“The president of the Republic respects the independence of the judiciary and the recent Supreme Court decision to decriminalize the offenses related to the humiliation of public officials,” reads part of the statement.
“The president, however, takes issue with the decision to retain as criminal offenses, insults or defamation against the Head of State, who is also a public official. His position has always been that this should be a civil, not a criminal matter. The president trusts that there will be further debate on this important matter,” adds the statement.
The Supreme Court recently expunged some articles and paragraphs of the penal code following the petition of Kigali based lawyer Richard Mugisha but retained penalties granted in the article concerning defamation against the head of state.
The lawyer petitioned on the revision of article 236 stipulating the sentence between five to seven years and a fine between Rwf 5 to 7 million for the defamation against the head of state is not constitutional.
The president of the Supreme Court, Prof Sam Rugege explained that the article concerns special duties of the Head of State of protecting the sovereignty of the country where insulting and defamation against him would destabilize a lot of things because of his responsibilities to the country.
The court retained the article ruling that there is a difference between the defamation against the head of state and others because they can file a court case for compensation which cannot be possible for the president due to his heavy duties.
The law also grants punishments to people denying genocide perpetrated against Bosnians in Srebrenica city in 1995 taking lives of more than 8,000 men and male children.
As Belgium Prime Minister, Charles Michel came to Rwanda at the beginning of April for the 25th commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, he promised the law was to be passed soon.
At the time, Prime Minister Michel said that ensuring that genocide never happens again is one of the ways to respect to genocide victims.
The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for the Fight Against Genocide (CNLG), Dr. Bizimana Jean Damascène has told IGIHE that the law comes in handy when there are some Rwandans living in Belgium involved in the denial of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
“We welcomed the decision which we have been requesting for. Belgium is one of few European countries which had no law against denial and trivialization of genocide against Tutsi. This would give room to people in the country denying and trivializing genocide using undermining words in books, public speeches, and social media and teach in school sometimes,” he said.
“I believe the law will deter people like Fillip Reytjens writing books used in universities, people like Twagiramungu denying the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi publically, associations like Jambo ASBL made of children of genocidaires supporting committed offenses and enable to bring anyone against this law to book,” added Dr. Bizimana.
The approved law is waiting for publication in the official gazette of the country to go into effect.
Belgium is home to over 40,000 Rwandans including genocide suspects.
The structures will be erected where Akagera Motors used to be, Ets. Verma, Mironko and Mukangira between Kigali City Mall (former Union Trade Center) and Kigali City Tower.
It is expected that Amarembo will be comprised of buildings extended on 120,000 square meters with commercial buildings, offices, entertainment, upper and ground parking, a hotel and pool among others.
The project was conceived in 2004 and was supposed to be executed as a joint investment but things did not turn right when some concerned investors changed mind and wanted to raise standalone buildings. The latter stalled the progress of the project expected to cost USD $ 120 million.
The waver left the latter divided into three projects resembling the previous one but aligning with Kigali city master plan. One of them retained the name of ‘Amarembo City Center’ to be built at former headquarters of Akagera Motors, a former place known as Chez Venant.
The second is Mironko project to be executed at the opposite side of Rubangura and Costa to be built in the opposite side of the city roundabout.
These projects with buildings made of 10 to 14 floors were expected to start in 2017 but the places remain idle until today.
The mayor of Kigali city, Marie Chantal Rwakazina has told IGIHE that the stalling of the project resulted from a misunderstanding between investors who failed to reach a consensus on raising the buildings together.
“It is one of the areas in which Rwandans and Kigali residents need to change mindsets. Some people still hold mindsets of erecting standalone buildings on their land yet the policy of making good usage of land requires changing it. The property should not be taken as fully owned when on the ground floor. It might be yours as an apartment at the second or the third floor. Such mindsets still cause problems,” she said.
Rwakazina revealed that discussions on the project were held last week and promising to bear fruits.
“It is promising to be fixed in collaboration with Rwanda Development Board. Talks gave us hope for consensus,” said Rwakazina.
IGIHE has learned that concerned parties have been conducting an investigation in private clinics and pharmacies from Muhanga district working with insurance companies.
The probe which is underway aimed at establishing clinics and pharmacies forging invoices to get extra-payments from insurance institutions.
The Mayor of Muhanga district, Béatrice Uwamaliya has told IGIHE that it led to the arrest of some suspects today.
“We have been informed of their arrest. We are aware that there has been an investigation to establish the truth on some clinics suspected to forge invoices,” she said.
This follows previous claims where genocide survivors demanded the raise from Rwf 7500 monthly living allowances claiming it was inadequate compared to market prices.
