Author: IGIHE

Komeza was sworn in for the position along with other entrants at the Ombudsman’s Office on 18th July 2018

The spokesperson of the Ombudsman’s Office, Jean Pierre Nkurunziza has told IGIHE that they have reports accusing Komeza of having received a bribe at the institution where he used to work.

His files have been transferred to the prosecution and will be taken to court in the near future as expected.

“He is suspected to have received the bribery at the time he served as a policeman. We were not aware that he was a policeman it was not included in his CV. We then started investigations to establish the truth,” said Nkurunziza.

“Investigations on the circumstances in which he received the bribery are underway and more facts will be established later. Professionally, it is understandable that there is a reason behind when someone conceals details in the CV,” he added.

He explained that the investigation is underway to establish why he left the police and not pursued for the crime before.

A convict of corruption crime is liable to a sentence of between 7 to 10 years of imprisonment.

Tibor is in Rwanda as part of his visit to four African countries including Rwanda. The visit aims to strengthen the US’s commitment to the people and nations of Africa by engaging African youth in US-Africa trade relations and partnerships to strengthen peace and security.

“Today, young Africans, especially young Rwandans, are as connected and linked as their global counterparts. They aspire to the same goals: a quality education, a well-paid job, a good house, and a way to give back to their parents,” he said.

“This trip is a phenomenal opportunity for me to interact with young people like you. I tell everyone I speak to, from Heads of State to journalists, businessmen, 0and civil society, that mobilizing young Africans is the key to unlocking sustainable prosperity on the continent,” added the diplomat.

Tibor, an American diplomat who has been in Africa for 22 years, told students that one of his country’s priorities was to harness the potential of Africa’s young population to spur Africa’s economic growth and create real prosperity.

He pointed out that during his career he had many interactions with African students, claiming that they were the brightest and most innovative students he had ever met.

“The question for you is how to harness the talent and entrepreneurship of young Africans as a driver of prosperity and stability?” He asked.

The diplomat stressed that they were eager to invest in education in Africa, as evidenced by the US-Rwandan partnership in education, which allowed the creation of academic institutions such as CMU Africa.

CMU Africa was born eight years ago from a partnership between Rwanda and Carnegie Mellon University based in Pittsburgh, USA. It remains the only American research university to offer its master’s degree with full-time operations in Africa.

Ruyenzi is currently leading a contingent of 160 Rwandan peacekeepers deployed as part of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

Via its twitter wall, the UN said policewomen such as Rwandan Teddy Ruyenzi, play a crucial role in UN peacekeeping missions around the world, especially in societies where women are discriminated.

The contingent Ruyenzi heads is 50 percent female and 50 percent male.
She said Rwanda has the largest number of women soldiers in UN peacekeeping missions around the world.

“Working professionally where we fight gender-based violence, patrolling and many more sets us apart from other peacekeepers,” she said, referring to Rwandan peacekeepers encouraging more women to join the Rwandan National Police.

The Applicant argues that the elections that were held in the absence of the Honourable Members of the Republic of Burundi and the United Republic of Tanzania are in violation of the fundamental Principles of the Community under Articles 6 (d), 7 and 57 (1) and Rule 12 (1) of EALA Rules of Procedure.

The matter came before Honourable Judges Lady Justice Monica Mugenyi (Principal Judge), Justice Dr. Faustin Ntezilyayao (Deputy Principal Judge), Justice Fakihi A. Jundu, Justice Dr. Charles Nyawello and Justice Charles Nyachae.

Mr. Nestor Kayobera, the Counsel representing Burundi, submitted to court that the election of the Speaker of EALA is governed by the EAC Treaty and the Assembly’s Rules of procedure and that Article 9 (4) of the Treaty obligates Organs and Institutions of the Community to perform the functions and act within the limits of the powers conferred upon them by the Treaty.

Mr. Kayobera also contended that the issue of quorum is a Treaty obligation under Article 57 and rule 12 (1) of EALA Rules of Procedure which provides that; The quorum of the House or of the Committee of the Whole House shall be half of the elected Members and such quorum shall be composed of at least one third of the elected Members from each Partner State”. He argued that the violation of the rule on quorum entails a violation of the Treaty.

