Author: IGIHE

France diplomatic missions to Rwanda are currently assumed by Chargé d’Affaires.
Flesch left Rwanda at a time when both countries’ relations were souring over political tensions.

Before the departure of Ambassador Flesch, France had proposed Fred Constant who was at the time France Ambassador to the Caribbean and Guyana Islands.

His approval kept pending for over one year until he was re-appointed to Equatorial Guinea.

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Olivier Nduhungirehe yesterday received new Chargé d’Affaires, Jérémie Blin representing France in Kigali and held discussions aimed at promoting bilateral relations. The latter replaces Etienne de Souza.

IGIHE has asked Amb Nduhungirehe why France is sending Chargé d’Affaires to represent its interests instead of a new ambassador.

“When the right time comes, France will appoint an ambassador. We are also ready to assess the request but both countries are enjoying good relations. It means what happened in the past is no longer happening,” he said.

Rwanda, France relations worsened in the past following the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi where Rwanda accused the country of supporting the genocidaire Government while France in return accused some of the top Rwandan officials to have shot the airplane of former President, Juvénal Habyarimana.

Both countries’ relations were restored in 2017 when Emmanuel Macron was elected France President, introducing reforms in foreign relations.

Last year, France prosecution canceled investigations in Habyarimana plane crush for lack of evidence.

In March 2019, President Macron commissioned a team of experts to carry out deeper investigations on France role during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Speaking to IGIHE, Nduhungirehe has said that Rwanda is not behind rejecting approvals of new France ambassadors.

“We have never rejected an appointment. They have never sent anyone. President Macron himself said it last year that we are currently putting in efforts to normalize relations that they will appoint an ambassador at the right time,” he said.

Rwanda, France diplomatic relations date back in 1962 after obtaining Independence.
Last year, the chief executive officer of the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) came to Rwanda and assured continued collaboration in development projects. The CEO of the institution had last been to Rwanda in 1992.

Since 1962, France has sent 16 ambassadors. to Rwanda.

The incident took place yesterday evening at 8 pm.

The Executive Secretary of Kabacuzi sector, Pilote Rwigemera has told IGIHE that the household had no records of disputes though the husband would suspect her wife of infidelity.

“There had been no known conflicts at their home but it was said that the husband would suspect the wife of infidelity. The husband always felt uncomfortable whenever he saw his wife talking to another man and asked her ‘What are you discussing?’ They didn’t, however, fight one another,” he said.

According to Rwigema, sources reveal that the spouses were drunk, engaged in a fight where the husband might have fallen down and died as he run after her wife.

Rwigemera said children told officials that their father died when he fell down chasing after their mother.

The woman is detained at Kiyumba Police station as investigations get underway to establish the cause of his death.

Ndigendereho from Nyabihu district reportedly identified herself as a RIB staff in charge of children related affairs and extorted money from single mothers promising to order their husbands to register children in civil status book.

RIB said that investigations are underway to establish the number of women she fleeced and other people he might have colluded with.

Ndigendereho was arrested with books in which she registered women experiencing disagreements with their husbands in relation to children the parents sired together.
RIB spokesperson, Modeste Mbabazi confirmed the arrest of Ndigendereho and warned people involved in similar crimes.

He also advised citizens to be cautious and report to officials whoever they suspect of unusual dealings.

Article 279 of the Rwanda Penal Code stipulates that “any person who, without tittle usurps public, civil or military functions or poses the acts of one of these functions or falsely attributes to himself or herself the quality of a public official or publicly wears a costume, a uniform, badge or an emblem with an intention to mislead the public, commits an offence.”

Upon conviction, she is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than two (2) years and not more than three (3) years and the fines of not less than Rwf300000 but not more than Rwf500000.

Rwanda’s ambassador to Congo Brazaville, Dr. Jean Baptiste Habyalimana reflected on the history of the liberation struggle and hailed RPF Inkotanyi soldiers for liberating the country and promoting good leadership with inclusive development.

