IGIHE

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  • ICC trials of Kenya’s Leaders Threaten to Reopen Wounds

    ICC trials of Kenya’s Leaders Threaten to Reopen Wounds

    {{The approaching trials of Kenya’s president and his deputy in The Hague are worrying the upland communities that were rent apart by a post-election bloodbath more than five years ago, violence the two men are accused of orchestrating.}}

    When Deputy President William Ruto enters the dock at the International Criminal Court on Tuesday, to be followed by President Uhuru Kenyatta in November, members of their two ethnic groups fear the course of justice could open old wounds.

    Their victory in this year’s peaceful election under the Jubilee Alliance has done little to heal rifts on the ground between Kenyatta’s Kikuyu and Ruto’s Kalenjin clans, which clashed after a disputed 2007 poll, when the two backed rival campaigns.

    It leaves on tenterhooks east Africa’s biggest economy, where tribal loyalties have long driven politics or fuelled violence. It also worries the West, which sees a stable Kenya as vital to regional security and the fight against militant Islam.

    For the ICC, the first trial involving a sitting president is its biggest test to date as the institution set up in 1993 faces mounting opposition in Africa, where it is seen as biased for having only charged Africans.

    “The alliance between Kenyatta and Ruto bought us time,” said 34-year-old Regina Muthoni, who lives near the western city of Eldoret, close to where her mother and about 30 other Kikuyus were burned to death in a church torched by a Kalenjin gang.

    “We don’t know whether their union will survive the trials,” she said, calming a wailing infant strapped to her back.

    Adding to the uncertainty, a parliamentary vote last week demanding Kenya withdraw from The Hague court’s jurisdiction has raised some concerns Nairobi is building political cover for the two men to halt their participation in the trial, though diplomats see such a move by men who have attended pre-trial hearings as unlikely.

    Kenyatta, 51, and Ruto, 46, have long insisted they would continue to cooperate to clear their names of charges of crimes against humanity. In addition, a Kenyan move to quit the court will take a year to implement and won’t halt existing trials.

    “The two believe they can win at trial,” said Macharia Munene, a university lecturer in Nairobi. “The court also has a poor record of convictions,” he said, referring to its sole conviction to date of Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga.

    wirestory

  • New Zealand Bests Oracle in First Race of America’s Cup finals

    New Zealand Bests Oracle in First Race of America’s Cup finals

    {{Emirates Team New Zealand beat billionaire Larry Ellison’s Oracle Team USA in the first race in the final series of the 34th America’s Cup sailing regatta on Saturday on San Francisco Bay.}}

    In the first of two races on Saturday, which kicked off a best-of-17 final series to win the Cup, the two teams’ catamarans nearly collided on several occasions as they crisscrossed the bay. New Zealand was slightly ahead at the start and was passed by Oracle for a short time before regaining its lead and winning the race.

    It was the first neck-and-neck race in the regatta after two months of relatively tame qualifying matches easily dominated by the Kiwis.

    The final series of matches is culmination of a regatta plagued by controversies including cheating by Oracle, dangerous catamarans, a fatal accident and accusations of mismanagement.

    The latest setback came on Tuesday, when an international jury docked Oracle two points and kicked three team members out of the event for adding illegal weight to boats used in a previous preparatory Cup competition.

    The penalties, unprecedented in the history of the 162-year-old event, are a big boost for New Zealand, which demolished other would-be challengers in qualifying races in July and August.

    Bookmakers see the Kiwis as favorites to take the America’s Cup from Oracle although, in a twist of fate, they are now up against one of their country’s most accomplished sailors.

    wirestory

  • Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o Fronted For Top Candidate for 2013 Nobel Literature Prize

    Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o Fronted For Top Candidate for 2013 Nobel Literature Prize

    {{Kenyan writer Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o is being touted by some literary insiders as the top candidate for this year’s Nobel Prize for Literature.}}

    Ladbrokes, the British betting agency, temporarily suspended wagering on Ngugi on Thursday, leading a respected US website to suggest Ngũgĩ may be “one of the five finalists for the Nobel prize, if not the presumed winner.”

