In 2018, Rwanda Development Board (RDB) started working with Arsenal in a partnership aimed at promoting Rwandan tourism while at the end of 2019, Rwanda also partnered with Paris-based Saint-Germain, with a strong focus on promoting Rwanda.
In an interview with Jeune Afrique, President Kagame, an Arsenal fan, was asked which team he would support if the two teams meet.
In response, President Kagame said he would refrain from taking sides because it was like asking him who he would choose to support between the United States and China.
Returning to this partnership between the two parties in the final round of 2019, President Kagame said the agreement was exciting for the Rwandan side and productive on both sides.
“We have benefited from this deal and it is productive, both for Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal FC and we are happy with it,” he said.
Protestestere Twitegure, 31-year-old was arrested after a search operation started based on information provided by the telecommunications company.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Burahinda Ntacyo, the District Police Commander (DPC) for Kicukiro, said that Twitegure was fraudulently withdrawing money from people’s mobile accounts.
He had been doing this for days, the closure of the line prompted employees to question the telecommunications center and tell them that the person who is withdrawing the money he stole it and he is wanted.
SSP Burahinda says the man had allegedly fraudulently transferred Rwf800, 000 from someone’s mobile account to different other accounts including those registered in his name.
“The telecom banking agent, where he made the last withdrawal of Rwf100, 000 was also vigilant. After completing the transaction, the agent saw Twitegure with many SIM Cards, interchanging them in his phone and disposing of others.”
With the help of people, they contained Twitegure, called, and handed him over to the Police in Nyarugunga.
Saving and sending money service providers are required to pay attention to those whom they provide such services as there are thieves.
When Covid-19 first hit Rwanda, one of the measures taken by the government to prevent it’s spreading all was to pay employ mobile money transactions.
When community cases appeared among motorcycle riders, the Ministry of Health said they are using the technology to track down those that were in contact with the riders, especially passengers that will have paid through mobile money platforms.
In a press conference on June 28, Minister of Health, Dr. Ngamije Daniel reiterated the importance of using digital money transfers in monitoring suspects.
“We have a track record of people who have been transported, especially when they use mobile money to pay, which allows us to reach out to those people and check them out,” he said.
He urges Rwandans to continue paying motorists by phone because it is beneficial for them.
Ministry of Health says that since the motorcyclists returned to work on June 3, a few days later they appeared to be infected with the pandemic and are spreading it.
So far, the number of people infected with COVID-19 in Rwanda is 900, including 22 infected as of June 29, while the number of the recoveries is 443, and 2 deaths.
The world economy is projected to shrink to 4.9% below zero in 2020, at a rate of less than 1.9% below zero compared to the IMF’s standstill in April and economic recovery will not be slow.
Gita Gopinath, Chief Economist at the IMF, said that compared to the April forecast, it shows a slowdown in the economy in 2020, and will continue in 2021.
She went on to say that the world economy in two years will lose $ 12 billion due to Coronavirus.
The World Bank released a report this month stating that global gross domestic product by 2020 will fall to 5.2% below zero. Developed countries will be reduced by 7% below zero; of the European Union using the euro will fall by 9.1% below zero.
U.S. gross domestic product will fall 6.1% below zero; the Japanese down 6.1% below zero; the Chinese reach a rate of 1% above zero. Sub-Saharan Africa’s gross domestic product will fall by 5% below zero.
EALA on Tuesday elected 12 commissioners – two from each country – in a technologically advanced election to prevent the Coronavirus pandemic. In the by-elections, four deputies will serve in the Assembly’s remaining tenure after the principal committee’s first two and a half term of office ended on June 19.
Elected candidates include Oda Gasinzigwa and Dr François-Xavier Kalinda from Rwanda and Dr Oburu Oginga and Wanjiku Muhia from Kenya.
Tanzania has nominated new representatives, Dr. Ngwaru Maghembe and Josephine Lemoyaan, Burundi’s Jean Marie Muhirwa, and Mo Mamo Karerwa. It is the same with Uganda and South Sudan that have appointed new commissioners.
EALA’s rules of procedure stipulate that when a country nominates only two people for the post of commissioner in this parliament, it is immediately counted as elected, but when more than two people are nominated, it requires a secret ballot.
Rwanda, Kenya, Burundi, and Tanzania have agreed on two candidates for the post of commissioner, but Uganda and South Sudan have given several names, leading to elections.
This commission is an important body as it is responsible for overseeing and organizing the activities and programs of the General Assembly, and appointing members of various commissions related to the work of this Parliament.
The commission also briefed the Cabinet on the need for staff to assist the Assembly in its work. It is chaired by the Speaker of Parliament and monitors the budget of the Parliament.
The EALA is the EAC’s governing body, consisting of 62 people, including 54 MPs elected from member states each giving nine, plus eight others from the EAC Ministers in the Member States, the EAC Secretary-General and their lawyer.
On Tuesday Rwanda’s new State Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Prof Nshuti Manasseh, virtually took the oath of allegiance as an ex-officio member of the Assembly.
Gasinzigwa was elected to represent Rwanda at the EALA in May 2017 on behalf of the RPF Inkotanyi, as well as Kalinda François Xavier from the PSD.
He was sworn in on Tuesday at the EALA General Assembly held online led by Parliament Speaker Martin Ngoga.
“Under the Treaty establishing the East African Community, under article 48 the Minister responsible for EAC Affairs, the Assistant Minister or Deputy Minister or Minister of State responsible for the EAC Affairs from each Partner State is an ex-officio member of the EALA,” a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Under Rule 5 of EALA Rules of Procedure, a member shall not take a sit in the Assembly before taking the oath or affirmation of allegiance to the Treaty.
