Author: IGIHE

The festival ran from 17th to 26th May 2019.

It is additional to more awards his film ‘Mercy of the Jungle’ has been receiving in different festivals around the world.

He previously won an award in Luxor African Film Festival [LAFF] held in Egypt where he received The Silver Mask of Tutankamun award.

Mercy of The Jungle’ also won the top prize in FESPACO festival held in Burkina Faso, and scooped two more awards Festival du Cinema Africain de Khouribga held in Morocco at the beginning of this year.

Mercy of The Jungle was shown in the festival on 21st and 22nd May 2019 and qualified for the award offered by the panel of judges grading the youth.

Joël Karekezi has via Facebook expressed delight for the award highlighting that the ‘future is in our hands starting from the youth’.

“The Mercy of the Jungle” film features the story of depicting the journey of Rwanda’s soldier (Xavier) who won the battle and later found himself in the forest of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the enemy controlled area.

The film lasting 90 minutes was written by Casey Schroen, Joel Karekezi and Aurélien Bodinaux. Video shooting and production were directed Joel Karekezi.

It also features other characters like Marc Zinga, Stéphane Bak, Ibrahim Ahmed Pino, Nirere Shanel, Kantarama Gahigiri among others.

Ruhanga Genocide Memorial is the former Ruhanga Episcopal Anglican Church (EAR Ruhanga) and includes a mass grave inside the building.

It became a memorial site after over 15,000 Tutsi were killed at the church during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and buried there.

After receiving explanations on genocide history on Friday, the management of KBS Ltd donated home items worth over Rwf 5 million to 20 vulnerable families of genocide survivors in Kinyana cell.

The donations range from beds, mattresses, chairs and curtains to each family to replace existing old ones.

The Managing Director of KBS Ltd, Emmanuel Habanabakize revealed that citizens are major stakeholders of day-to-day transport services and stressed that it is the responsibility of KBS Ltd to join Rwandans towards the rebuilding process after the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi which left wounds, widows and orphans.

“We cannot bring back our relatives killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. As members of the private sector we deeply understand suffering genocide survivors endured. It is our commitment to support them towards the resilience journey as we remember fallen victims,” said Habanabakize.

“ As His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Rwanda always reminds us , no one from outside will solve our problems. We have the responsibility to strive for self-reliance to transform history of our nation. With this regard, KBS stands firm for that commitment of finding own solutions and we are capable of doing so,” he added.

The President of IBUKA, organization umbrella of genocide survivors in Rusororo sector, Emmanuel Nduwayezu said existing equipment had turned old and thanked KBS Ltd for the donations that came in handy.

“These people no longer had beds and mattresses. We deeply appreciate the support of KBS,” he said.

According to the management of KBS Ltd, the company is committed to supporting vulnerable Rwandans as a way of giving back to community as major stakeholders of its services.

The project, code-named Access to Satellite TV for 10,000 African Villages, is among the 10 areas of cooperation agreed on during the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in 2015 in Johannesburg South Africa and attended by among others, the Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, Mr. KAYIRANGA Emmanuel, Mayer of Rulindo, said “on behalf of district we would like to thank the Chinese government for this donation, and StarTimes for the work they have done to make it happen, We promise to take care of these donations in order for the sets to give the best outcomes as it was intended. “

The project, which was implemented by StarTimes under the supervision of the Chinese Embassy in Rwanda and the Ministry of Local Government, was started in June 2018.
Ms. Xing Yuchun, Chargé d’affaires at the Embassy of China in Rwanda.

“My colleague told me with the newly installed TV sets and devices around 1.5 Million Rwandan people in these rural areas have been connected to satellite television services and get access to a total of 23 Channels, a new world opened for many Rwandans who finally can successfully have access to entertainment, national and international news, culture and history to all the information on every culture, technology, education, etc. I think this will impact positively to my fellow Rwandans daily lives. It will also extend the opportunities, expend their horizon, improve welfare and provide more opportunities for a better life especially for the promising younger generation.” she said.

The Access to Satellite TV for 10,000 African Villages is a China-Africa cooperation project that seeks to reduce the information divide by offering digital TV in rural areas.

Assumpta Ingabire, the Permanent Secretary of MINALOC also noted: “I have the honor to express our sincere appreciation to the government of China for supporting us to implement TV penetration program across districts of the country. Today we are here to officiate the handover of the Access to Satellite TV for 10,000 African Villages. The ministry of local government will take over the project management and the follow up of districts of Rwanda. This is also an opportunity for us to extend our sincere congratulation to Star Africa Media (StarTimes) which worked tirelessly since April 2018 for the good completion of this project

This TV penetration program brings to our citizen information and knowledge which are the foundation of development; as we all know knowledge is the power in the transit force for development, and one way of obtaining knowledge is through information; that is what we are bringing to our citizens today: Information, Knowledge, and development.