    A Ladbrokes official told The Atlantic Wire, the website reporting the move, that the agency suspends betting only when “a sudden large bet or bets” has been made.

    The Ladbrokes spokesman added that a sizable bet had apparently been made by “a Swedish customer.”

    Atlantic Wire writer Alexander Nazaryan interpreted that disclosure as a “bombshell.”

    It is the Swedish Academy that awards the Nobel prizes, “suggesting that someone with inside knowledge of its workings may have placed the bet. At the very least, it could imply that an insider knows that Ngũgĩ is a finalist,” Mr Nazaryan wrote

    Ladbrokes later on Thursday allowed betting on Ngũgĩ to resume, with the odds of his winning the world’s foremost literary prize set at 50-1 — the same as prior to the suspension of the betting.

    Among possible finalists

    That may suggest the flurry of speculation about a Nobel Prize for a Kenyan amounts to “much ado about nothing,” suggested Michael Orthofer, a commentator at another website, The Literary Saloon.

    Mr Orthofer had tipped Ngũgĩ to win the Nobel a couple of years ago, and wrote on Thursday that he believes the Kenyan novelist, playwright and essayist is among the five finalists for this year’s award.

    The winner will be announced sometime next month.

    The Swedish Academy does not set an exact date for conferring the prize, which last year carried an award of about $1 million.

    Mr Nazaryan says “Ngũgĩ seems to fit the Swedish Academy’s bill in many respects, from his literary talents to his political engagement.”

    If selected, he would be the next African male writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature after Nigeria’s Wole Soyinka who won it 1986.

    Labrokes sets 40-1 odds for this year’s prize for three writers: UK’s Salman Rushdie, Canada’s Margaret Atwood, and Don DeLillo of the United States.

    Chinese novelist Mo Yan won last year’s award.

    {Kenya’s Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o seen here displaying one of his recent literary works Wizard of the Crow. Ngũgĩ is now being touted as the possible winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, 2013.}

  • Rwanda Week Europe Forum 2013 Set for September 12-14

    Rwanda Week Europe Forum 2013 Set for September 12-14

    {{Young Rwandan Professionals (YRP) have organised an event dubbed {Rwanda Week Europe Forum 2013 }.

    The event will take place on September 12-14 in Geneve aimed at promoting Entrepreneurship, Investiment and Innovation and finding motivated and professional partners to transform their vision into a reality.}}

    IGIHE held an exclusive interview with Kageruka Alexandra a YRP member. Below are excerpts of the brief interview.

    IGIHE: {{Why have you organized such an event?}}

    {{Kageruka Alexandra}}: The idea is, as written above, to transform an idea into reality
    The mission of YRP is to accompany entrepreneurs of the Rwandan diaspora settled in Europe to achieve their goals. Ingenuity and motivation are the key words however lots of obstacles such as time, money, work and family can prevent to move forward.

    YRP is then committed to collaborate, surround, showcase and support several projects from the very beginning up to the achievement of it.

    This initiative started 3 years ago with the platform Rwanda Business. A few “ Afro Optimistic “ partners gathered and decided to act more and talk less.

    Different profiles were amongst the participants. They were entrepreneurs, owners of companies and working professionals coming from all over Europe (Belgium, Switzerland, France, UK, Turkey, …).

    They met up in Brussels because they were aware that entrepreneurship, professionalism and action are the tools needed for a personal and a country development..

    IGIHE:{{ How does the Rwanda Week Europe work?}}

    {{Kageruka Alexandra}}: The Rwanda Week Europ takes place every year in a European city. Geneva was chosen as the host city for 2013. As it is the third time, maturity defines this edition.

    Several thematic workshops and a plenary session are scheduled. Future entrepreneurs, projects leaders will present their cases and work, together with the attendees and partners, on a way to make it happen and be successful.

