Dr. Uzziel Ndagijimana, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning and Yasser El-Gammal the World Bank Country Manager signed the agreement.
The main objective of the project is to improve teachers’ competency, student retention, and learning
The project consists of three main components which include: Enhancing teacher effectiveness for improved student learning; through improving teachers’ English language proficiency and digital skills, support professional development of math and science teachers in upper primary through lower secondary schools; Reducing overcrowding and distance to schools (This project will finance the construction of 11,000 furnished classrooms and approximately 14,680 latrines, which is 50 percent of the required school infrastructure.)
The third component is related to strengthening institutional capacity to support teaching and learning
Minister Uzziel Ndagijimana noted that the project is consistent with the education sector’s Strategic Plan (2018–2024) that gives priority to improvements in learning outcomes and completion rates for basic education.
“Rwanda intends to become a knowledge-based economy and to achieve this objective, a strong human capital base is critical,” Minister Uzziel said.
Yasser El-Gammal, the World Bank Country Manager in Rwanda said that without a supportive school environment that includes an adequate number of classrooms and latrines, Rwandan students are limited in the amount they are able to learn.
“The dedicated efforts of the Government of Rwanda with support from many partners contribute towards student learning,” he underscored.
The World Bank has a prior history of engagement in the education sector in Rwanda, but the proposed project will mark its first comprehensive support for basic education.
This program will benefit from the recent 2018 World Development Report on Education, which provides insights for improving the delivery of education services in challenging contexts.
She revealed the development yesterday in a press conference following the inauguration of Singita Kwitonda Lodge and Kataza House, a state of the art and luxurious building to host tourists completed in the Nyange sector, Musanze district in the foothills of Sabyinyo Volcano.
The facility will accommodate tourists visiting Rwanda and gorillas.
In May 2017, RDB doubled the gorilla permit cost from $750 to $1500 per person for one hour watching gorillas in the Volcanoes national park.
At the time, RDB also introduced a new exclusive offer for visitors looking at trekking the entire gorilla group for 15,000 U.S dollars with an exclusively personalized tour guide watching gorillas for 1 hour.
The new tariffs raised mixed reactions that Rwandans won’t afford the price but were give exclusive programs enabling them to watch gorillas and experience the beauty of their country.
Akamanzi has said that numbers of visitors have reduced since new tariffs were implemented though the revenues increased.
“Gorillas don’t reproduce all the times. It means that we need to strengthen conservation efforts. That is why it requires enough money to watch gorillas. A large number would visit the species if prices go down yet it is not friendly to their conservation efforts,” she said.
“That is why we sought how to receive a small number of visitors who can bring in enough revenues. It means that revenues from gorilla trekking outnumber the amount we used to get before we doubled the price even when we have small number tourists,” added Akamanzi.
She explained that visitors reduced particularly in the first days but increased gradually. Akamanzi said revenues have been increased too though she was specific on the amount.
Akamanzi said that Rwanda needs at least 96 gorilla visitors per day because they are grouped into 12 gorilla families.
Rwanda has 62% of 880 mountain gorillas present globally.
The Government of Rwanda allocated 10% of tourism revenues to development projects in communities surrounding parks through Revenue Sharing Scheme.
Rwanda targets to earn US $800 million tourism revenues in 2024 from US $438 of 2017.
Jean Pierre Harerimana alias Kennedy and his wife Zawadi Nyirahabimana, were arrested Wednesday in Gacuriro Cell, Kinyinya Sector of Gasabo District with 40,000 pellets of cannabis, concealed in fives bundles.
While parading the suspects to the media in Remera on Thursday, Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Marie-Gorette Umutesi, the Police spokesperson for the City of Kigali, said that Police, through an informer, tracked Harerimana from Rubavu to Kigali.
Harerimana transported the narcotics to Kigali in a Toyota Carina E, registration number RAB 096P, which was also impounded.
CIP Umutesi said that the couple was arrested with two other people said to be motorcyclists, who were Harerimana’s informers from Rubavu to Kigali.
“The Anti-Narcotics Unit had information about this specific vehicle which left Rubavu to Kigali with consignments of cannabis. It is suspected that the trafficker—Harerimana—used the two motorcyclists identified as Abuba Makeke and Ibrahim Mugabe as his spotters, who rode ahead from Rubavu informing him of the whereabouts of security organs, to avoid arrest,” CIP Umutesi said.