We also thank the good partnership we have between our two countries, and we really appreciate the support of the government of China”

Jess Jing, StarTimes chief executive officer, said villagers will be able to access information on agricultural markets, and with the provision of educational channels on the decoders, they will help sharpen the learning exercise and increase innovation amongst pupils in the science sphere. the project will also give happiness to people when they enjoy national or international football leagues, moreover, this project will ensure effective communication in such a way that many Rwandans will easily be reached especially with government programmes since now many rural Rwandans have access to Television.

According to a statement released via Rwanda National Police’s Twitter wall, two Rwandan nationals have been abducted by Uganda’s Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI), today, at 12:30 pm.

“The two are residents of Gamba village, Tabagwe cell, Tabagwe sector, Nyagatare district, the same area at the border where the recent incident involving smugglers, who lost their lives, took place,” reads the statement.

Samvura and Habiyambere were abducted at Gasheke, 1.5km inside Uganda where they had gone to attend a baptism ceremony of the son of their friend Muhwezi Silver.

The two Rwandans had earlier been urged by their friends not to go to Uganda because they feared they would be putting their lives in danger. However, they ignored the warning, insisting that they needed to honor Muhwezi’s invitation.

The two are now part of the long list of the thousands of Rwandans currently languishing in CMI detention centers without access to consular support, legal aid, and unable to appear before the court to get justice in Uganda.

The donation was handed over to officials of Kigali sector on Saturday after the management and staff of Kigali Marriott Hotel joined Kigali sector residents in a monthly community work to rehabilitate Meraneza-Rwesero road in the area.

Nicole Ingabire Munyangabe, Senior Human Resource Manager at Kigali Marriott Hotel said the gesture aligns with the hotel’s initiatives to give back to community.

“It is part of Marriott International routines to partner with the community in different programs especially supporting vulnerable people. Moreover, the community work is an activity of public interest that we cannot be left behind joining the population for development activities,” she revealed. .

In 2018/19 fiscal year, Kigali sector had 76% of residents who subscribed for Mutuelle de Santé up from 38% in the previous three years.

The executive secretary of Kigali sector, Emmanuel Rutubuka said the donation from partners will raise the number of residents owning medical insurance.

The executive secretary of Nyarugenge district, Fred Hatagekimana lauded Kigali Marriott Hotel for the kind the gesture supporting vulnerable residents.

He called on residents to understand the role of owning a medical insurance and make it a habit to guarantee their families’ lives.

Beneficiaries are from the second Ubudehe category (social class).

Gaudance Mukabuzizi, one of beneficiaries was hit hard struggling to pay both medical insurances and school fees for her children. She expressed delight for the donation from Kigali Marriott Hotel that relieves her loads.

Marriott Hotel has an initiative dubbed “Serve 360” which aims at supporting Rwandans in different corners of the country entrapped with poverty, sickness problems among others.

The leaders of whom the majority is ambassadors visited the memorial yesterday from Intare Conference Arena in Rusororo where the ceremony was taking place.

Upon arrival at Kigali Genocide memorial, the leaders received explanations on Rwanda’s history before, during and after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

After receiving explanations and watching a film on genocide history, they laid wreaths at the mass grave of the memorial accommodating over 25,000 victims killed in different parts of Kigali.

The ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Guy Nestor Itoua who headed the delegation wrote in the book of guests that victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi will always be remembered.

“We celebrate African Day during the period of commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Envoys representing African countries in Rwanda have got chance to visit this memorial holding great history,” he said.

The ambassador of Egypt to Rwanda, Ahmed Mohamed El-Ansary said that every human being should draw a lesson from the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

He called on African continent to work together striving for harmony.

The suspect resisted and turned violent, and was joined by others who attacked the officers with machetes while attempting to flee back to Uganda. The officers shot two people, one Rwandan who died instantly and one Ugandan who later died. Once the gang had crossed back over the border to Uganda, no further action was taken by the patrol.

The gang left behind a motorcycle (RE736G) laden with smuggled used clothes (caguwa).

The Daily Monitor wrote that on Friday, around 8 pm, the two people were shot in a Centre known as Habusavu, ‘about 50 meters into Ugandan territory’, which was reported as misleading, by Rwandan security forces.

“Contrary to the communiqué issued by the Uganda Police Spokesperson and some media reports, the incident happened in Rwanda,” reads the official communiqué from Rwanda National Police (RNP).

This was further echoed by Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Richard Sezibera, who dismissed the incident as untrue.

“Fake news: no such thing happened,” he wrote, adding that a detailed response would be coming shortly.

