Author: IGIHE

The suspect identified as Pascal Musana was apprehended on November 20, in Mukura Sector, Rango Cell in Mpaza Village after residents informed law enforcers about his illicit conduct.

Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Twizere Karekezi, the Police spokesperson for the Southern Province, said the suspect was apprehended by residents, who handed him over to Police
“Musana was trying to buy clothes in Rango market and he paid a fake not Rwf5, 000. The would-be victim noticed that the note was counterfeit and she immediately called people who were standing there but also called the Police,” CIP Karekezi said.

“Residents apprehended Musana as he tried to flee; when they checked him they recovered other fake notes amounting to Rwf95,000. They handed him over to Police and exhibits,” added CIP Karekezi.

Twenty notes were in the denomination of Rwf5, 000 while 30 others were of Rwf1, 000.
The spokesperson thanked the would-be victim for the vigilance. He also commended the residents for exercising their community policing rights to ensure that the suspect is apprehended and brought to justice.

According to article 269 of the penal code, upon conviction, the suspect is liable to imprisonment to a term of imprisonment not less than five years but not more than seven years.

The Spokesperson of the Traffic and Road Safety Department at Rwanda National Police, Supt. Jean Marie Vianney Ndushabandi says the driving licenses have not been issued as the Police is reviewing the online data system.

“It is being done. The digital system is being changed which has delayed issuance of the driving permits to the applicants,” says Supt. Ndushabandi.

Applicants of driving permits have at different platforms expressed their dismay over the delayed issuance of their driving licenses which they say have already paid for.

Antoine Muhizi sat and passed the car driving test for category B and paid the required fees in January but is yet to receive the license.

“It is sad. Imagine passing a driving test, expecting to get a license so that you look for a job but then you lose out because you have not yet got the driving license despite having passed the test and paid for it,” laments Muhizi.

KIC is a flagship, pan-African project whose final value could approach $2 billion. It will house international universities, technology companies, biotech firms, and commercial and retail real estate in an area of 70 hectares. As a key component of the government’s Vision 2020 development program, KIC aims to attract technology companies from all over the world to Rwanda to create an innovation ecosystem and further a knowledge-based economy. It is located in the Kigali Special Economic Zone in Gasabo District.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister, Dr. Ngirente hosted Ebobissé, and they discussed speeding up the implementation of the Kigali Innovation City, which will be done in partnership between the government of Rwanda Rwanda and Africa50.
Dr. Ngirente later tweeted:

“I have had a productive meeting with Mr. Alain EBOBISSE, CEO of Africa50. We deeply discussed how to speed up the implementation of the Kigali Innovation City Project, a joint development partnership between the Rwandan Government and Africa 50.”

In July Africa50 signed an agreement with the Republic of Rwanda to develop and finance a “Digital Innovation Precinct”, including commercial and retail complexes, as part of Kigali Innovation City (KIC).

The signing ceremony took place in Johannesburg, South Africa during the Africa Investment Forum.

Honorable Edouard Ngirente said that: “Kigali Innovation City will be an Africa-focused innovation hub and a holistic ecosystem of technology clusters. This innovative effort is the first of its kind in the continent. It will have Pan-African development impact both in terms of economic and human capital. The considerable amount of work has been done in collaboration with the Rwanda Development Board, Africa50 and other partners. The full success of this project requires concerted efforts to mobilize more private investors.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Africa50 was appointed co-sponsor and partner of the project. It will apply its project development, financial structuring, and infrastructure development expertise, working alongside the Rwanda Development Board and other partners during the development phase. It will also help select additional partners, including other development finance institutions and private sector lenders, for the construction.

KIC should create over 50,000 jobs and generate $150 million in ICT exports annually, as well as attracting over $300 million in foreign direct investment. Over 2600 students are expected to graduate annually from its universities over 30 years, adding to Rwanda’s and Africa’s pool of tech-savvy entrepreneurs.

Take an example of con men who call people on phone telling them they have won money or got them remedies to poverty.

The said con men usually call people saying they work for local telecommunication companies telling victims that they won a given amount of money in a lottery or by chance.
They sometimes tell the receiver that his/her number was chosen as an ardent client.

When the receiver shows interest or is convinced, they go on telling him to follow regulations so as to be sent money they won but with the aim of getting money by false pretense from them.

As he addressed members of the media last week, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dan Munyuza said that sometimes con men are mistaken and call his number.

He was giving examples on impersonation, forgery and falsification, crimes that are rampant nowadays.

“They call me also saying ‘I know you have a problem of which remedy I have got. You won some prizes, can you please come and become very rich as soon as possible? When we get to catch them, we arrest them and they are punished,” said IGP Munyuza.

“They even call my number. When you accept to talk to them, they ask you to first send them some cash on Mobile Money platforms. These issues are rampant. I would advise those involved in that illicit business to stop it because those who have so far bee arrested are so many,” he added.

In June 2015, the Nyamirambo Primary Court sentenced to five years in jail a man who had been arrested for impersonating Rwanda’s former Defense Minister James Kabarebe on Facebook.

One Jacques Mugema allegedly managed to dupe some people that he was Minister Kaberebe and successfully collected money from some with promises of attending to their issues expeditiously. The money would be deposited on a mobile money account he claimed belonged to the ‘secretary’.