Speaking to IGIHE, one of the beneficiaries from Gasabo district Chantal Mukasekuru said: “Genocide left me handicapped. The monthly Rwf 7500 I receive is used to buy foodstuffs but doesn’t match with current market prices. I wish the allowances would be increased to Rwf 15, 000.”
Simeon Ngirinshuti another beneficiary from Bugesera district said: “We don’t even receive total transferred amount because SACCOs deduct monthly charges. It would be better if the allowances are increased.”
Emmanuel Munyangondo, the Director of Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation at FARG unveiled that the funds will be incremented in the next fiscal year.
“We discussed the problem with the management and established that Rwf 7500 per month is not enough. Beneficiaries will get Rwf 12500 allowances starting with the next fiscal year,” he said.
“The problem of service fees charged by SACCOs has been fixed. It will deduct the Rwf 500 so that a beneficiary can walk away with Rwf 12000,” added Munyangondo.
The support was used to buy 300 chickens, rehabilitate houses, buy food and catering for worker and veterinarians looking after the widows’ chickens.
Women Team Leader at Access Bank, Nadine Rutabayiro said that the bank intervened backing the project of these mothers who started with little savings and explained that Access Bank has other programs empowering women for progress through advisory services and training.
“Access Bank activities are not only limited to providing loans to women but also supports them in other areas. We will keep a closer collaboration with beneficiaries offering training and advisory services and identifying challenges faced in the projects to be supported,” she revealed.
The President of Humura Pe cooperative, Theresa Mugorewera lauded the support from Access Bank expected to boost welfare.
“We want to keep growing and expand so that we can support others. We shall work hard to sustain, expand this project and maximize benefits from it,” she said.
The president of Avega-Agahozo, Valerie Mukabayire lauded the support and observed that genocide survivors continue to rebuild 25 years after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Access Bank management and staff also visited the Ntarama genocide memorial in Bugesera district where they received explanations on how Tutsi in the surroundings were killed.
Ntarama memorial is home to 5,000 genocide victims.
The book launch took place at the Kigali Conference and Exhibition Village [KCEV].
‘Moi, le dernier Tutsi’translated as ‘I, the Last Tutsi,’ is a 187-page book featuring real-life experience the author endured during the genocide which left him orphaned after losing family.
Habonimana who was 12 during genocide saw his relatives killed in his face. During the genocide, he lived with Interahamwe and went with them as they attacked and killed Tutsi on different occasions.
He was born in former Mayunzwe sector, Tambwe commune in Gitarama Prefecture currently in Ruhango district, Southern Province.
He starts the book with a narration of how genocide began in the area ten days after killings of Tutsi had started in other parts of the country.
In the book, the author recalls names of victims killed on the hill in the area called ‘Nzaratsi’ currently nicknamed as ‘Calvary hill’ reflecting an old man Sebuyonde Leonard who was killed on it and put on the cross.
The author narrates how they kept hiding until Interahamwe took them to be killed at the Calvary hill.
This is where he got inspiration calling the first part of the book ‘Calvaire’ (Calvary).
Habonimana currently has 4 children. His father Célestin Ruhigira and his uncle were killed in before him while his mother Odette Mukankuranga and brothers were thrown in a toilet in his presence.
Habonimana dedicated part of pages of the book with a song as a way to reflect how his parents loved and trusted God.
“I reserved a large part of the book for a song because many of them were Christians and went to Heaven. My mother had faith in God in her life. She was thrown in a toilet singing ‘Nyiribambe ndaje unyakire’ (I am coming to you Merciful God) and ‘Nimukomere bagaragu ba Nyagasani’ (Be strong servants of the Lord) songs,” he told participants of the book launch.
“My mother had a Holy Bible. They deprived her of the Bible before she was thrown in the toilet. I got extreme sorrow because I wished she would die with her bible” added Habonimana.
On 64 and 65 pages, the author talks about the rape of women and depicts Inkotanyi as a soldier who sacrificed his life to stop it.
Habonimana said writing the book was meant to help future generations understand the history of the country.
“I will depart but testimonies will always exist. I preferred to write as a potential a living testimony to be used by the world in future centuries. I am sure that Charles will live forever because of the book,” he revealed.
Habonimana decided to write history after meeting Daniel Le Scornet in France when he was invited to provide testimonies.
Daniel Le Scornet from France in Argenteuil, author of different books including ‘Bisesero, Les Héros de la Résistance’ said that it was possible to stop genocide. “I know that French soldiers were present but did not intervene at the right time when their support was needed. There was a possibility to stop genocide,” he said.
