Author: IGIHE

Four people including the driver, rider, and two other people, who were aboard the vehicle, were also arrested.

The Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) in Muhanga, Sylvestre Twajamahoro, who is also the Police spokesperson for the Southern region, said that the two motorcycles RD 318F and RB 213V were intercepted in Rongi sector, Karambo cell with combined 12, 000 pieces of polythene bags.

“One rider identified as Jean Bosco Nshimiyimana, 25, was arrested but the other runaway abandoned the motorcycle and the polythene bags,” said CIP Twajamahoro.

The information was provided by residents and Police officers were deployed at about 1 pm when the traffickers were intercepted, the motorcycles and their illegal goods impounded.

In Burera District, a vehicle RAA 649G was intercepted in Gahunga Sector, Rwasa Cell with three sacks of non-biodegradable products.

The driver identified as Jean de Dieu Shingiro, 30, alongside two other men on board; Alexis Nshimiyimana, 28, and Clementine Nyirabazungu, 25, were taken into custody.

CIP Alexis Rugigana, the Police spokesperson for the Northern region, said that the vehicle was stopped in Mutara village along Cyanika-Musanze road, searched, and recovered the three sacks of polythene bags.

“The vehicle was intercepted at about 6 pm, traffickers didn’t disclose where they were coming from but said that they were taking the plastic bags to Kimisagara in Nyarugenge District in Kigali.”

Under article 10 of law N° 17/2019 of 10/08/2019 on the environment, any person, who imports plastic carry bags and single-use plastic items, is liable to the dispossession of those plastic carry bags and such items, and to an administrative fine equivalent to ten times of the value of those plastic carry bags and single-use plastic items.

In article 12, a retailer of plastic carry bags and single-use plastic items is liable to an administrative fine of Rwf300, 000 and dispossession of those plastic carry bags and such items.

The Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD) Plc is the first Bank in Rwanda to be rated by Fitch. In the past, Fitch has only rated the Sovereign (i.e. Government). Through this inaugural rating, Fitch has rated BRD as a B+ Stable outlook which is the same rating as the Government of Rwanda.

This underlines the Institution’s standing compared to the best banking standards and practices. The rating further validates the Bank’s recent improvements, growth prospects, and continued expected financial stability.

The rating will also play a major role in strengthening BRD’s capability to attract new strategic financial partners to enable it to play a more prominent role as the only development bank in Rwanda. One of the strategic objectives of BRD in the medium term is to increase its capacity to leverage longer term funding at attractive rates for economic actors in Rwanda.

BRD Management welcomed the news with great optimism. The CEO, Ms. Kampeta SAYINZOGA stated “We have come a long way and we are very encouraged by this rating which comes amidst tough times. Our rating is attributed to the strong support BRD has received from its shareholders to turn the Bank around in a very determined way.

The BRD team is working relentlessly to live up to the expectations of its shareholders and ensure productive use of capital. This rating will also be instrumental in supporting our upcoming effort to diversify our capital base in the medium term. It re-energizes our endeavours to deliver on our mandate to sustainably improve the socio-economic development of Rwandans.”

{{What are the key drivers for the rating?}}

BRD’s ratings reflect Fitch’s view of the current financial status of the Bank and the commitment of its majority shareholders (i.e. the Government of Rwanda) to position the Bank as a strategic vehicle to implement the National Strategy for Transformation (NST1) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). BRD is indeed expected to play a major role in driving Rwanda’s transformational economic agenda.

The Bank’s strategy has been assessed in this light and has been rated accordingly. As Rwanda’s sole development bank, it has been found by Fitch that its unique business model would be difficult to be replicated by other domestic financial institutions. BRD Plc is 97%- owned by the government, via the Agaciro Development Fund (Rwanda’s sovereign wealth fund, 55%) and the Rwanda Social Security Board (42%) and is overseen by the Ministry of Finance.

BRD has recently benefitted greatly from several capital injections which have strengthened its ability to deliver on its ambitious developmental objectives. The Bank is regulated by Rwanda’s Central Bank, and is subject to compliance with the prudential requirements, albeit with certain exemptions (in particular for asset quality, loan restructuring, and FX risk management).

Since 2016, BRD and its Stakeholders started initiating turnaround and transformation strategies that have concretely strengthened the Bank and contributed to its improving financial profile. The Bank’s performance has significantly improved with losses reduced by more than 77% in 2019 compared to the previous two years.

This performance has mainly been driven by the recovery efforts on the written off book and stopping the migration of good loans to bad loans which has made the Net impairment charge on loans and advances to significantly reduce by 31% compared to the previous year. The close monitoring of our customers has resulted into significant improvements of the Bank’s non-performing ratio that has dropped from 19.34% 2018 to 7.52% end 2019.

It is worth noting that BRD’s performance continues to be affected by relatively high funding costs and large FX translation losses due to its unhedged foreign currency funding. Measures are being taken by management to address these issues in consultation with the regulator. Like all policy banks, BRD has a higher risk appetite and finances emerging industry sectors and customers that commercial banks tend to view as “too risky”. Lending is typically longer term (average tenor in the book is 84 months) and on more favourable terms, including longer grace periods.