“Through Police informers in Rubavu and Kigali, ANU tracked him to his home in Gacuriro, Kinyinya Sector where he was arrested on arrival together with his wife and the two motorcyclists. Bundles of cannabis were recovered from the car and in the ceiling of the couple’s house,” she explained.
It is not the first time Harerimana has been arrested in drug-related crimes. He is among the convicts that received the presidential pardon late last year, after serving three of his five-year sentence for the same crime.
On his part, Harerimana told journalists that he was only hired to transport the narcotics from Rubavu to Kigali. “I was to be paid Rwf240, 000 after delivering the consignment to the owner here in Kigali,” he said, without mentioning the alleged owner of the narcotics.
“I was given these bundles by a man called Pascal in Rubavu, who traffics cannabis into Rwanda from DR. Congo. The deal was to deliver them to the owners in Kigali, but they escaped after learning that I have been arrested,” Harerimana said. “I have been arrested with my wife, now our two children are going to face the consequences of our actions; I pray that no other parent encounters such a challenging experience.”
CIP Umutesi commended the increased ownership of members of the public in fighting narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances through information sharing with the Police.
“These are harmful drugs with immediate health effects to users; a security issue destroying young people and undermining the country’s development. Thousands of young people, who are supposed to be in school or the skilled labor-force are in rehabilitation centers, and that means the country is spending a lot of money on them instead of using it for other community development activities,” CIP Umutesi noted.
She added: “No one should allow such to continue if you know any drug dealers call the Police; we need to work together to give no room for such criminal individuals to continue poisoning people for their selfish ends.”
The sentence for anyone convicted of trafficking, transporting or storing narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances was increased from seven maximum years to life imprisonment, as stipulated under article 263 of the new penal code.
The same article also provides a fine ranging between Rwf20 million and Rwf30 million, upon conviction.
President Paul Kagame yesterday inaugurated Singita Kwitonda Lodge and Kataza House, a state of the art and luxurious building to host tourists in the Nyange sector, Musanze district at the foothills of Gahinga and Muhabura Volcanoes.
As he addressed participants at the inauguration, Kagame expressed delight to join the event and acknowledged Paul Milton, ‘whose firm led the construction of this beautiful facility, working with a team of Rwandan and international consultants. Congratulations on a job well done’.
“As said earlier, we were talking about high-end. For a property like this to be built in Rwanda, the conversation was about that being possible. Now I discover that this is higher-end than the end I was talking about. So it has exceeded my expectations. I have a tendency to keep my expectation very high, and this one has gone beyond that,” he said.
Kagame also thanked Mikael Andren, representing the owner, Paul Tudor Jones calling him a very special investor, who is equally committed to African conservation and the development of the hospitality sector on the African continent especially raising Rwanda’s brand.
“The tour we just had was really very impressive. Singita is one of the world’s top hotel brands and Rwanda is happy to be associated with the company. And I think you have raised Rwanda’s brand as well. So we thank you,” he highlighted.
President Kagame said that a good illustration of the facility is the care taken to make the lodge sustainable, ‘as we wish to make many things in Rwanda’.
“This includes the choice of building materials and construction methods; the reduced energy footprint; and the ongoing efforts to preserve and enhance the surrounding landscape. Like Singita, Rwanda is striving to offer visitors the highest levels of service. Quality must be the hallmark of the “Visit Rwanda” experience. This is what we all work toward,” he emphasized.
Kagame also urged the people in the neighborhood of the facility to work hard to meet the demand that the lodge has created in terms of what needs to be consumed.
“We need to work together to keep adding value to this asset that has been put in our hands by the gracious investors. We want everyone to be happy and we will do our part,” he said.
The Founder of Singita, Luke Bailes thanked President Kagame among others that made the establishment of Singita in Rwanda possible following five years involved in different activities in the country.
“We are pleased to play a role in the preservation of the environment and contributing to the hospitality sector in Rwanda,” he said.
The CEO of Rwanda Development Board (RDB), Clare Akamanzi said that Rwanda continues to receive tourists and therefore need diversification whereby Singita Kwitonda Lodge and Kataza House is additional to beautiful facilities attracting tourists in Rwanda.
Singita Kwitonda Lodge and Kataza House comprise of eight environment-friendly buildings of which the majority of materials were from Rwanda.
Singita Kwitonda Lodge was completed at a cost of US$25 million.
The first among tourists who booked the facility will be hosted on 5th August 2019.
