IGIHE

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  • UK Pledges Financial Support for East African Energy Sector

    {{Britain has pledged to support energy projects in the East African Community (EAC) bloc through capital injection.}}

    Newly found oil and gas as well as geothermal energy resources would be targeted, it emerged during talks between British High Commissioner Dianna Melrose and EAC officials as well as during her visit to the East African Business Council (EABC) head offices here.

    Most of the support from UK would be directed to the region through public-private-partnership (PPP), said the EABC executive director Mr Andrew Luzze after brief talks with the envoy and her delegation.

    According to him, one of the energy projects which was successfully implemented through PPP was the Bujagali hydro-electricty power station in Uganda.

    He said private companies in the UK were keen to provide capital for the gas, oil and geothermal energy projects in East Africa, a move that would also increase the private sector participation in the energy sector in the region.

    During the talks, Ms Melrose also stressed the need to encourage technology transfer through industrialisation which would add value to exports to the developed countries instead of exporting them in raw form.

    “Instead of exporting raw leather we should export ready made shoes and bags. Instead of selling cotton, we should sell fabrics.

    The same case should apply to other raw or semi-processed goods that are now being exported from the EA,” he said.

    According to Mr Luzze, the British envoy expressed keen interest in strengthening the role of the private sector so that it can play an effective role in economic growth in the bloc.

    She also stressed the need to enhance intra-regional trade and efforts being made to reduce the cost of doing business.

    During her visit to the EAC Secretariat on Tuesday, Ms Melrose l

    {Wirestory}

  • Scientists Edge Closer to Effective Malaria Vaccine

    {{A new kind of malaria vaccine that mimics the effect of mosquito bites has shown early promise by offering 100% protection to a dozen human volunteers, researchers said Thursday.}}

    The experimental vaccine, called PfSPZ and produced by the Maryland-based company Sanaria, contains live malaria parasites collected through a painstaking process of dissecting the salivary glands of mosquitoes.

    These immature parasites, known as sporozoites, are then weakened so they cannot cause illness and incorporated into a vaccine, which must be injected into a person’s veins several times, with each shot about a month apart.

    “When we started doing this, everybody knew that sporozoites were the gold standard but everyone thought it was impossible to make a vaccine out of sporozoites and we were crazy. And we have proven them wrong,” Sanaria chief scientific officer Stephen Hoffman told media.

    A test two years ago that administered the same vaccine into the skin of patients, the way most vaccines are given, protected only two of 44 volunteers.

    But the latest trial showed that injecting the vaccine into the bloodstream protected against malaria in all six volunteers who received a five-shot regimen at the highest dosage, according to the results published in the US journal Science.

    Six of nine volunteers in a separate group that received four shots of the highest dose — 135,000 sporozoites per injection — were also fully protected against malaria, it said.

    The phase I study included 57 people — including 40 who received the vaccine in varying doses and 17 controls.

    The study was co-authored by Hoffman and Robert Seder of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

    “The good news is that the proof of concept is quite impressive,” said Anthony Fauci, director of NIAID.

    “The sobering news is that we that we still have a lot of work to do in order to prove that this is something that has very broad applications.”

    There is no vaccine on the market for malaria, which infected some 220 million people in 2010 and killed 660,000 according to the World Health Organization. Most of the deaths were among children in Africa.

    Another vaccine effort under way is the RTS,S trial. Its phase III results, reported in Science in 2012, showed 31 percent effectiveness in young infants and 56 percent in older babies and toddlers.

    Hoffman told Science he realized years ago that a single protein vaccine like RTS,S would “never do the job” of warding off malaria, which is caused by a 5,000-gene parasite.

    He was inspired instead by studies in the 1970s that showed 90 percent of volunteers were protected against malaria after getting more than 1,000 bites from infected mosquitoes that had undergone radiation to weaken the Plasmodium falciparum parasite.

    {agencies}

  • Rwandan National Found Dead in Amsterdam

    {{The Embassy of Rwanda in Amsterdam, Holland, announces the Death of a Rwandan National Nkusi Gabriel born 2/6/1975. He passed away after an illness three weeks ago.

    The deceased was found dead in his house after neighbours notified the Police.

    The Embassy informs the General Public that burrial will be held next week but requests anyone who knows the relatives and family of the deceased to inform the embassy.

    More details will be communicated.

    Contact the Embassy on 0703926571

    Or Minister Counsellor Guillaume Kavaruganda on 0685037809}}

    { Open link below for Announcement in Kinyarwanda

    itangazo_ryo_kubika.pdf

    }

  • Police Senior Command & Staff College Student Officers Urged To Understand African Contemporary Security Challenge

    {{The Minister of Defence, Hon. Gen James Kabarebe while discussing “Contemporary Security challenges: the African Perspective” on August 8, advised the Police Senior Officers from 12 African countries undertaking Senior Command and Staff Course in National Police College (NPC) to analyse, understand the genesis of conflicts to meet the African security challenges.}}

    General Kabarebe emphasized that every conflict, in every environment has its own particularities, hence needs particular attention; conflicts are different. He underlined that contemporary security challenges in Africa are mainly intrastate violent conflicts which emanate from colonial influence, foreign interference and internal factors.