He reiterated that Rwandans understand well that complete liberation is preserving what has been achieved over the past 25 years after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Amb. Habyalimana said Rwanda’s liberation is a celebration of transformations shaping the future of the country driven by the unity and development of all Rwandans.
Habyalimana explained that it is also an opportunity for the Government to thank the youth born after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi respecting correct values and taboos with a vision of building the nation.

He thanked everyone who joined the celebration and commended good relations between Congo and Rwanda and urged other heads of missions representing African countries to strive for self-reliance of their nations as the pathway to liberation and development founded on African cooperation without reliance on foreign aid.

The award was presented on Saturday during the 12th Africa Regional Conference which took place from 16th to 20th July 2019 in Kigali, Rwanda.

The conference that attracted participants from 41 states was organized around the theme ‘Unite, Thrive, Grow’.

The Minister of Youth, Rosemary Mbabazi received the award on behalf of Madam Jeannette Kagame.

After receiving the award, Mbabazi, via twitter account, expressed delight to have received the award.

“I am so humbled and honored to have received on behalf of Her Excellency the First Lady of Rwanda, an award from global girl guides for her tireless work championing the empowerment of the Girl Child,” she said.

Jeannette Kagame thanked WAGGS for the award and assured continued collaboration supporting the cause.

“Thank you Global Girl Guides for this recognition. We will continue to work together to ensure every girl child is safe and educated,” she said in a tweet.

Jeannette Kagame is involved in different women empowerment initiatives through Imbuto Foundation of which she is Founder and Chairperson.

Jeannette Kagame personifies an active, relentless and passionate devotion to uplifting the lives of vulnerable populations in Rwanda; particularly those of widows, orphans of the genocide and disadvantaged families.

She has an admirably balanced family, social life and philanthropy, not only in her own country but continentally, and worldwide.

Jeannette Kagame hosted the first African First Ladies’ Summit on Children and HIV/AIDS Prevention in May 2001 in Kigali, Rwanda. The summit led to the founding of Protection and Care of Families against HIV/AIDS (PACFA), an initiative primarily focused on providing a holistic approach to HIV prevention and care for the whole family.

She later co-founded the Organisation of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA) in 2002, and served as its president from 2004 until 2006.

Madam Kagame was in 2016 awarded for excellent contribution to fighting against Gender-Based Violence for championing the empowerment of Girl.

She was last year awarded the African Women of Excellence Awards (AWEA) for her outstanding work on empowering women and her overall contribution to Africa’s development.

The Unimoni-RCA Premier League will be played in Rwanda in two divisions. Division I matches will be played at the Gahanga International Stadium while the IPRC Oval Kicukiro Stadium will be home to Division II matches. 14 men’s clubs and 10 women’s clubs have confirmed their participation in this year’s tournament. The curtain raiser of the tournament will be played between Right Guards Cricket Club and Vikings Cricket Club on 21st July, and the final will be played on 17th November at the Gahanga International Cricket Stadium.

Peeush Pillai, Country Head of Unimoni Rwanda, said, “We believe that sports can be a powerful tool for social change. Rwanda has a rich pool of talent in the sports arena and we are proud to be instrumental in nurturing the country’s sporting talents, especially the budding cricketers, through our association with RCA. We are happy to partner with RCA again this year and to have closely witnessed the tournament grow from 10 clubs to 24 clubs in the last six years. The Unimoni-RCA Premier League is one of the most celebrated cricket events in the region. We look forward to a great tournament and wish all the clubs and players the very best of luck.”

The RCA Premier League was started in 2013 as a tournament for Rwanda’s major cricket clubs. The tournament is the ideal platform for aspiring cricketers in Rwanda to showcase their talent and enhance their skills in the sport. This year, White Clouds Cricket Club will be defending the women’s title, while Challengers Cricket Club will be defending the men’s title.

