Author: Abou-Shadadi

The minerals were recovered on Sunday, September 27, in the house of one Charles Twizeyimana, 43, the suspected thief.

They include 66.5kgs of cassiterite and 49kgs of Wolfram, which were allegedly stolen in the concession owned by Bugambira Mining Company Limited.

Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Hamdun Twizeyimana, the Police spokesperson of the Eastern region, said that the alleged theft was unearthed by local residents.

“Our community policing partners in the area called law enforcement organs reporting that Twizeyimana Charles is an illegal mineral dealer and had brought new consignments of minerals,” CIP Twizeyimana said.

He added: “Police and investigators responded to the call, searched Twizeyimana Charles' house and recovered two sacks of minerals; 66.5kgs of cassiterite and 49kgs of Wolfram. The minerals were traced back to a concession owned by Bugambira Mining Company Limited, where they had been stolen.”

The spokesperson commended the residents for the spirit of community policing and neighbourhood watch in particular.

This came less than a week after three other mineral thieves were also arrested in Kayonza District, Rwinkwavu Sector.

On September 20, 377kgs of coltan were seized from four illegal dealers in Rutsiro District while 15 tonnes of coltan and cassiterite were impounded from illegal dealers in Kamonyi District.

Article 54 of the law on mining and quarry operations states that, any person who undertakes mineral or quarry exploration, exploitation, processing, or trading without a licence commits an offence.

Upon conviction, the offender is liable to imprisonment for a term of between two and six months and a fine of not less than Rwf1 million and not more than Rwf5 million or only one of these penalties.

The court also orders confiscation of any seized minerals or quarry in storage, trading or processing without a licence.

A statement from the FDA said, “There are pills that have changed color, so full investigation must take place to know its cause so that it will not harm the users.”

“We found these medicines with an issue of changing color for some tablets of the same blister; some tablets have yellow color while others have white color. It is in that regard that the following batches are called for quarantine while the Authority is conducting further investigation,” reads the announcement.

The drugs are Unibrol / Aminosidine Sulphate USP 250mg, number 5806898, manufactured in September 2019, will expire in August 2022. Another is Unibrol/Aminosidine Sulphate USP 250mg with number 5806675, made in June 2019, and will expire on May 2022.

Both drugs were manufactured by UNIVERSAL Corporation Ltd, based in Kenya. The FDA has asked everyone affected by the decision, as well as Rwandans in general, to stop using the above-mentioned drugs.

“Rwanda FDA instructs all importers, central medical stores, wholesalers, district pharmacies, retailers, public and private health facilities in possession of the mentioned drugs to stop distributing and giving the patients until the investigation is concluded,” the announcement adds.

In a statement, the company added that starting from October 8, it will resume flights to Kigali and operate one flight per week.

The flights were suspended due to measures to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic, which prompted Rwanda to close its borders in March this year.

EgyptAir launched its flights between Rwanda and Egypt last year, aimed at facilitating the flow of people and goods between the two countries, which are also normally in good relations.

In addition to Kigali, EgyptAir also plans to resume flights to Uganda, South Africa, Oman, and Jordan.

Like RwandAir, EgyptAir is an internationally growing airline, with 66 planes and 13 more imported, operating in 75 destinations around the world.

A statement from the Ministry of Health showed that 6 COVID-19 cases were detected in Kigali City, 2 from Nyamagabe, while 1 was recorded in Rubavu.

Rwanda has confirmed a total of 4820 COVID-19 cases out of 488,942 tests taken, 3,099 recoveries, 1692 active cases, and 29 deaths.

The ministry on Friday extended its condolences to the families of the victims, aged 46 and 44.

This is the third time in Rwanda that two people have died from COVID-19 caused by Coronavirus in one day.

On September 25, 2020, Rwanda recorded 9 new cases from 1,400 sample tests taken, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 4798 while 30 have recovered bringing the total number of recoveries to 3080. So far 484,841 tests have been conducted in Rwanda and the number of active cases is 1689.

Of the new cases, five were identified in Kigali, two in Nyamagabe, and two in Nyagatare district.

Although many services are open, Rwandans are urged to remember that the pandemic is still there. They are advised to continue complying with government regulations, wear masks when leaving home or in public, frequent washing of hands with water and soap, avoid meetings and anything else that gathers many people especially those who feel the symptoms of this pandemic including coughing, flu, difficulty in breathing and so on, can call the toll-free number 114 for medical assistance.

Pyramid money trade is well-known in Rwanda, where its companies require people to buy certain shares, promising a profit that can increase depending on the number of people they bring in and buy shares.

This practice is what keeps those who are involved in these activities always concerned about bringing others to increase their profits.

The activities are advertised on social media, and sometimes even organize meetings to invite those who want to get involved in the business.

RIB spokesperson Dr. Murangira Thierry told Radio 1 that those who attract and encourage others to enter the business should stop because it is a crime and punishable by Rwandan law.

Dr. Murangira further urged the public to be vigilant before engaging in activities that assure them profits they didn’t work for.

