In a press conference on plans to address overcrowding in the district, the mayor of Huye district, Sebutege Ange said that some of the classrooms will be constructed with funding of the World Bank.
“ A total of 47 classrooms are set to be built in this fiscal and more 74 classrooms to be constructed under the Government of Rwanda’s program supported by the World Bank,” Sebutege.
He explained that more schools will be built gradually to meet the target.
“Generally, Huye district needs over 400 schools to address overcrowding in schools. We shall build more classrooms progressively as we get more funds,” noted Sebutege adding that construction of new facilities shall go hand in hand with upgrading old classrooms.
They will be built within three phases starting from schools with the land.
If it goes into effect, the development will address overcrowding and contribute to quality education. Some of the teachers at Groupe Scolaire Gafumba from the Rusatira sector revealed that overcrowding negatively impacts quality education at the school where six children sometimes share one desk.
“When each of the six students on the same desks opens a book, the cover spreads to colleague’s book leading to clashes. We often calm down such quarrels,” said one teacher.
The problem is common at Groupe Scolaire Rukira where five students share one desk.
A total of 55 classrooms were built in Huye district during the last financial year.
The new Rwanda Energy Development Policy Operation (DPO) is the third and last of a $375 million programmatic series, the first of which was approved in December 2017.
The series support Rwanda’s energy sector objectives under the National Strategy for Transformation (NST1) – including universal access to electricity by 2024 while balancing the trade-offs with fiscal and financial sustainability. This DPO will build on achievements of the previous development Policy Operations.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Dr. Uzziel Ndagijimana said: “The support through Development Series Operation has significantly contributed to the implementation of energy sector development strategy in Rwanda with the aim of having 100% electricity access by 2024 as stipulated in our National Strategy for Transformation”.
By end-2020, at the end of the DPO series, it is expected that Rwanda will have electrified 61 percent of its households, narrowed the gap in electricity access between female- and male-headed households, and be on track to achieve the National Strategy for Transformation objective of universal access to electricity by 2024.
It is also expected that Rwanda will have modernized the operations of the Rwanda Energy Group and the Government’s planning and decision-making processes and that fiscal transfers to the sector be contained at no more than 1.5 percent of GDP throughout the NST1 period.
Yasser El-Gammal, World Bank Country Manager for Rwanda said that the previous Development Policy Operation series have already delivered substantial results.
“So far, new connections completed per year have doubled, while total access increased from 41 percent in late 2017 to over 52 percent today, and over a million people have gained access to electricity. This puts Rwanda at the forefront globally of achieving SDG7 of universal access to electricity,” he affirmed.
The World Bank cooperates with Rwanda in sectors such as Agriculture, Energy, Social Protection, Education/Skills development, Transport, Urban Development, and Housing among others alongside other cross-cutting and regional project interventions.
In particular, the public institutions in Burkina Faso that have contributed thematic topics to the book, “True Story of HWPL: Peace and Cessation of War” will be expected to support the event. The book introduces the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW) of 10 articles and 38 clauses drafted by renowned international law experts, as a practical approach to sustainable peace through conflict prevention, mediation and resolution.
The DPCW that clarifies the role of the members of international society to prevent and resolve conflicts is in the process of being introduced to the UN as a draft resolution. As a part of the process, HWPL promoted worldwide Legislate Peace project has gained 1.5 million different types of supports from 195 countries through supporting signatures and peace letters written to their respective national leaders.
2019 HWPL World Peace Summit will be hosted in over 150 locations in 110 countries including South Korea, France, Australia, Russia, India, Zambia, and the United States of America in cooperation between HWPL and international actors – civil society organizations and governments.
The G7 is made up of the United States, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, and Canada.
President Kagame attended the G7 summit after receiving a special invitation as the immediate past chairperson of the African Union.
According to the Sunday Mail news medium from Zimbabwe, President Mnangagwa and President Kagame met for bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) summit in Japan.
In an interview with journalists on Friday, President Mnangagwa said President Kagame had briefed him that he had “pleaded” with the G7 countries on the need to lift sanctions against Zimbabwe.
“In particular, with President Kagame, we were discussing strategies to deal with the question of sanctions. At the last SADC meeting in Dar es Salaam, a resolution was made to appeal to AU so that when AU goes to the United Nations, they speak about the removal of sanctions,” said the President.
“Sadc secretariat must also again appeal for the removal of sanctions. But individual African countries such as Kagame’s Rwanda are lobbying. They did lobby for Zimbabwe during the G7 meeting. President Kagame attended the G7 meeting and he was able to meet with the G7 leaders and he pleaded with them over the removal of sanctions on Zimbabwe.”