    He further noted that an accurate understanding of any violent conflict must be preceded by a comprehensive analysis.

    “Understanding the causes, forms and characteristics of the intrastate violent conflicts leads to successful post conflict resolution, conflict prevention and development”, explained Minister Kabarebe.

    Talking about the root causes of the Eastern DRC conflict, the Minister of Defence mentioned FDLR genocidal forces and the masterminds of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. “FDLR remains one single most root cause of insecurity to E.DRC, Rwanda and the Great Lakes Region”.

    The Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) Chief of Defence Force, Gen Patrick Nyamvumba shared with the Police Command and Staff Students the United Nations Mission Experience: the Military Component in peacekeeping operations.

    Gen Nyamvumba urged the Course Participants to understand the dynamics of the conflict for effective management. He noted that as the officers who might be deployed in UN Missions for the next years, they have to understand very well the genesis of the conflict in their respective mission deployments.

    Gen Nyamvumba shared with the students of Senior Command and Staff Course, the quote of Dag Hammarskjold stating that “the UN was not created to take humanity to heaven but to save it from the hell”.

    The commandant of NPC, Commissioner of Police Felix Namuhoranye thanked the Guest Speakers: Honorable Minister of Defence and Gen Nyamvumba for sharing their rich experience with the Student Officers.

    Senior Command and Staff Course at NPC is attended by 28 participants from Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. It was launched officially by H.E President Paul Kagame on 10 June 2013.

    MOD

  • President Uhuru Flags off EAC Military Games

    {{Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta, Wednesday flagged off the 7th edition of the East African Community Military Games and Culture Events in Nairobi Kenya.}}

    Speaking during the opening ceremony, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta said EAC Military Games and Cultural events provide an opportune moment for the military to demonstrate that sport can cut across both racial and cultural divides.

    He noted that history shows that the East African Community is one region with the indigenous populace sharing common ancestral history and had no prohibition of goods and people moving around

    “I am delighted to observe that you have been a source of pride and inspiration to the rest of the citizens and i can assure you that your governments appreciate your form of patriotism and effort and will always be ready to support and provide resources for even better performance and achievement of the ultimate goal of fostering peace and solidarity in this region and Africa at large’’ added Kenyatta.

    President Kenyatta extended his deep appreciation and gratitude to Chiefs of the EAC Partner States Defence Forces for their dedication and for the big strides made towards the realization of the East Africa Community Cooperation in Defence aspect of the Memorandum of Understanding and specifically for the elaborate programme they have put in place towards confidence building and solidarity of EAC Defence Forces.

    “I have no doubt in my mind that the MoU in cooperation in Defence is one of the most successful and exemplary programmes in the EAC integration process’’

    H.E Kenyatta reaffirmed that stability remains the most critical ingredient to the future development and prosperity of the community. He urged EAC military to stand guard and ensure peace that now reigns through the nations of EAC is safeguarded.

    On his part, the EAC Secretary General Amb. Dr. Richard Sezibera extended the condolences of the East African Community to the Government and people of the Republic of Kenya on the fire outbreak at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

    He said the fire outbreak at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport was not a Kenyan tragedy but “it is an East African tragedy because this Airport is in many ways, the entry and exit point into East Africa”.

    The Secretary General noted that peace and security are the prerequisites for social and economic development. With the evolving security challenges as a result of international terrorism, piracy and instability the world over, issues of defence and security must continue to be given the importance they deserve in the agenda of nations and indeed the agenda of groupings of nations such as the East African Community, noted the EAC official.

    The 5-17 Military Games and Culture Week, which is being held within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Defense entail a variety of sporting disciplines including; handball, football, netball, cross-country and basketball among others.

    The East African Military Games and Culture Events have been held on a rotational basis since 2005 when the first edition held in Kampala, Uganda. Other editions of the games have since been held in the Republic of Kenya in 2006, United Republic of Tanzania in 2007, Republic of Rwanda in 2009 and 2012 and Republic of Burundi in 2011.

    EAC

  • 226 Graduate at Rwamagana Nursing School

    About 226 nurses August 6, graduated with Diplomas in General Nursing and other domains at the Rwamagana School of Nursing and Midwifery. This is a pioneer group to have successfuly graduated at the school.
    Most graduates in the group had been waiting for the maiden day since 2009. The course at the nursing school takes 12months of rigorous training.

    According to the Nursing school Principal, Sr Epiphanie Mukabaranga, the graduates are equiped with skills to make positive contribution in healthcare saying, “The graduates studied how our healthcare system works and what our communities need to be as healthy as possible.”

    She said, “I have no doubt that the skills acquired here will be beneficial to the communities that you are going to serve. It is our goal to produce quality nurses and midwives to serve in our health centres and hospitals.”

    The school was established in 1962 by the Bernardine Cistercian Sisters and shortly afterward started offering nursing education of A3 level (auxiliary nurses).

    Since 1966 it had upgraded only to offer certificates (A1).