After the swearing-in, Prof Nshuti was immediately appointed to chair the EAC Council of Ministers.
Seasoned academic and politician Prof. Nshuti Manasseh bounced back in the cabinet on April 30 after over 12 years after he was dropped, replacing Amb. Olivier Nduhungirehe at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as State Minister in charge of the East African Community.
Professor Nshuti holds a Master of Business Administration in Accounting, a Ph.D. in Economics [Finance], and a Master of Business Administration in Accounting from Aberdeen University in Scotland. He also holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Makerere University.
Prof. Nshuti has more than 23 years of experience in education and administration of universities and colleges.
In 2015, the Rukomo Sector Council passed a resolution requiring every household in the sector to pay Rwf5000 for the construction of the new sector office with spacious office room, conference and events facilities. Residents willingly contributed for the cause; financially and in kind with some offering labour. Five years down the road, however, there is nothing to show for the efforts.
Some residents and village leaders who spoke to IGIHE said it was unfortunate that the community came together and did a good job in contributions but have been kept in the dark about the progress, not getting an iota of information as to why there has been a lull in the construction activities.
According to Habanabakize Jean Baptiste, the reason why this issue is unresolved is that this Sector’s leaders are always changed and once a new leader comes in, the issue is restarted.
Rukomo Sector Executive Secretary Karangwa Edouard said they are also disturbed by working in a small office area.
The mayor of Nyagatare District, Mushabe David Claudien, told IGIHE that the construction of the Sector Office began as a community project after the government wanted to help; they conducted a study and they found that the money they had requested for the completion of the building was very little that it had to be reconsidered.
The mayor, however, has not given any concrete explanation to the public that pooled resources to construct the sector offices for better services. The question is, “What is the problem?”
Minister Ndagijimana said construction of the Mamba-Rwabusoro-Rilima power line will continue, transmitting electricity that is generated from the Hakan power plant, located in Gisagara District.
Construction of the Kigoma-Ngozi power grid that interconnects Rwanda-Burundi, and Shango power grid that interconnects Rusumo-Bugesera will continue.
The government has also committed to providing electricity to 240 development sites and where important services are provided, including markets, educational institutions, and business centers.
In the 2020/21 budget, a project to provide electricity to the people across the country will be allocated Rwf 34.2 billion; the Kigoma-Ngozi power line project linking Rwanda and Burundi is worth Rwf9.9 billion.
Also set on the agenda are a project to build a power line connecting Rwanda to the Democratic Republic of Congo worth Rwf5.5 billion and Mamba-Rwabusoro-Rilima power line project worth Rwf 13.3 billion
Dr. Ndagijimana said that construction work on the KV 220 Mamba-Rwabusoro-Rilima power line with a length of 79.3 km and the 110 KV Bugesera-Gahanga power plant and its affiliates has reached 96.5%.
He added that the construction of a 119-kilometer pipeline with a capacity of 220 KV for Rusumo-Bugesera-Shango construction work is completed at 50%.
Ngiriyambere Jean Baptiste from Gifurwe Village in Gifurwe Cell took out insurance from ‘Radiant Yacu Ltd’ in November 2019 and paid Rwf1000 per month via Mobile Money.
He was involved in a bicycle accident in June 2020 and was treated at Butare University Hospital, CHUB, where he spent 10 days. Radiant Yacu Ltd paid for his medical services as he had an accident insurance cover with Radiant.
“I got a text message on ‘Radiant Turikumwe’ for I had already subscribed for the cover. To join, I typed * 531 #, I read all the instructions and chose a thousand insurance,” a 26-year-old barber said.
He says it was after the accident that he realized the benefits of insurance, encouraging other residents to subscribe for the same.
{{How Radiant Yacu decided to visit Ngiriyambere}}
CEO of Radiant Yacu Ltd, Amb. Joseph Habineza told IGIHE that once they saw how a rural resident far from the City of Kigali thought of taking insurance, they decided to visit him and thank him for his membership.
Habineza added that another reason they visited him was to set an example for all Rwandans.
“Jean Baptiste is the first Rwandan to pay for our Radiant since we started,” he said.
{{The public is touched by the events}}
Some of Ngiriyambere’s neighbors were pleased with the way Radiant Yacu visited a resident in the village, demonstrating that a friend in need is a friend indeed.
Nyiranjyinshuti Espérance said she did not know about insurance but she is now aware and happy about it so she is going to subscribe with Radiant.
Ngiriyambere Jean Baptiste’s family members, including his father, Ahingereje Martin, and his wife, Jeannette Nyirahagenimana, also say that they were touched by the way Radiant Yacu Ltd helped him, so they are also going to insure themselves.
Amb. Joseph Habineza explained that Radiant has a spectrum of insurance products that cater to different categories of people, with premiums ranging from Rwf 500; 1000; 2000; 5000 or 10,000. When the affiliate as a medical problem and goes to the hospital and stays there for more than three days, he or she starts receiving the support.
Amb. Joseph Habineza emphasized that insurance is not just a reserve of well-to-do Rwandans, but all people can be brought in the loop with small subscriptions under Radiant Yacu.
They are charged with three counts of felony, misappropriation of public funds, unlawful public procurement and conspiracy to commit fraud.
The charges against the defendants allege that they procured and sold a commercial building to the government of Rwanda at Rwf 9,850,000,000 yet the value of the said commercial building had been established at Rwf 7,600,000,000.
The house was also reportedly purchased without the knowledge of the Rwanda Public Procurement Authority, even before negotiations between the suppliers and the bidders were carried out.