The Counsel further submitted that on 19th December 2017, the Speaker of EALA was elected without the Members from Burundi and Tanzania hence a violation of the principles of good governance and Rule of Law. Mr. Kayobera also argued that Article 23 of the Treaty provides powers to the Court as the judicial organ to ensure adherence to law in the interpretation and application of and compliance of the Treaty.

Summing up his submissions, Mr. Kayobera said that the Speaker of EALA was not elected in accordance with the Treaty and the Rules of the Assembly and therefore asked the Court to order re-election in accordance to the Treaty and rules of the Assembly. Mr. Kayobera appeared with Mr. Vyzigiro Diomede, State Attorney in the Attorney General’s Office Burundi.

Dr. Anthony Kafumbe, representing the Secretary-General (Respondent), on his part, submitted that the election of the Speaker was done under Part III of the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly. He further submitted that under Part III of EALA Rules of procedure, Rule 6 (9) (c) on the election of the Speaker, it is not mandatory for every member to vote, hence the Members of Burundi and Tanzania had liberty not to vote. Rule 6 (9) (c) states that; “After all Members who wish to vote have voted, the Clerk shall in full view of the Members present, empty the ballot box and immediately count the ballot paper contained in it”.

He also argued that the issue of a quorum does not apply, that it only applies when the house is duly constituted. He, therefore, submitted that there was no illegal election process, that the Speaker was elected under relevant provisions of the Rules of procedure of the Assembly and that the election process did not violate the Treaty.

Dr. Kafumbe further submitted that as Article 9 of the Treaty obligates the Organs and Institutions of the Community, the Assembly acted within its mandate and in accordance with its rules of procedure.

Dr. Kafumbe also contended that Members of the Assembly have accepted the Speaker and a lot of business is going on and therefore, it would not be helpful to nullify the election and order fresh election.

Dr. Kafumbe also took issue with the Affidavits sworn by the Applicant’s Counsel on the basis of information relayed to him by EALA’s Members from the Republic of Burundi and submitted that the Court should reject the said affidavits as evidence since Counsel was not a witness and could not even have been a witness and a Counsel at the same time; the impugned affidavits ought to have been sworn by Burundi’s Members of EALA, he argued.

In light of his submissions, Dr. Kafumbe prayed that the Reference is dismissed with costs to the Respondent. Dr. Kafumbe was accompanied by Ms. Brenda Ntihinyurwa, a Legal expert in the Office of the Counsel to the Community.

The Intervener, Hon. Fred Mukasa Mbidd,e represented by Mr. Donald Deya, Mr. Justin Semuyaba and Mr. Nelson Ndeki in court, associated their submissions with the Respondent and asked the Court not to grant the orders sought by the Applicants.

The Court will deliver the judgment on notice.

The deceased was identified as Mutuyimana Anselme, a 30-Year- old who had gone missing for three months.

According to Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Innocent Gasasira, the Police spokesperson for the Western region, investigations into the killing are ongoing.

The body which was found by an Intersec Security (ISCO) Officer around 6 Am, was found without bruises.

The mood was somber at the home of Anselme Mutuyimana as the family was told of the news.

The deceased’s elder brother, Augustin Tubanambazi, who is also Mukungu Village Chief, said that it had been three months since Mutuyimana had been at home, but that he had called them on March 08th, 2019, saying that he would come to visit the family.

Mutuyimana’s body was found around Gishwati Forest and was later taken to the Hospital for post-mortem as investigations get underway. He was born in Cyivugiza Cell, Nyabirasi Sector in Rutsiro District.

On a slightly chilly Friday night (March 8); the flight SN467 landed in Kigali from Brussels around 7:20 Pm before continuing off to Entebbe. From pilots to cabin crew, engineers to load controllers and flight dispatchers, the flight was operated by women. This highlighted the integral role played by Brussels Airlines’ female workforce.

Brussels Airlines’ Country Manager in Rwanda, Coline Everard, observed that the event was an opportunity to raise awareness on Gender equality in the Aviation Industry.

“Although 51.7% of our workforce is female, you’ll find that some positions like pilots still have few women, being 10.2% of the company’s pilots. Thus, today was an occasion to raise awareness about gender inequality in Europe as well as in Africa,” Everald said

Everald who is also the first women Country Manager of the Airlines in Rwanda said that she was proud to represent other women, especially in a country that is earnest to see gender equality and women empowerment.