Rwanda records a total of 4,789 COVID-19 cases, with 3,050 recoveries, 1,712 active cases, and 27 deaths.

Of the 10 new cases, six were detected in Kigali, three in Nyamagabe, and one in Nyagatare.

Although many services are open, Rwandans are urged to remember that the pandemic is still there.

They are advised to continue complying with government regulations, remember to wear masks when leaving home or in public, frequent washing of hands with water and soap, avoid meetings and anything else that gathers many people especially those who feel the symptoms of this pandemic including coughing, flu, difficulty in breathing and so on, can call the toll-free number 114 for medical assistance.

This was largely due to the Tanzanian authorities’ decision to reject Rwanda’s COVID-19 test certificate, preferring to carry out their tests.

The problem here is that to get the test results it takes between four and seven days, which causes to delay of drivers and their cargo on the road and the amount of money they have to spend on the journey increases exponentially.

Now trucks traveling to or from Rwanda have been on the line for days in Tanzania, while its drivers are waiting for results to show that they Covid-19 negative.

Rwanda, on the other hand, also rejects Coronavirus test results provided by Tanzania, as The East African announced. Instead the drivers from there are required to retake the test, although it does not take long to get the results, instead of taking days, it only takes a few hours.

After noticing that there was a high incidence of Coronavirus infection among truck drivers, Rwanda established the Kiyanzi logistics platform to conduct Covid-19 tests for all truckers coming into the country. This eventually replaced the method of exchanging drivers at the border which Tanzania was not happy about.

Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Trade and Industry Michel Sebera, said they are aware of the difficulties Rwandan truck drivers are facing in Tanzania, where the delays to clear Rwandan cargo has attracted high demurrages and other costs.

Sebera added Tanzania are using several delaying techniques, and they are retaliating to the measures Rwanda took including Kiyanzi which were meant to control the spread of Covid-19.

The director of Rwanda Chamber of Commerce at PSF, Akumuntu Joseph, said that being tested in Tanzania for between four and seven days is a bad thing for their business. He emphasizes that the testing is not so much about safety, it is to push the government to remove the Kiyanzi testing site.

Akumuntu further added that the Malaba border between Kenya and Uganda, where normally goods coming to Rwanda pass, there are also some delays and their prices have risen, but at least it is not very difficult because they accept the results provided by Rwanda indicating that a person has been tested for Coronavirus.

Hailemariam arrived at the RAB headquarters in Rubona in Huye District, visiting activities including the Soil testing and plant pathology laboratories, Gene Bank, and the Banana Field Germplasm Conservation.

After visiting various research institutes at the RAB, he told reporters that he established that AGRA support towards the development of agriculture in Rwanda is effectively put to use and pledged continued cooperation.

“One of the countries we are working within Africa is Rwanda, sponsoring seed-breeding and generation and I am happy to say that Rwanda is making good progress. This is very good news,” he said.

He further added that AGRA will continue to work with Rwanda on various agricultural development activities to ensure that it sustainably develops their livelihoods.

RAB Director General Dr. Karangwa Patrick said that AGRA has been a major contributor to the development of agriculture and animal husbandry in Rwanda and Africa where since 2008 they have been particularly helpful in empowering Rwandan researchers.

Dr. Karangwa said that from 2008 to present, seven Rwandan researchers have been assisted by AGRA to study and earn PhD, and some 17 have received a Master’s Degree.

He added that AGRA has been supporting research activities in Rwanda where it has supported the research on maize seeds and other crops such as soybeans, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, among others.

Apart from AGRA’s funding to the RAB, there are other supportive activities, such as capacity building for seed growers and farmers.

Hailemariam Desalegn Boshe has been in Rwanda for several days as he attended the International Conference on African Agricultural Development in Africa from 8 to 11 September 2020.

After the conference, Hailemariam visited various parts of Rwanda including the Volcanoes National Park and Nyungwe National Park where he thanked Rwanda’s efforts to take care of the biodiversity.

Hailemariam Desalegn Boshe, 55, served as the ninth Prime Minister of Ethiopia from 2012-2018 replacing Males Zenawi. He also previously served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2010-2012.

Under his leadership, the country made significant economic progress.

Rwanda has confirmed a total of 4,779 Covid-19 cases out of 263,399 tests taken, 2,994 recoveries, 1,757 active cases, and 27 deaths.

A statement from the Ministry of Health on Wednesday showed that 12 COVID-19 cases were detected among Kigali’s high-risk groups, 26 from Nyagatare cross-border truck drivers, while 3 others were recorded in Nyamagabe.

It has been a while without new cases among truck drivers across the border after measures were taken to test drivers. Infections of this category are most common in Kirehe District on the Rusumo border between Rwanda and Tanzania.

Coronavirus symptoms include coughing, flu, and difficulty in breathing. The virus is said to be transmitted through the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract.

Rwandans are required to continue complying with government regulations, especially with frequent washing of hands and water and soap, wearing masks when leaving home or in public.