Following the incident, Ugandan and Rwandan authorities met on Saturday morning to jointly examine the issue. The Rwandan delegation was headed by Mayor David Claudien Mushabe accompanied ACP Emmanuel Hatari, RPC Eastern Region. The Ugandan side was led by the LC5 Chairperson of Rukiga District Alex Akampikaho, CSP Byaruhanga, and the Deputy DPC of Kabale District, among others. The authorities from either side met residents along the common border and urged them to have a harmonious relationship. They also asked them to do away with smuggling as well as drug trafficking but embrace legal economic activities for their dignified lives. Investigations into this incident have started.

“Rwandan Security forces will continue to act with the professionalism they are known for, and on which they need no lectures,” reads the communiqué.

The three-day intermission retreat that started yesterday , the second held in Rwanda, brings together Police Commissioners and top officials from MONUSCO (Democratic Republic of Congo), UNAMID (Darfur), UNMISS (South Sudan), UNISFA (Abyei), AMISOM and UNSOM (both from Somalia) as well as the UN headquarters and UN Office to the African Union, among others.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dan Munyuza, while officially opening the retreat, said that the UN Police plays key role in protection of civilians, ensuring their safety and security, and acts as a substitute for host-state police capacity to prevent and detect crime, protect life and property, and maintain public order.

“Rwanda National Police has played its part and we have strengthened our training and working to improve our peacekeeping units’ capabilities for them to operate in different and dynamics situations,” IGP Munyuza said.

He urged them to work towards empowering nations’ Police institutions to take over the policing roles when the peacekeeping missions close down.

IGP Munyuza emphasized protection of civilians and community outreach programs to sensitize the population against crime, as the central part in peacekeeping operations.

The retreat will assess the implementation of the Action for Peacekeeping (A4P); enhancing performance; protection of civilians and capacity building; challenges; and women, peace and security.
The A4P initiative calls on member states, the Security Council, host countries, troop- and police- contributing countries, regional partners and financial contributors to renew our collective engagement with UN peacekeeping and mutually commit to reach for excellence.

Its implementation is centered on eight priority commitment areas; politics, women, peace and security, protection, safety and security, performance and accountability, peace-building and sustaining peace, partnerships, conduct of peacekeepers and peacekeeping operations.

The UN Police Advisor, Luis Carrilho said that as the people in leadership positions in peacekeeping missions, it’s important to come together to identify and discuss issues impeding missions to achieve high level of performance and further contribute to peace and security.

“We want to further make a positive impact, identify and share best practices, and politics, performance and partnership plays key role,” Carrilho said.

He commended Rwanda’s contribution and strong commitment to peacekeeping and international peace.

“Rwandan Police officers have high level attitude; they are committed with high level of discipline and contribute to a better quality of life in terms of security of the people in peace operations where they are deployed,” Carrilho said.

He added: “Rwanda also deployed qualified and highly trained female Police officers, both as Individual Police Officers and contingent Formed Police Units.”

RNP, last year, deployed a female dominated contingent to the UN Mission in South Sudan.

The UN Police is currently involved in 14 peace operations with more than 10, 000 officers from 90 Police contributing countries.

With more than 1, 000 Police peacekeepers in all missions, Rwanda ranks the second Police contributing country and first contributor of female peacekeepers.

Carrilho also said that Rwanda’s Umuganda and community policing serves as a good example to emulate.

“We need to center our actions on the people, answer their needs and that’s where the community policing aspect comes in,” he said.

It is alleged that after teaching job entry exams held on 6th May 2019; Dukuzimana commissioned a person who called all successful candidates soliciting bribes promising to get them approved to their respective posts.

Dukuzimana was caught red handed on 21st May 2019 receiving Rwf 200,000 related to the aforementioned case.

The spokesperson of Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB), Modeste Mbabazi has said that investigations are underway to seize more suspects involved in the case.

“He was arrested along with the person who brought Rwf 200,000 bribe at home. Investigations are underway,” he said.

IGIHE has learned that more people admitted to jobs after offering bribes to Dukuzimana went into hiding.

Uwimana Faustin and Dukuzimana Hermogene are detained RIB station in Mukamira.
Rwanda penal code stipulates that any person, who solicits, accepts or receives, by any means, an illegal benefit for himself/ herself or another person or accepts a promise in order to render or omit a service under his or her mandate or uses his or her position to render or omit a service commits an offense.

Upon conviction, he/she is liable to imprisonment for a term of more than five (5) years but not more than seven (7) years with a fine of three (3) to five (5) times the value of the illegal benefit solicited received.

The spokesperson of Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB), Modeste Mbabazi has told IGIHE that the suspect has been arrested as investigations get underway.

“He is accused of misallocating Sacco funds and making false reports to conceal misappropriated funds,” he said.

Nzitondwa arrest comes few days after the accountant of KOISARU, Savings and Credit Cooperative (SACCO) in Rugerero sector, Espérance Mukashyaka was arrested at the beginning of May 2019 on accusations of conspiring with her subordinates in misappropriation of Rwf192 million.