In October 2017, a man masqueraded as the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation and EAC affairs, Amb. Olivier Nduhungirehe and asked money from people in his name.

He told one of the victims that the Government had planned a Rwf15 billion for Rwandans living in the diaspora with income generating projects and borrowed from him the money to help his relative.

In February this year, somebody who used the telephone number registered in the names of Justin Mulisa used to call people and tell them he is the Headmaster of Lycée Notre Dame de Citeaux School and requested from them the money for his brother’s burial.

The hotel that is part of Marriott International, was appreciating its customers for having chosen it as their preferred hotel and having accepted to become its partners.

The ceremonies that marked ending the Global Customer Appreciation Week were held on Friday evening, November 16th this year in the annually celebrated party known as “Global Customer Appreciation Cocktail.”

Different partners of Kigali Marriott Hotel including tour companies and corporate bookers were welcomed with beautiful ballroom set up to celebrate with the hotel team alongside many options of both food and beverages. It was also marked as the official launch of their Meetings Imagined concept.

The Director of Sales and Marketing at Kigali Marriott Hotel, Victoria N. Obiakor told IGIHE that the Global Customer Appreciation Cocktail is held in a bid to show appreciation to its clients and partners in its hotels around the world.

“Last week, we went into different areas where we found our customers and thanked them with gifts, breakfast boxes and framed certificates of appreciation. This evening comes as the last day of activities we have done as we appreciated our customers for their continued partnership and thanking them for their continued patronage. #Marriottsaysthx.” she said.

Victoria N. Obiakor added that the cocktail was an opportunity to show customers the innovations Kigali Marriott Hotel has now got for clients planning exceptional meetings or trainings generally known as Meetings Imagined. In organizing fast meetings and conferences, the team tailor makes concepts to fit the meeting agenda hence delivering enjoyable and relevant services to their customers.

Aparna Ramakrishnan works for Rickshaw Travel, a tour company. She shared it was her second time attending the ceremony aimed at appreciating Kigali Marriott Hotel’s customers.

She went on to say that most Rickshaw Travel partners and clients enjoy staying at Kigali Marriot Hotel mostly because it is conveniently located in the city center; it also provides exceptionally good services.

The Marketing Manager at Rwandair who was one of the major partners of the event, Audrey Kazera, revealed that they chose to take part in the event as it attracts so many people who usually work with the Rwanda National carrier.

“Hotels contribute to our good service delivery because all the people returning to the country from abroad, foreigners coming to the country including tourists, traders need somewhere to stay. Working with Kigali Marriott Hotel is a win-win for us as they provide people with accommodation and we also provide them transport services with their belongings.” She said.

Some participants at the ‘Global Customer Appreciation Cocktail’ won prizes including restaurant meals, spending two unpaid nights in some of the most expensive rooms of the hotel as well as its sister properties in Africa, access to Kigali Marriott Hotel Saray Spa services with two tickets to and from Nairobi that were gifted by Rwandair packaged with a Nairobi based Marriott property to stay in for two nights.

{{Kigali Marriott Global Customer Appreciation Week Closure in Pictures
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The all-out campaign targeted mainly pedestrians, passengers, taxi-moto operators and cyclists who are deemed to have a stake in preventing road accidents.

RNP leadership, provincial governors, district mayors, and other partners educated various groups of road users on road safety.

While addressing passengers at Giti cy’inyoni along the Kigali-Huye highway, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dan Munyuza, who was accompanied by the Mayor of City of Kigali, Marie Chantal Rwakazina urged them to consider safety first.

“You have the primary responsibility to ensure drivers abide by traffic rules. Don’t let them put your life at risk. You have the right to stop the driver and get out when you feel his behavior like over speeding, using the phone or when drunk is putting your life on the edge. It should be your life first,” he told passengers.

He also urged them to always call the Police whenever a driver or motorcyclist is using the road in a “deadly manner,” adding that it will help to respond before such “irresponsible behaviors lead to injuries and loss of lives.”

Kigali City Mayor Marie Chantal Rwakazina said that they continue to work with RNP and other agencies like Rwanda Transport Development Agency (RTDA) to “increase visibility of traffic signs on roads to guide all groups of road users on safety.”

Pedestrians were also urged to use pedestrian pathways and zebra crossing and to be very sure when crossing the road in areas where there are no crossing lines.

However, some of the passengers accuse bus drivers of over-speeding and refusing to slow down, according to Francoise Mukayisenga, a passenger in the City of Kigali.

“This campaign is useful because at least, it will make drivers understand that we, passengers, have the right and value of being driven as we want. There are those you ask to slow down and they ignore you or request you to get out of the taxi,” she says.

The campaign was also characterized by putting stickers on vehicles and motorcycles as well as giving flyers to passengers with road safety rules and contacts to report any reckless use of the road or in case of an accident.

Traffic statistics between January and September 2018 indicate that motorcyclists account for 56 percent, pedestrians 50 percent while bicycle taxis account for 36 percent.
At least 437 fatalities and 662 injuries were recorded in the same period.

World Health Organization (WHO), ranks road accidents eighth among the commonest causes of deaths, claiming more than 1.2 million lives annually, of who 60% are in Sub-Saharan countries.