Singita is among projects expected to help Rwanda earn US$800 million in 2024 up from US$438 million in 2017.
Singita invested in tourism and hospitality sector since 1993. It has lodged in Tanzania (in Grumeti Game Reserve and Lamai), in Zimbabwe (Singita Pamushana Lodge) and South Africa (Singita Sweni Lodge and Singita Sabi Sand.)
To date, Rwanda remains Ebola-free. The Ministry has advised against unnecessary travels to Goma-Eastern Congo, following increasing number of cases confirmed in DRC, and requested that individuals who have recently travelled to an Ebola affected area to report to the nearest screening station and to report any suspected Ebola cases via the Ministry of health toll-free lines 114, police number 112 or to community health workers or the nearest health centre.
Among key prevention measures are frequent washing of hands with clean water and soap, avoiding contact with blood and body fluids, as well as items that would have come in contact with an infected person’s blood and body fluids.
Ebola is transmitted through blood and body fluids, including vomit, urine, saliva, sweat. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, joint pain, headache, diarrhea, skin rash, vomiting, red eyes, stomach-ache and bleeding through different body parts.
Rwanda has a detailed National Preparedness Plan in place and has trained health workers in early detection and response, educated communities about Ebola, vaccinated health workers in high-risk areas, equipped health facilities, and continues to conduct simulation exercises to maintain a high level of readiness.
Screening for Ebola symptoms at points of entry has been ongoing since the beginning of the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and has been reinforced since the confirmation of a case in Goma.
An Ebola Treatment Centre was put in place and 23 isolation units are being prepared in hospitals in 15 priority districts. Ebola response simulation exercises are on a regular basis within the community, borders, airport and treatment Centre to test Rwanda’s preparedness in response to a case, which includes emergency Operations Centre activation, active surveillance, case management, and laboratory testing. About 3000 health workers in high-risk areas have been vaccinated as a preventative measure, including more than 1100 in Rubavu district.
To date, Rwanda has trained over 23,957 people including Doctors, Nurses, hospital staff, Community Health Workers, religious leaders, Red Cross Volunteers and security organs. Meanwhile, special ambulances are in place to handle any Ebola suspected case on time.
A total of 71 million of the world population are Hepatitis C patients according to a World Health Organization report.
In Rwanda, the disease is mostly reported among people aged over 50 and 60. Research carried out in 2018 revealed that 4% of Rwandans are Hepatitis C patients of whom the majority hail from Eastern and Southern Provinces.
The disease damages the liver leaving the patient is susceptible to cancer.
It can be transmitted through infected blood, sharp objects or at birth. Hepatitis C aggravates if the patient spends over six months without treatment.
In a bid to fight the disease, Rwanda launched a five-year campaign mobilizing everyone to contribute to the cause.
The efforts have been launched under the campaign dubbed ‘Rwanda Cares’ held at Kigali Convention Center yesterday to organize in partnership with the Ministry of Health, the Private Sector Federation and Rwanda Interfaith Council among other partners.
Rwanda was the first country to make Hepatitis C drugs available at an affordable cost. The price was cut down from US $86 000 in 2012 to US $60 while the cost of diagnosis went down from US $30 to US $1.
Madam Jeannette Kagame said that Rwandans are blessed with good leadership that made screening and treatment easier.
She thanked partners for continuous commitment towards empowering Rwandan communities to have healthier lives.
“Your support towards the fight against Hepatitis C has led to significant achievements; 1,000,000 Rwandans already screened and 15,000 people treated and cured, as a part of our country’s 5-year control and elimination plan,” said the First Lady.
“The elimination of Hepatitis C is a fight that we are yet to claim victory over, but it is one that we can successfully accomplish, with the continued partnership of all stakeholders, from the public to the private spheres,” she added.
Rwanda targets to cut the number of Hepatitis C patients from 4% to 1.2% and enable access to treatment for 90% of patients aged over 15 years. A total of US $43.5 million was injected pumped in the campaign.
The support follows farmers’ demand for interventions that would help curtail persistent post-harvest losses.
The facility is located in Ndago in Kibeho sector with various components, namely; training halls, granaries for maize produce and horticulture, cooperatives offices, drying facilities and a maize processing mill.
The Mayor of Nyaruguru, François Habitegeko said the facility construction was in response to farmers’ demand for decent post-harvest handling interventions.