Commenting on Unimoni’s association, Emmanuel Byiringiro, General Manager at RCA, said, “The partnership with a global brand such as Unimoni gives this tournament the impetus it needs. The continuous support from Unimoni has been a major factor in the growing popularity of the Cricket Premier League in the country. We believe that sports tournaments like this are key to identifying and developing local talent in the communities in the country.”

Unimoni, a Finablr company, has a rich history of promoting sports, including cricket and football, at different levels across the world. The brand was the title sponsor of Asia Cup 2018, which was held in the UAE, and also the 2018 title sponsor of the National T20 Cup in Uganda.

Unimoni is part of Finablr, a global platform for Payments and Foreign Exchange solutions. With deep regulatory know-how, technology expertise and industry leading partnerships, Finablr companies provide a broad array of tailored and trusted financial solutions for consumers and businesses. With a global reach spanning 170+ countries, Finablr companies processed over 150 million transactions in 2018, managing nearly USD 115 billion for customers.

Rwanda National Police (RNP) spokesperson, Commissioner of Police (CP) John Bosco Kabera, while addressing the media on Sunday on the outcome of the operations, said that some motorcycles were found without insurance and driver’s license.

Others violated traffic control signposts and wrong parking or refusal to comply.

CP Kabera warned errant drivers and motorcyclists against breach of road rules and regulations, whose outcomes are fatal.

“There will be severe consequences to whoever will be caught breaching traffic rules and putting lives of people at risk,” he warned.

“Before you drive or ride, make sure you possess all the required documents to hit the road, follow every bit of the road safety standards,” emphasized CP Kabera.

He added that violation of road rules and regulations could be fatal, a reason as to why such operations against errant motorists are part of Gerayo Amahoro (arrive safely) campaign to guarantee the safety of every road user.

“We are in a year-long road safety campaign, and such operations will help us make our roads safer for everyone,” said CP Kabera and reminded the public that people have to remember that their lives matter, do not allow drivers and motorcyclists to put your lives in danger, report any reckless driver or rider.”

“Pedestrians also have to obey traffic rules especially when crossing the road; motorists should also remember that there are other people using the same road. Whatever you do should guarantee your safety and that of your passengers, pedestrians, other motorists, and infrastructure,” he added

Traffic accidents, he said, are avoidable if people change their behaviors on road.

The 52-week Gerayo Amahoro national campaign launched in May 2019 is designed to educate all groups of road users countrywide towards behavioral change.

The duo arrested on Thursday last week was at the time found with US$200 in the denominations of US$100, all forged.

Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Marie Gorrette Umutesi, the Police spokesperson for the City of Kigali, said that the fake dollar notes were identified by the bar manager when the duo was trying to clear a bill.

“Kanamugire and Kagame were having drinks at a bar located in Kacyiru Sector, tried to exchange a dollar note of US$100 in order to clear the bill, but the bar manager later realized that the note was fake,” CIP Umutesi said.

“They called the Police and when they searched the two suspects they recovered another counterfeit bill of US$100 on them,” she added.

The two-dollar notes had similar serial numbers, CIP Umutesi said.

The suspects said they got the fake notes from someone in Kimisagara, Nyarugenge District, and the spokesperson said that law enforcement agencies are working together to apprehend the alleged accomplices.

CIP Umutesi advised people especially the business community to be cautious against such fraudsters.

She also advised them to acquire gadgets that help to detect forged money, and always share information on people they suspect to be engaged in such financial criminal acts.

According to the article 269 of Rwanda penal code, any person who, fraudulently counterfeits, falsifies coins or banknotes which are legal tender in Rwanda or one who introduces or issues in Rwanda such effects or notes with the knowledge that they are forged or falsified, commits an offense.

Upon conviction, he or she is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than five years and not more than seven years.

The research carried out by NIRDA between February and June 2019 on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) established that many entrepreneurs owning SMEs processing horticulture produce have inadequate means to integrate technology into their operations.