According to Sunday Mail, President Mnangagwa said that his Rwandan counterpart is a worthy ally in Zimbabwe’s fight against the embargo.
“These are the areas we were discussing and the possibilities of success and attitudes of every single leader in G7 and how they look at Zimbabwe.”
President Mnangagwa said he shares a brotherly bond with President Kagame.
“With my brother Paul Kagame, it is a continuous exchange of views with regards to our respective situations in Africa,” he said.
President Mnangagwa told Japanese media on Friday, that Zimbabwe will continue the international fight against sanctions, which are limiting the country’s ability to access credit from international markets.
He said: “ZDERA constrains us. For the past 20 years, we cannot access support from the IMF, World Bank, IFIs (international finance institutions). Those Bretton Woods institutions cannot extend any lines of credit to Zimbabwe. So, we are surviving through our own domestic means. We are doing our best. We cannot bury our heads in the sand and blame the Bretton Woods institutions for not giving us credit.”
The anti-sanctions lobby continues to gain traction, as Sadc leaders recently resolved to reserve October 25, 2019, as a day when the 16-member states would conduct activities to jointly call for the “immediate” lifting of the embargo.
The position was communicated at the regional body’s 39th Ordinary Summit of the Sadc Heads of State and Government in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Relations between Harare and Kigali continue to deepen, especially under the new political administration.
Of late, there have been reciprocal visits between senior officials from the two countries.
The country recently invited the chief executive officer of Rwanda Development Board (RDB), Ms. Clare Akamanzi, to share experiences on how Zimbabwe can sustainably attract investments.
Earlier this year, Ambassador James Musoni became Rwanda’s full-time envoy based in Harare.
Previously, Rwanda’s South African embassy also covered Zimbabwe.
Similarly, Professor Charity Manyeruke was also recently appointed Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Rwanda.
Kigali used to be under the orbit of Zimbabwe’s embassy in Tanzania.
The community work conducted on Saturday in the area was characterized by clearing bushes along roads in the village of survivors of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
After the community work, KBS Ltd donated a cheque to subscribe to Mutuelle de Santé for100 vulnerable residents in the second Ubudehe category.
The Managing Director of KBS Ltd, Emmanuel Habanabakize said the gesture is part of ongoing initiatives to contribute to national development.
“This means Rwandans especially KBS staff have to raise funds internally to vulnerable residents to walk together along the journey towards rebuilding the nation and achieving self-reliance,” he said.
The Director of Good Governance in Bugesera district, Sebatware Magellan thanked KBS Ltd the gesture reflecting the willingness to strive for common progress, dignified life and resilient nation.
“These are brothers who joined us for community work and subscribed 100 residents for Mutuelle de Santé. We warmly welcomed the great support. These are among homegrown solutions inducing self-dignity aligning with the vision of the President of the Republic where Rwandans need to build their nation themselves. We appreciated their kind act traveling from Kigali to bringing the support,” he said.
Figures from the Gashora sector reveal that only 56% of residents including supported locals from the first Ubudehe category have already paid Mutuelle de Santé.
Beneficiaries told IGIHE that KBS Ltd said the support will boost wellbeing as they can afford medical care whenever.
Beatrice Bamurange, a mother of five from Kagasa II village, Ramiro sector of the Gashora sector was hit hard and would not access health care because she had no medical insurance subscription. With the support, she said, no family member critically sick will stay at home over inadequate means.
The peacekeepers included those serving as Formed Police Units (FPUs), Individual Police Officers (IPOs) and Rwandan military battalions deployed in Juba.
Umuganda was organized in partnership with Juba Town Council under the theme: “Make Juba clean, safe, healthy and preserve natural ecosystem.”
The communal work was also attended by the Special Representative of the Secretary General to UNMISS, David Shearer and the Mayor of Juba, Shemir Khamis.
Other officials present included UNMISS Sector Commander for Central Equatorial, Brig. Gen Eugene Nkubito and United Nations Police (UNPOL) Chief of Staff, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Bartheremy Rugwizangoga.
The exercise involved collecting littered wastes on streets and trenches for proper disposal and slashing bushes.
Mr. Shearer commended the big turn-up for Umuganda and thanked the Rwandan peacekeepers for instilling the spirit of volunteerism among the local communities in South Sudan.