“We sat and sought ways of adding value to maize harvest and save farmers from suffering post-harvest losses. It is against that background that the plant was constructed,” he said.
The agronomist of Nyaruguru district, Thomas Mbonyisenge explains that the plant mills maize from the entire district.
“The plant has the capacity of processing 4 tons of maize flour. It gets the harvest in no short supply and has a wider market across the country supplying to schools,” he noted.
Mbonyisenge revealed that the facility was completed at Rwf 90 million while mills cost Rwf 42 million.
The plant employs six permanent workers and many others hired depending on available tasks.
Some of the farmers growing maize from a 40-hectare marshland of Rwonjya crossing Nyagisozi and Cyahinda sectors said that the presence of the facility has encouraged them to grow more maize as they are assured of proper storage and market.
The order stipulates that the standard size of a plot of land for a residential house must be 300 square meters (m²) while the plot of land for construction of a 15-floor building should not go beyond one hectare.
Under the new order, a plot of land for the construction of a nursery school must not exceed 700 m²; 1.5 hectare has been designated for a primary school, 2.5 hectares for secondary school, 2.8 hectares for a complex school combining nursery, primary and secondary schools, 5 hectares for vocational training schools while the plot of land designated for the university buildings must not exceed 6 hectares.
Among others, the plot of land for 500 m² is designated for the premises of a health post, 1 hectare for a health center while private and public hospitals must not go beyond 5 hectares.
Churches premises are limited to 5000 m² while the plot of land for construction of commercial buildings will depend on cities master plan and other laws granting land sharing.
{{Exception for major investors }}
The Minister for Infrastructure, Claver Gatete said an exception was set for large investors coming to settle in the country with great activities promising to spur national development.
Investors will be allowed a larger size of land depending on the value of their investment in the country.
“We need magnates especially coming in to support us. For instance, Howard Buffet developed buildings on over 1200 hectares in Nasho […] set up livestock and crop growing zone, equipped Rwandans with outstanding skills and build roads. Such a person needs a large plot of land to settle in,” said Minister Gatete.
An investor bringing in activities with the value between Rwf 500 and 800 million will be allowed to build on a half-hectare land in rural areas under the new ministerial order.
When the investment ranges between Rwf 800 million and Rwf 1 billion, he/she will be allowed to build on a hectare and 1.5 hectare when the investment is over Rwf 1 billion in rural areas.
An entrepreneur with investment worth between Rwf 1 and 1.2 billion will be accorded a half hectare to set up in town.
The investment between Rwf 1.2 and 1.5 billion will be accorded to build on a hectare while an investor whose activities are valued at over Rwf 1.5 billion will be given 1.5 hectares in town.
Minister Gatete said that giving opportunities such investors are meant to encourage more to bring their activities contributing to national development and valuing their investment.
He reiterated that it is a better way of enhancing the effective management of land and exploitation.
Gatete revealed that setting the standard size of the land will also help settlement policy where they can build multi-floored buildings accommodating a large number of people than raising scattered stand-alone buildings.
The new ministerial order is based on a similar order released in 2016 concerning urban planning.
The visit was part of the IGP’s four-day official visit in South Sudan.
Rwanda maintains three Formed Police Unit (FPU) contingents of 560 officers, combined. They include two contingents of 160 officers each, operating in the capital Juba. One is commanded by Assistant Commissioner of Police(ACP) Claude Tembo and the other is a female-dominated unit under the command of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Jackeline Urujeni.
Another unit, a hybrid of 240 officers, is deployed in Malakal, Upper Nile State under the command of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Paul Gatambira, where they are largely charged with the protection of camps for thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs).
IGP Munyuza commended the peacekeepers for the “good job” they are doing in the mission especially the protection of civilians.
He urged them to “uphold discipline and keep Rwanda’s flag high.”
The Police Chief urged the peacekeepers to enhance good working relations with their fellow peacekeepers, and the locals especially those who are under their protection.
IGP Munyuza also met with the UNMISS leadership including the Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary General to UNMISS, Moustapha Somaire and Police Commissioner, Unaisi Bolatolu-Vuniwaqa and the Police Chief of Staff, ACP Barthelemy Rugwizangoga.
The discussions with the leadership focused on the good working relations between UNMISS and Rwanda National Police (RNP).
UNMISS Police Commissioner appreciated Rwanda’s contribution to peacekeeping and the “outstanding performance” of Rwandan Police peacekeepers in the execution of the UN mandate.
