Aimable Manirakiza is the Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for Development and Enterprises Great Lakes, a think tank based in Burundi that defends the principles of a free society and free market by reducing barriers to prosperity and opportunities. Non-partisan and not-for-profit, CDE Great Lakes suggests policies based on the belief that only civil, political, and economic freedom allows Burundians to escape poverty. CDE policy proposals are being formulated to support current decision-making processes in the legislative and regulation agency of the Burundian government.
Nominated and Won the Student of the Year 2017 by Students For Liberty US in 2017, Manirakiza received the Africa Liberty Award as part of the Birashoboka Project of CDE in 2018. In 2019, the CDE Great Lakes was a finalist for the Templeton Freedom Award through the Birashoboka Project. In 2020, the CDE Great Lakes won the Africa Liberty Award through the ProLiberty Writers Program. In 2019, the CDE Great Lakes was a finalist for the Templeton Freedom Award through the Free trade reform called “Fungua Njia Project”. Aimable has already spoken in over 100 media outlets in South Africa, Burundi, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.