    This year, the YRP manage to add a cherry on top of the cake.

    The well- known concept”Happy People Party” will land in Geneva, Saturday 14 September from 22pm until 05am. First time ever in Europe and most probably a night to remember. A very nice and pleasant way to end up the whole event. King James and DJ Karim, famous artists in Rwanda, will attend the party and set Geneva on fire.

  • Developing Nations Urged to Adopt Rwanda’s Urbanisation Plan

    Developing Nations Urged to Adopt Rwanda’s Urbanisation Plan

    {{The Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Joan Clos, has urged developing nations to adopt Rwanda’s Urbanisation plan which he says guarantees organised growth.}}

    Clos made the remarks after meeting with President Paul Kagame Village Urugwiro.

    However, Clos cautioned that Rwanda’s government must strive even harder to curb the challenges that come with rapid urbanisation.

    The UN Habitat boss was in Rwanda attending a four-day 2nd International Tripartite Conference on Sustainable Urbanisation, jointly organised by the European Commission and UN-Habitat.

    Clos Said, “The policy of Rwanda is in the right direction because it presents this idea of developing intermediate cities as a way to distribute urbanisation over the land instead of concentrating it in a single place.

    We have seen how when there is no such ambition, everybody goes to the centre of the city and thus generate additional problems.”

    “We want to thank the President for his commitment to urban development. Developing countries are now faced with urbanisation problems and we would like to showcase the example of Kigali and the commitment of the country’s leadership towards organised urbanisation,” Clos said.

    UN-Habitat warns that unless responses to urbanisation challenges are pursued, the number of people living in slums, lacking access to basic infrastructure such as water, electricity, healthcare and education, might triple from one billion presently to three billion by 2050.

  • Suspected Fraudsters Arrested in Musanze

    Suspected Fraudsters Arrested in Musanze

    {{The Rwanda National Police foiled a plan of four people, who include two women, who connived to con a man of Rwf15 million by selling him a ghost residential house in Kimihurura, Gasabo District.}}

    The suspected; Aloys Twagiramungu, Alphonse Niyonzima, Marie Louise Mukeshimana and Sanyu Umurungi were arrested on September 5 in a bar in Musanze District as they tried to strike an imaginary-deal with the would-be victim.

    They are currently detrained at Muhoza Police Station.

    According to police investigation, Niyonzima, a house broker in Kigali allegedly took the would-be victim (name withheld) to the house in Kimihurura and gave him contacts of Mukeshimana as the sole owner.

    The would-be victim then got in touch with Mukeshimana to confirm the value of the house and payment procedures.

    The self-styled proprietor, who posed as Clementine Uwamahoro then sold the idea to Twagiramungu, who helped her to forge the premises land title and her national identification.

    Out of suspicion, the would-be victim informed police to investigate if actually Mukeshimana is the owner of the house, which turned out that it wasn’t hers.

    The quartet was arrested red-handed in a police planned operation, as they tried to get the money from Kahinda.

    The suspects confessed to the crime, but pointed finger at each other as the brain behind the illegal act.

    Chief Superintendent Francis Gahima, the Northern Region Police Spokesperson said the suspects will be charged with counterfeit and swindling.

    Article 318 also stipulates that any person who, intentionally obtains a property belonging to another person fraudulently or by using false names or qualities, to give rise to hope or fear of harm and obtains a part or whole of a fortune shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of three to five years and a fine of Rwf3 million to Rwf5 million.

    Article 609 of the penal code states that “Any person who forges or alters documents by forged signature or fingerprint, falsifying documents or signatures or impersonation,forging agreements, its provisions, obligations, discharged obligations shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of more than five to seven years and a fine of Rwf300, 000 to Rwf3 million.

    CSP Gaima said counterfeiting and swindling are not common crimes in the Northern Province. He asked citizens to be more vigilant while before buying any property mostly land and houses.