He paid tribute to former UNMISS Force Commander, Lt. Gen. Frank Mushyo Kamanzi, who introduced Umuganda in South Sudan and appealed to the host country to “maintain it to keep this country clean.”
Umuganda, a Rwandan traditional communal exercise conducted every last Saturday of the month, has since become a practice in South Sudan as well.
Rwanda maintains three FPU contingents in South Sudan; two of 160 officers each, deployed in the capital Juba and a hybrid of 240 operating in Malakal, Upper Nile.
Commissioner of Police (CP) Rafiki Mujiji, commissioner for TRS said that the “continuous operations across the country” are part of the year-long national road safety campaign dubbed ‘Gerayo Amahoro’ launched in May this year.
CP Mujiji said that impaired judgment, especially under the influence of alcohol, is one of the major causes of fatal accidents.
He explained that the alcoholic content for all the arrested drivers was way above the recommended 0.8 maximum while their state-defined higher chances of crashing.
“The public should take caution and be responsible even when they are enjoying. A drunk driver is a risk not only to their lives but to other road users and property. Therefore, individual responsibility is very crucial in ensuring personal and road safety,” CP Mujiji emphasized.
He advised members of the public to make sure they have a sober person who will drive them if they intend to drink lest they become a security threat for themselves and other road users.
“Alcohol inhibits a driver’s judgment. A drunk driver is more likely to over-speed or drives on the wrong side of the road. We urge people to share information whenever they see a drunk driver. We call upon bar owners and attendants to also be part of this campaign to advise customers with cars not to go on the wheel when they’re drunk; it’s a collective responsibility,” CP Mujiji said.
He said that operations are continuous against such “intolerable dangerous human behaviors” to prevent accidents caused by drunkenness.
“Drunk driving is an offense punishable with a fine of Rwf150, 000, imprisonment, confiscation of driver’s license and impounding the vehicle; this is something avoidable,” said CP Mujiji.
Gerayo Amahoro campaign is designed to use different approaches to reach all categories of road users through road safety education, enforcement of road traffic rules and regulations to ensure safer roads for all.
Inaugurated on Thursday, the plant is an addition to 17 existing tea factories in Rwanda and targets to process 4000 tons per year within ten years.
Luxmi Group from India, the mother company of Rugabano Tea Factory committed to investing between the US $28 to $30 million in tea farming.
The plant was given 438 hectares on which it runs operations and farms tea on 4000 hectares.
The Governor of Western Province, Alphonse Munyantwari said that apart from 1000 residents who have got jobs at the plant, the project also built houses for residents each at a cost of Rwf 12 million.
Minister Mukeshimana said that the factory will increase Rwanda’s exports.
“This will be among the first factories processing large quantities of tea inside the country. It will process 4000 tons per year and contribute to increased tea exports by 3% within two years,” she explained.
Luxmi and The Wood Foundation are biggest shareholders in Pfunda and Gisovu tea factories with 50% shares and 90% in Pfunda and Gisovu respectively.
The Director-General of Luxmi Group, Rudra Chatterjee said that they plan to expand investment in tea planation so that the plant can produce the finest tea in Rwanda.
Figures from Rwanda Agriculture Export Board (NAEB) indicate that 25,128 tons of tea were exported in 2016-2017 and earned US$74.5 million while 27 824 tons were exported in 2017-2018 netting US $88 million.
The fire broke out yesterday evening around 6 pm. Mattresses, beds are among other equipment that were burnt.
The Head Teacher of Groupe Scolaire Muganza, Innocent Kimenyi has told RBA that the cause of the fire has not yet been established.
“We are waiting for investigations to establish the cause of the fire. Following the fire, we have temporarily relocated students to the multipurpose hall,” he said.
Kimenyi thanked the police, the military and the CIMERWA staff who rushed to extinguish the fire.
The dormitory that caught fire accommodated 120 male students from different classes.
The victim was not legally married to Mahangayiko with whom they shared five children.
The spouses were ensnared in wrangles and divided properties assisted by local government officials.
The sugar cane garden was given to the wife but the husband stopped from harvesting the canes and as she went to plantation yesterday as she prepared for buyers of the sugar canes, the husband followed stabbed her with a machete, killing her instantly.
Police spokesperson for Western Province, CIP Emmanuel Kayigi has confirmed that the man was shot dead attempting to escape from security officials taking him to correction services facility.
“They brought the culprit to the detention center but he jumped over the vehicle along with the Rugerero sector. Police shot at and was then taken for treatment but died before reaching the hospital,” he said.