First Officer Katty Wellekens echoed Ms. Everald’s remarks, saying that women should believe in themselves and their dreams. ‘Piloting is for women too, not only men.’

Brussels Airlines advocates equal rights between men and women and – from a broader perspective – a more inclusive world in general.

“I really feel equal to my male colleagues at work and I actually don’t really think about it that much. Never have I had the feeling that I couldn’t go forward with my career because I’m a woman. Although there are moments when it looks like I have a very different approach to some things, that just seems appreciated. No matter if you are a boy or a girl, man or a woman, every job is made for everybody, as long as you love what you do!” said Isabelle Careme – Cabin repair Technician at Brussels Airlines.

The Airline, which is very visible in Africa, strives to support all employees, men, and women, to ensure that every colleague can reach their full career potential while maintaining a good work-life balance.

“Gender inequality denies women and girls much-needed access to health services. When we developed Rwanda’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) framework, we were mindful of creating gender-centric policies that address barriers in women’s right to health care,” said Hon. Rwakazina.

The closing plenary also saw the official launch of the Women in Global Health Africa Regional Hub, a platform that aims to bring gender equality to global health leadership.

The conference concluded with the release of an official communiqué, providing a blueprint for achieving UHC in Africa. In the declaration, African health leaders called for an increase in domestic financing and greater political prioritization for evidence-based, cost-effective solutions that would expand access to quality health services and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Eleven parliamentarians from Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, and Zambia also launched the ‘Kigali UHC communiqué’, committing to strengthen health systems, address health inequities, support community health and ensure universal access to immunization to drive progress on UHC in their countries.

“We are delighted at the diverse participation of leaders from across sectors and are thankful for their contributions to improving health care in Africa. The conference communiqué, released today, calls for increased political commitment to financing UHC, an investment in Africa’s future health workforce, and accountability and inclusion mechanisms allowing people to make their voices heard,” said Dr. Githinji Gitahi, Group CEO, Amref Health Africa.

The 3-day conference was co-hosted by Rwanda’s Ministry of Health and Amref Health Africa, to discuss the progress made toward UHC in Africa and accelerate indigenous solutions to address some of the continent’s greatest health challenges. The conference brought together over 1,500 participants, including health ministers, the private sector and civil society leaders, representatives from multilateral organizations, media and vital voices from 49 countries.

On the first day of the conference, President Paul Kagame received the “UHC Presidential Champion” award for his relentless political leadership and accountability to advance UHC in Rwanda and serving as an example for the region. In the past few years, Rwanda has significantly improved its focus on health care and managed to bring 90% of its population under the popular community-based insurance scheme. “Thank you Amref Health Africa for this recognition, on my behalf and on behalf of the people of Rwanda. We owe this progress to partners like you who have joined forces with us in our journey to deliver a dignified and healthy life for all Rwandans,” said President Kagame.

Health ministers from Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda also shared their countries’ progress on UHC at the meeting and reaffirmed commitment to achieve UHC by 2030, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. “I am thankful to my counterparts and political leaders from other countries who have participated in this very important conference. Africa stands at a critical juncture on the path to universal health coverage – it is crucial that we view health system strengthening, expansion of health coverage and improvements in quality of care not as a cost to our nations, but as an investment for the future,” said Hon. Dr Diane Gashumba, Minister of Health, Rwanda.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), a sponsor of the conference, brought together leaders from government, NGOs and the private sector, to discuss harnessing the role of community health workers to achieve UHC. In the last six years, GSK has reinvested 20% of its profits generated in the least developed nations. This has helped support the training of 40,000 health workers and reached 11 million people across 35 countries with improved access to healthcare.

The conference consisted of scientific tracks, main plenaries, thematic symposia and interactive workshops on important topics including financing of quality health services, ensuring access to health services in conflict-affected countries and regions, and the centrality of primary health care in the UHC agenda.

The Africa Health Agenda International Conference (Africa Health 2019) is an African-led global convening, bringing together diverse stakeholders to address how Africa can accelerate progress toward UHC and to collectively chart a course forward, from commitment to action.