    Source:RNP

  • UN Appeals on Human Trafficking

    UN Appeals on Human Trafficking

    {{United Nations special representative on human trafficking has urged African countries to fund their diplomatic missions to ensure supervision of their citizens in foreign countries.}}

    Decrying the profitability of human trafficking, Ms Joy Ngozi Ezeilo said it is the responsibility of African governments to eliminate the vice.

    “We should have proactive ambassadors who supervise all immigrants. Ambassadors don’t have money and governments should look for partners to help victims,” Ms Ngozi said on Thursday at a public lecture on human trafficking in Africa in Kampala.

    She also urged African countries to combat causes of the practice which she termed as “modern day slavery”.

    “Governments should combat corruption, employ semi-skilled labour, stop gender discrimination, stop wars and bad cultural practices,” she said.

    wirestory

  • Unmanned Moon mission lifts off

    Unmanned Moon mission lifts off

    {{The US space agency (Nasa) has launched its latest mission to the Moon.

    The unmanned LADEE probe lifted off from the Wallops rocket facility on the US east coast on schedule at 23:27 local time (03:27 GMT on Saturday).}}

    Its $280m (£180m) mission is to investigate the very tenuous atmosphere that surrounds the lunar body.

    It will also try to get some insights on the strange behaviour of moondust, which appears on occasions to levitate high above the surface.

    In addition, LADEE will test a new laser communications system that Nasa hopes at some point to put on future planetary missions. Lasers have the capacity to transmit data at rates that dwarf conventional radio connections.

    LADEE stands for Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer.

    Collisionless environment
    Its programme scientist, Sarah Noble, says the mission is likely to surprise a lot of people who have been brought up to believe the Moon has no atmosphere.

    “It does; it’s just it’s really, really thin,” she told reporters.

    “It’s so thin that the individual molecules are so few and far between that they don’t interact with each other; they never collide.

    “It’s something we call an exosphere. The Earth has an exosphere as well, but you have to get out past where the International Space Station orbits before you get to this condition that we can consider an exosphere. At the Moon, it happens right at the surface.”

    {agencies}

  • Zimbabwe Elephants Poisoned by Poachers

    Zimbabwe Elephants Poisoned by Poachers

    Poachers have used poison to kill 41 elephants in Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park, an official has told the BBC.

    Zimbabwe Parks spokeswoman Caroline Washaya Moyo said it was suspected that cyanide was used to poison salt pans but tests are still being carried out.

    She said it was Zimbabwe’s worst case of elephant poaching.

    There has been a rise in the killing of elephants and rhinos in parts of Africa in recent years, mostly to feed demand for horns and tusks in Asia.

    The horns and tusks are used in traditional medicine in parts of Asia, even though scientists say they have no beneficial properties.

    Five of the suspected poachers have been arrested, Ms Washaya Moyo told the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme.

    She said touching the poisoned carcasses posed a danger to any animal or human.

    She said the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority had reminded people who live near the park, in western Zimbabwe, not to eat the meat of any dead animals they find.

    Some poachers were found with a large haul of tusks and cyanide earlier this year.

    Two years ago, nine elephants, five lions and two buffalo were poisoned.

    agencies

  • U.S. Resumes Aid to Mali

    U.S. Resumes Aid to Mali

    {{The United States on Friday lifted aid restrictions to Mali after the West African nation’s democratically elected government formally took office.}}

    U.S. assistance was suspended after a military junta toppled the Malian government in March 2012 and al Qaeda-linked militants seized northern cities.

    Those militants were defeated after thousands of French soldiers intervened, which paved the way for a peaceful and democratic election in August.

    Mali’s new president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, was inaugurated on Wednesday.

    Although development aid has resumed, the Obama administration said it will continue to assess when and how to re-engage with the Malian military.

    The administration said any eventual resumption of assistance to the military “will prioritize security sector reform, professional norms, the reassertion of civilian authority, accountability mechanisms, and the rule of law.”

    reuters