The UNMISS top officials appreciated Rwanda for recognizing the impact of women in peace-building and increasing the number of female peacekeepers.
RNP deployed its maiden FPU contingent to South Sudan in September 2015 and is now ranked the leading contributor with 589 Police officers in UNMISS as well as the leading female Peacekeepers contributing country.
The Rwandan Police peacekeepers in South Sudan also include 28 Individual Police Officers (IPOs) and the current Police Chief of Staff (CoS), ACP Barthelemy Rugwizangoga.
Ngirente made the appreciation yesterday as he officiated the opening of the 2019 Symposium of the Association of African Central Banks (AACB) taking place in Kigali since 28th July 2019.
Established in 1965, the association comprises 41 banks that meet every year to discuss Africa’s economic integration.
The Symposium is aimed mainly at promoting exchanges among economic policy-makers and other participants. Discussions include appropriate strategies for sovereign debt management, drawing on lessons learned in Africa and other regions of the world.
The exchanges also focus on the challenges faced by African countries, with a view to keeping the public debt at a sustainable level, while financing the development agenda.
Fifty-four years ago, the Association of African Central Banks was established to promote cooperation in the monetary, banking and financial sphere in the African region.
It was also meant to assist in the formulation of guidelines along with future agreements between African countries. Since then, African economies have gone through significant mutations despite numerous challenges.
Premier Ngirente said that the growth path has generally been sustainable for the last two decades, amid economic diversification and financial sector development and played a critical role in addressing challenges.
As the global economy continues to evolve, at a higher pace, he said, policymakers and Central Banks are key players to address new challenges to ensure that Africa continues its transformation journey in line with the Agenda 2063.
“Currently, with the modern financial ecosystem, we are dependent on Central Banks to safeguard our individual country’s monetary policy and financial systems. They also help to set standards and protocols that make it easier to have intercontinental transactions of goods and services,” said Ngirente.
“Therefore, despite numerous challenges like recurrent commodity price shocks, other external shocks and external imbalances in some cases, African Central Banks have contributed to ensuring macroeconomic stability. Association’s role in bringing these central banks under the same umbrella to work together under a common goal should be applauded,” he added.
The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) is aiming to create a tariff-free continent that can grow local businesses, boost intra-African trade, promote industrialization and create jobs.
Premier Ngirente said this is one of the many solutions that can come from a united Africa collaborating to address the health of the economy of the region.
“Further to this, countries and regions have signed different treaties, developed cooperation models in order to trade with each other, share knowledge, experiences, and support in solving various economic challenges. As policymakers, we should work towards implementing our commitments and treaties,” he stressed.
This year’s Symposium was organized under the theme “The Rising African Sovereign Debt: Implication for Monetary Policy and Financial Stability”.
The Governor of the National Bank of Rwanda and the Vice-Chairperson of AACB, John Rwangombwa said that Africa’s rising sovereign debt should be not be taken as a unique problem to Africa noting that many Global economies are facing the challenge of rising sovereign debt as data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) shows.
In 2017 sovereign debt in advanced economies was averaging 266% of GDP, while that of emerging markets was at 168 percent of GDP.
In the same year, the average public debt for the African continent was at 45 percent of GDP, with 19 countries above 60%, the then threshold set by the African Monetary Co-operation Programme.
“ Looking at the numbers, one would wonder why we had to dedicate a whole day discussing debt when Africa’s debt seems to be very low compared to that of the rest of the world,” wondered Rwangombwa.
“As central bankers, we intend to mainly focus on how rapidly increasing sovereign debts may affect the effectiveness of monetary policy as well as the financial stability in our economies,” he said.
Last week the IMF announced that it had revised downwards the global GDP growth numbers for the years 2019 and 2020 because of the likely negative impacts of the trade wars between the US and China plus the uncertainties surrounding Brexit.
It is against this background that Governor Rwangombwa said that Africans would suffer if they don’t cooperate.
“We have a saying in Kinyarwanda which literally translates; ‘when two elephants fight it’s the grass that suffers’. It would not be farfetched to say that if we Africans don’t put our act together; we will easily be the grass at the mercy of the feet of the two global giants fighting each other,” he said.
Abebe Aemro Selassie, the Director of the African Department at IMF said that the most acute challenge with respect to debt distress is being faced by countries that were hit by the shocking decline in oil prices and others.
“We need to think about how central banks can tackle high debt to GDP ratios in Africa,” he recommended.
