built in the Land of a Thousand Hills.
At 88, Aziz lives thousands of miles from the Bronx, where he was born, and from the courtroom where his name was tied to one of the most notorious assassinations in American history. He spent 20 years in prison after being convicted in the killing of Malcolm X, the influential Black American civil rights leader and activist, a crime he has always maintained he did not commit. It would take more than five decades before his conviction was vacated.
Today, he is learning Kinyarwanda, investing in property, supporting children’s education and building a life in Rwanda with his wife.
But sitting on the living room couch, book in hand, there is little that immediately reveals the weight of the life behind him.
Muhammad Aziz says he developed a love of reading from an early age.
Twenty years taken away
Aziz was born in the Bronx on June 27, 1938, and grew up in poverty. Books became an early refuge. His stepfather brought home encyclopedias, and by the age of eight or nine, Aziz had developed a habit of reading that would stay with him for the rest of his life.
At 17, already a father, he joined the U.S. Navy. For a young Black man trying to change his circumstances, military service offered a route to money, education and a life beyond the neighbourhood he had grown up in.
“Trying to get out of the ghetto,” he says. “That was a way for most, back then.”
By the early 1960s, Aziz had joined the Nation of Islam and was attending a mosque in New York where Malcolm X served as minister. His proximity to Malcolm X, he says, did not mean they were close.
“I was around him, but I didn’t know him,” he explains.
That distinction would soon become almost irrelevant.
On February 21, 1965, Malcolm X was assassinated at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan as he prepared to address an audience. He had broken publicly with the Nation of Islam the previous year, embarking on an increasingly independent political and religious path. His assassination triggered an investigation that quickly focused on members of the organisation he had left.
Aziz was among three men arrested and charged.
He says the police broke into his home during his arrest and beat him, leaving him unable to walk. He also maintained that he had an alibi and that evidence supporting it was disregarded.
At trial, Talmadge Hayer, one of the three defendants, admitted participating in the assassination but testified that Aziz and the third defendant, Khalil Islam, had not been involved.
The testimony did not prevent their convictions.
In 1966, Aziz, then known as Norman 3X Butler, was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was 27.
Decades later, he still speaks about the verdict with the same bluntness with which he speaks about much of his life.
“That’s white America,” he reflects. “Black people’s word doesn’t count. When did it count? Didn’t count then. It doesn’t count now.”
He believes the FBI knew of his innocence from the beginning and withheld it. “They had special agents in the crowd, in the audience,” he stresses. “They knew who was there. They knew what happened.”
Twenty years in prison followed, years he filled with reading, self-study, and eventually advocacy for other inmates, becoming the first chairman of a prison grievance committee.
But the cost outside the prison walls was one he could never fully recover. His children grew up without him, and the years of separation left a lasting fracture in his family. His then-wife, with whom he had four sons, later died.
“It destroyed my family,” he says. When he was paroled in 1985, his children were already grown, and the distance between them proved difficult to close. “I was a stranger to them.”
“The one thing that bothers me extremely in terms of the Nation of Islam is that they didn’t take care of my family,” he adds.
For decades after his release, Aziz continued to live under the shadow of the Malcolm X case.
Then, in 2020, the Netflix documentary Who Killed Malcolm X? brought renewed attention to the assassination and to the convictions of Aziz and Islam.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office reopened the case and reviewed thousands of pages of records, including material from the FBI, NYPD and other agencies. The review identified evidence that had not been disclosed to the defence during the original proceedings.
In November 2021, a judge vacated the convictions of Aziz and Islam. Islam had died in 2009. He never lived to see his name cleared.
Aziz was later awarded compensation by New York State and New York City.
Asked if the multi-million dollar settlement feels like justice, Aziz is unmoved.
“I’m not thinking in terms of justice,” he says. “I’m just thinking about the freedom to do what I want to do now.”
Muhammad Aziz was exonerated in 2021, when his conviction in the Malcolm X assassination case was vacated.
Choosing Rwanda
For years, Aziz had wanted to leave the United States but lacked the means to do so. After his release in 1985, he had hoped to rebuild his family ties and find a way to earn a living.
“I tried both,” he reflects. “And I was essentially unsuccessful in both.”
After his conviction was vacated and his financial circumstances changed, he began researching places where he might build a new life.
He considered countries across South America, Central America, the Caribbean and Africa.
Eventually, his attention settled on Rwanda.
Aziz says he spent time studying Rwanda before making the move and was particularly drawn by the leadership of President Paul Kagame.