    Source:TheNewtimes

  • Child Killed in House Fire at Muhima

    {{A child aged One year and Eight months passed away after fire gutted the house belonging to Ndungutse Jean Pierre at Rwerangoro in Nyabugogo, Muhima on Early friday.}}

    According to a Police Spokesperson in Kigali SSP Urbain Mwiseneza told Media that the fire gutted the house at about 2:30Am killing the infant but the father and mother managed to escape with another child unhurt.

    By press time, the cause of the fire was unknown and investigations have began to determine the cause of the fire.

    However, SSP Mwiseneza told media that its suspected the fire could have been started by a wax candle or kerosene lantern that might have been left to burn unattended to.

  • Khartoum sneers at Saudi account of Bashir plane ban

    {{The decision by Saudi Arabia to bar Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir from overflying its airspace Sunday en route to Tehran for the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s President Hassan Rowhani has opened a huge diplomatic row between the two countries.}}

    The Sudanese Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) has dismissed the clarifications given by the Saudi authorities that the plane had no prior approval to cross the airspace as per international procedures.

    Khartoum termed a statement issued Monday by the Saudi Civil Aviation Corporation as containing “incorrect information.”

    “The Air Control Centre in Khartoum had provided the Air Control Centre in Jeddah with full information about the Presidential plane’s journey. Jeddah had been informed that the plane was carrying a top VIP,” the SCAA said in a statement published by the Sudan News Agency on Wednesday.

    “The plane’s captain had contacted Jeddah to sort out the issue and he remained flying for around 30 to 35 minutes awaiting a response, only to be later directed to return back to Khartoum,” read the Sudanese statement.

    The Saudi aviation authority had insisted that no prior notice was given to the kingdom’s air surveillance centre. “The pilot only informed the kingdom that Bashir was on board after the plane was on its way back to Khartoum,” it claimed.

    “The Sudanese government had failed to officially request a diplomatic permit 48 hours prior to the flight, as per regulations,” the Saudi statement went on.

    According to Sudanese aviation expert Hashim Idriss, the normal international procedure on a president’s flight is to notify, before takeoff, the states through which the flight will overfly. “If the plane doesn’t have prior permission, then the state has the right to prevent it from overflying its airspace,” he

    However, he suggested that in Bashir’s case, the problem was likely to be “political rather than technical.”

    NMG

  • US experts in Kenya to assist JKIA fire probe

    Two US military fire experts have arrived in Kenya to assist in investigations of the fire at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, the State Department said on Thursday.

    The US is also providing immigration equipment to help restore regular international service at JKIA, a State Department spokeswoman told the media.

    In addition, personnel from the US embassy in Nairobi are on the scene to assist Kenyan authorities with preliminary investigations into the causes of the fire.

    The State Department had no comment on reports that FBI agents are also taking part in the investigations.

    On Thursday, detectives from the American FBI and Israeli Mossad joined investigations into the fire which destroyed the international arrivals section of Kenya’s main airport.

    Their involvement suggests that investigators are keen to confirm or eliminate the theory that terrorism could have been responsible for the inferno that temporarily shut the airport and caused massive disruptions to air travel to and from various destinations in Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Asia.

    Another line being pursued by investigators is whether internal sabotage could have been the cause of the fire.

    Questions were raised about the slow response by workers when the fire started. Witnesses said they saw smoke followed by a small fire which could have easily been extinguished had the response been faster.

    nation

  • Spain Judge Orders Child Rapist Stay in Jail

    {{A judge has remanded in custody a convicted child rapist who was arrested in Spain after a controversial pardon by Morocco’s king was revoked in the face of angry protests.}}

    The judge ruled that Daniel Galvan Vina, a Spanish national found guilty of raping 11 children aged between four and 15 in Morocco and sentenced to 30 years in prison there, was a flight risk and would remain in custody while his extradition was being considered, the court said.

    Galvan lacked “family, social, economic or work links that would neutralise the temptation to put himself beyond the reach of the justice system if he was set free,” Spain’s top criminal court, the National Audience, wrote in Tuesday’s ruling.

    Galvan, 63, was arrested on Monday earlier at a hotel in the southeastern Spanish city of Murcia where he once worked at a university after Morocco issued an international arrest warrant against him.

    Morocco is seeking the extradition of Galvan, who was among 48 Spanish prisoners pardoned by King Mohamed VI and freed last week from jail following a visit in mid-July to Morocco by Spain’s King Juan Carlos.

    The pardon was revoked by the king on Sunday, two days after baton-wielding police dispersed several thousand people who tried to rally in front of the parliament in the Moroccan capital Rabat.

    A royal palace statement said the king had been unaware of the nature of Galvan’s crimes, and on Monday the Moroccan monarch dismissed the director of prisons after an inquiry blamed his department for Galvan’s release under royal pardon.

    Spain’s royal household said Juan Carlos had not asked for the release of Galvan or any other Spanish prisoner during his visit and had only shown interest in the wellbeing of Spanish nationals held in prisons in the North African country.

    Spain and Morocco do not allow their citizens to be extradited to each other’s country, and an exception would have to be made if he is sent back to the north African nation.

    The case is also complicated by the fact that in Spain the government cannot revoke a pardon.

    {aljazeera}