The research results were released on Friday with a call to adopt advanced measures to revitalize the agriculture sector.

According to the research, the country has 77 enterprises processing horticulture produce. The research was conducted in 56 enterprises while 7 others denied participation in the research.

The research focused on applied technology, market accessibility, compliance with instituted standards and seeking how challenges can be tackled.

NIRDA indicates that 11 (19%) of 56 firms can at least export one of their products to the international market.

The institution also reveals that only 18.3% of planted fruits are processed appropriately while only 1.5% of vegetables are processed.

Other challenges pointed out in the horticulture sector are related to damage of harvest before reaching consumers, inadequate cars transporting the harvest to the market and lack of marketing strategies of products among others. The Director-General of NIRDA, Kampeta Sayinzoga said that the research aimed at promoting value addition among these enterprises and seeking how technology can be integrated into their operations.

“We cannot trust that our enterprises can make competent quality products without embracing the latest technology,” she said.

“There have been losses in the past which were not experienced last year because we mobilized them to process the harvest. NIRDA comes in to build capacities in the area of technology because the harvest is in some cases taken to the market without value addition,” added Kampeta.

Following the report, NIRDA revealed that horticulture processing enterprises will participate in a competition in which winners shall receive the latest equipment through the Business Development Fund (BDF) and attend incubation programs.

Sayinzoga said that NIRDA is ready to keep supporting research initiatives among firms and helping them to acquire technology equipment.

The suspect identified as Theophile Iyakaremye is currently detained at Remera Police station and was taken into custody on Wednesday following information provided by one of the would-be victims.

It is said that the suspect would linger around the Motor-vehicle Inspection Centre (MIC) in Remera targeting those whose automobiles failed the test, introduce himself to them as a Police officer and ask for money in order to help them get mechanical certificate even without fixing the identified mechanical fault.

Iyakaremye, who spoke to the media this Friday, admitted to the crime. He said that he had already given the same unlawful service to five people in the past one month, paying him between Rwf15, 000 and Rwf30, 000 for the service.

“Last Friday I helped one driver acquire a mechanical certificate after, together with other mechanics, found a way to cheat the MIC system on vehicle emission, which he had been told to fix. He was supposed to pay me Rwf30, 000, but said that he would pay me at once after I help him get an inspection certificate for all his other vehicles,” Iyakaremye narrated.

“On Monday he came back with another vehicle which failed the mechanical test due to faults in brakes… he wanted me to help him again but I demanded to be paid for the previous service (Rwf30, 000), but I was arrested on Wednesday at about 2 pm at a kiosk in Kimironko where I was trying to withdraw the money he had sent me,” he added.

Rwanda National Police (RNP) spokesperson, Commissioner of Police (CP) John Bosco Kabera commended the role of the public in reporting such fraudsters.

“MIC services have been eased. The services can be accessed 48 hours after booking, down from three days previously, inspection lanes were increased to five and we have a mobile lane that serves vehicle owners in other provinces on a rotational basis; working hours were increased up to midnight and the center is open even on public holidays,” CP Kabera said, urging vehicle owners to utilize the eased services instead of taking “short and criminal channels.”

“MIC services are meant to prevent accidents that may be caused by mechanical faults, and taking such shortcuts means putting lives of people either in that vehicle or using the same road at risk, which is unacceptable,” CP Kabera said.

He disclosed that Motor-vehicle inspection centers are being constructed in Huye, Musanze and Rwamagana districts to extend services closer to the people and further ease access to vehicle inspection services.

The penal code in its article 279, states that “any person who, without title usurps public, civil or military functions or poses the acts of one of these functions or falsely attributes to himself/herself the quality of a public official or publicly wears a costume, a uniform, badge or an emblem with an intention to mislead the public, commits an offence.”

Upon conviction, the offender is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than two years and not more than three years, with a fine of not less than Rwf300, 000 and not more than Rwf500, 000.