His wife was initially less certain.
“When Muhammad said, ‘We’re going to Rwanda,’ I said, ‘Okay.’ But all I knew about Rwanda was the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi,” she recalls.
She began researching the country, as did her siblings. Their research focused on present-day Rwanda rather than the country remembered primarily through the events of 1994.
The answer, she says, was reassuring.
“They all got back to me and said it’s a good place to go.”
The couple arrived in Kigali in 2023. They did not come simply to retire. They came to build.
The couple arrived in Kigali in 2023. They did not come simply to retire. They came to build.
Building a new life in Kigali
That new life has come with a new sense of purpose. The couple has invested an estimated $7.5 million in Rwandan real estate through their firm, Igiti Cy’ubumwe, including an apartment development, commercial buildings, and lakefront property.
Their major projects include Seed Apartments, an 18-unit residential and investment development in Kimihurura, as well as a prime property dubbed the ‘White House’, located adjacent to the Kigali Convention Centre.
The Seed Apartments is an 18-unit residential and investment development project located in Kimihurura.
Aziz says the investments have already benefited hundreds of people locally, a number he hopes will continue to grow.
But the couple’s ambitions in Rwanda extend beyond buildings.
In addition to their investments, the couple has made education an important part of their commitment to Rwanda.
Believing that “education is a way out of poverty,” the couple began covering school fees for children in the village near their home, 30 students the first year, 100 the next and the numbers have kept growing since.
They’ve since launched a business producing educational puzzles and card games that teach Rwandan children about the continent, built with three young Rwandan partners, with proceeds feeding back into the community.
The couple has since partnered with local Rwandan entrepreneurs to launch a business producing educational puzzles and card games that teach children about the continent, while giving back proceeds to the community.
For Aziz, it also reflects the philosophy that has followed him from the prison library to the Kigali hillside.
“Children learn best when they’re playing,” he says, a philosophy behind giving young people something that roots them in their own history and identity, rather than one borrowed from elsewhere.
Their involvement in Rwanda has also taken them into different aspects of life in the country, including supporting initiatives such as Kwita Izina, Rwanda’s annual gorilla naming ceremony.
“There’s so much energy put into environmental preservation here,” the wife notes.
As they settle into their new home, the family is also learning Kinyarwanda, attending classes three times a week. Aziz admits he would like more immersion, acknowledging the language’s “massive” nuances.
“I’m not going anywhere”
His wife says it is the everyday experience of Rwanda that has made the country feel like home.
She speaks about the calm she encounters in Kigali, the friendliness of people and the absence of the kind of tension she associated with life in the United States.
“This is a peaceful place,” she says. “Everybody gives each other a hug when they see each other.”
The family speaks fondly of Rwandan real estate developer Stephen Milindi, who they say has helped them settle into their new life. They have also applied for Rwandan citizenship, hoping one day to become citizens of the country they now call home. For Aziz, there appears to be little uncertainty about where that home is.
“I’m here,” he remarks. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Watch the full documentary on the Aziz family’s new life in Rwanda below.
Their major projects include Seed Apartments, an 18-unit residential and investment development managed by Misteph Real Estate in Kimihurura. Another prime property they call the White House is located adjacent to the Kigali Convention Centre.The family speaks fondly of Rwandan real estate developer Stephen Milindi, who they say has helped them settle into their new life.
In a statement shared on its social media platforms, AFR said Sayinzoga takes over the leadership of the organisation at a time when it begins implementing a new strategic framework and strengthening its contribution to Rwanda’s financial sector.
“Her experience in institution building, partnership development and inclusive finance will be invaluable as AFR continues to expand its impact,” the organisation said.
Sayinzoga is an expert in economic development with extensive experience in finance, policy, and institutional leadership.
From 2019 to 2025, she served as CEO of the Rwanda Development Bank (BRD), after previously serving as Director General of the National Industrial Research and Development Agency (NIRDA).
She has also held various senior positions at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, including serving as Permanent Secretary.
Before joining public service, Sayinzoga worked at the World Bank. She has also served on the boards of several financial institutions and organisations, including the Trade and Development Bank (TDB), East African Development Bank (EADB), Rwanda Eurobond Committee, GT Bank, and the Rwanda Revenue Authority.
She holds a Master’s degree in Economic Development and Policy Analysis from the University of Nottingham.
Kampeta Pitchette Sayinzoga his the new AFR Chief Executive Officer.
