Former Rwanda minister joins Hong Kong-based wealth management firm
Former Rwanda Minister of State for Infrastructure Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye has joined Raffles Family Office (RFO), a wealth and asset management firm headquartered in Hong Kong and Singapore.
Mr Uwihanganye, who previously served as Rwanda’s ambassador to Singapore, has been appointed Principal for Emerging Markets and Business Development.
Based in Hong Kong, he will focus on strengthening investment links between Africa and Asia and will report directly to RFO Group Chief Executive Officer Chi-man Kwan.
The appointment, announced on Tuesday, 8 September, comes as RFO seeks to expand its engagement with Africa, which it regards as an increasingly important source of investment and wealth-creation opportunities.
The firm said Mr Uwihanganye would focus on the Africa-Asia investment corridor, helping it engage with African families and investors while identifying opportunities for Asian and global capital in African markets.
“Joining RFO allows me to help African families access world-class wealth and legacy solutions, while creating genuine, well-structured pathways for Asian and global capital to access opportunities in Africa,” he said.
He added that Africa and Asia were increasingly becoming important partners in global growth, with family capital playing a role in connecting the two regions.
Government and diplomatic experience
An engineer by training, Mr Uwihanganye has more than 15 years of experience spanning government, diplomacy and business management.
He served as Rwanda’s Minister of State for Infrastructure from July 2025 until June 2026.
He previously served as Minister of State in charge of Transport from August 2017 to July 2019, before being appointed Rwanda’s High Commissioner to Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.
During his diplomatic tenure, he was involved in the conception and launch of the Inclusive FinTech Forum, one of Africa’s major global finance and technology events.
He also served as Dean of the African Group of Ambassadors in Singapore, representing 54 African countries in engagements with the Asia-Pacific business community.
Earlier in his career, he worked as Director of Business Development and Planning at NPD Ltd, an engineering and construction company.
Mr Uwihanganye holds an MBA from Nanyang Business School at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and a master’s degree in the Management of Construction Projects from the University of Manchester.
Focus on Africa.
RFO said the appointment reflected its long-term interest in Africa, whose population is projected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050.
The firm also highlighted the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which brings together a market of about 1.3 billion people with a combined GDP of around $3.4tn.
RFO said demographic growth and the expansion of the continental market were expected to drive wealth creation and increase demand for investment management, wealth structuring and succession solutions.
RFO Group Chief Executive Officer Chi-man Kwan said Mr Uwihanganye’s experience across Africa and Asia would help the firm deepen its engagement with the continent.
“Africa’s potential is greater than many yet recognise, and helping perception catch up with that potential takes people who understand both ends of the corridor,” he said.