{{Inspiration for the name ‘Moi, le dernier Tutsi’
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Habonimana got inspiration of the book’s name ‘Moi, le dernier Tutsi’ from the fact that he survived amidst being on the list of targeted Tutsi to be killed.
He said that on 23rd April 1994, Clotilda the wife of teacher Gerard became the first Tutsi killed in Mayunzwe.
The author explained that he lost his entire family on 24th April and left with her sister Uwanyirigira Yvonne.
After killings became intense in the area, his family fled to a friend called Kanyamashokoro but nieces of the host called Interahamwe to kill them.
“We were taken from the home to the Calvary hill. They killed my father and uncle with a truncheon hit. After seeing that I asked them to kill me at once with a machete hack. That request made me the last Tutsi. Sebuhuku who led Interahamwe during attacks said ‘I find someone we have been looking for. You remember that we agreed to find a female and a male Tutsi to be kept and killed later appropriately, hang them so that future generation will know how a Tutsi looked like’, ”recalled Habonimana.
Habonimana, 36, was the only one who survived at the Calvary hill and was taken by the leaders of Interahamwe attacks for domestic work.
The author thanked RPF Inkotanyi soldiers for rescuing him and asked everyone to take part in making Rwanda a safe country.
His book starts with portraying Rwanda as a hopeless country and concludes portraying the resilience journey and rebuilding of Rwanda.
The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for the Fight Against Genocide (CNLG), Dr. Jean Damascène Bizimana said others should emulate the initiative of Habonimana to write history on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and other persecutions endured before the genocide.
Moi, le dernier Tutsi is written in French and was released on 21st March 2019 in a ceremony that took place in Paris. It is expected to be translated into other languages to reach a wider audience.
The book is currently available at Kigali Genocide Memorial in Gisozi and in Ikirezi Library at a cost of Rwf 18,000.
The cowherds respectively aged 19, 24 and 20 have been seized in Bisizi cell, Nyakiriba sector of Rubavu district.
The executive secretary of Nyakiriba sector Bosco Tuyishime said they are going to tighten security to prevent such thefts.
“They have been caught butchering the cow. Similar cases were common five months ago but we are going to tighten security. We have handed the culprits to Rwanda Investigation Bureau, Kanzenze station,” he said.
The survey conducted by Western Province placed Rubavu on top of districts where a large number of Girinka cows were stolen in 12 years; 134 of 233 cows stolen in Western Province were from Rubavu district.
His death was known in the wee hours of this morning when residents on patrol saw his house on fire.
The Police spokesperson in Kigali city, CIP Marie Goretti Umutesi has told IGIHE that the man returned home around 4 am smoking tobacco which is suspected to have caused the fire.
“He passed by residents on patrol smoking tobacco as he returned home. Those who rushed for rescue found him dead. The mattress on which he was sleeping had caught fire on one side. It is suspected that the tobacco he was smoking might have caused the fire but the investigation is underway to establish the truth,” she said.
CIP Umutesi said other items in the house caught fire through the gas facility inside the house didn’t burst.
She warned people against smoking in bed.
Butare was living alone in the house away from his wife and children.
The promise was made yesterday during the official inauguration of 23 health posts completed in Nyagatare district by the Ministry of Health (MINSANTE) and different partners including Imbuto Foundation and Society for Family Health (SFH) Rwanda among others.
Each health post was completed at over Rwf 19 million (USD $ 22,000)
Emmanuel Nzabamwita one of the residents said they used to foot the journey for three hours to reach the nearest health center before the new health facility that some preferred to stay home.
“The health post comes to make access to health centers easy. We would walk at least three hours to reach the nearest health center. We used to spend a maximum of six hours along the journey. With this facility, no one will run out of health care again,” he said.
The Governor of Eastern Province, Fred Mufulukye said the war of bullets ended now the guns are aimed at war on poverty and fast-tracking development and decentralizing for good services delivery.
He requested residents to take advantage of services made available and promised completion of a health post within each cell by the end of this year.
“We have completed 23 health posts in addition to the 30 that existed before. We are going to build more 34 that will leave each cell having a health post by the end of this year,” said Mufulukye.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Diane Gashumba hailed partners for their role in building the health posts assuring that the Government will keep a close eye and provide all the necessary support so that residents get better health services.
“We request residents to subscribe for Mutuelle de Santé and seek health care from facilities made available,” she said.
Nyagatare district has one district hospital, 20 health centers, 53 health posts, 16 private clinics, and over 10 pharmacies.