The narrated by a young Rwandan girl child in Kinyarwanda with English subtitles features an African girl child character taking us through steps in how every child can be a superhero in these times of coronavirus.

Maggie Korde, Save the Children, Country Director for Rwanda and Burundi: “Children have a vital part to play in awareness and prevention of COVID 19. They are not just passive recipients of aid and information. They are our superheroes. And as this animation shows, they can inform us, the adults in their lives, how to avoid, recognize and respond to COVID 19”.

The video is part of a range of child-focused interventions rolled out by save the children around the world to help the world’s most marginalized communities protect themselves during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We are working with urgency at this time with the Government of Rwanda and different actors to produce localized Information Education and Communication (IEC) materials that promote awareness and behavior change in COVID-19.” says Ms. Korde

Children and adults need access to reliable, age-appropriate information to understand and implement steps to keep themselves and their community safe from infection.

“A priority is to ensure that age-appropriate learning opportunities are created as we support the Ministry of Education/ Rwandan Education Board with messages for broadcast via radio, television, and other media. Our primary objectives in the coming months remain on ensuring program continuity and delivering on all our operations as much as possible, in the midst of this global crisis.”

Since the onset of the crisis, Save the Children teams around the world have been working to reach the most vulnerable and marginalized communities, to raise awareness of the risks of COVID-19 and ways to slow its spread, and in Rwanda, it has been no different.

In the letter, the leaders of that sector wrote to the Executive Secretaries of the Sectors said, “Based on the special plan to reduce travel in the city of Kigali to strengthen the fight against the spread of COVID-19, there are also residents who had an appointment with the doctors on different dates and did not have access to a vehicle to help them circulate.”

“I am writing this letter to ask help for patients who have appointments with the doctor to take them and bring them back to their homes,” reads the letter.

In an interview with IGIHE, the Executive Director of Gasabo District, Umwali Pauline says that they normally help patients, but it was not done everywhere which is why they asked them to do the same.

“The residents we help in providing food, today, might have a reason to go to the doctor, for their appointments, before they used to take a motorcycle, and today it’s not possible and they do not have any other means to go to the doctor,” she explained.

Umwali says that with the help of security vehicles, or vehicles of sector leaders, sick residents are brought to the hospitals.

“In the local administration, you cannot give food to someone and ignore them when they get sick, especially when there is a vehicle bought by the community,” she said.

Assistance to the needy can be provided by reaching out to the local authorities.

As the world continues to face the Coronavirus epidemic, Rwanda has taken steps to prevent its spread, where many activities have been suspended, residents are being urged to stay home, travel between regions and borders is closed.

As a result, senior government officials have agreed to dedicate April’s salaries to Rwandans to help them with their work affected by the COVID-19 epidemic.

To help customers who will not get paid including executives and other employees who have volunteered, BPR Plc, has set up a type of loan [personal Loan] where customers who sacrificed their salaries are allowed to borrow the same amount of money equal to his salary plus an additional amount [Lump sum] if they are paid employees.

The BPR management also explains that this loan is to keep in check people who will not be paid because they sacrificed their salary for them to fulfill their family responsibilities.

BPR also states that those who sacrificed their salaries and will not be able to repay the loans they were already paying, will be given one month without paying because it is known that they will not be paid.

This personal loan is repayable for up to 12 months depending on the will of the customer. BPR explains that this new loan the customer is given to repay it at the same rate as he or she was already repaying the loan he had. Those who do not have a loan are given a normal bank interest.

Requirements for those who sacrificed their April salary and need a loan are to write to BPR Plc at info@bpr.rw stating the names and requirements of the applicant. For those who are working in companies that have a problem in paying them these days, they are asking for months to postpone the repayment of the loan.

The employer can also write to BPR Plc, requesting that it help its employees who will not be able to repay the loan because it will not pay them. They should apply via email loanrestructures@bpr.rw requesting permission to not repay the loan within three months. For those who need more information call 1,500 for free.

RNP started using drones a fortnight ago in its public awareness and enforcement, to supplement other measures such as use of social media platforms and other media channels as well as Police vehicles mounted with public sound systems.

According to local leaders, Kigali dwellers and traders, drones have impacted on how people behave and exercise safer practices today in relation to preventing the spread of the virus.

“We used to go jogging every evening as a family, we didn’t know that it was also prohibited, but we heard the message on the drone which was hovering over our home,” said Charles Iyaremye from Kibagabaga.

Another resident from Nyirabwana in Kimironko, Clement Nyiridandi said that he heard about applying for movement clearance online, from the drone.

“It was previously a challenge to ensure that the message reaches some congested residential parts of Kimironko like Nyirabwana Village in Kibagabaga cell. Unnecessary movements and unsafe practices in shops, outdoor sports activities especially people jogging in the evening in Kibagabaga were common,” said Jean Sauveur Kalisa, the executive secretary for Kimironko sector.

He added: “Our vehicle mounted with public sound system couldn’t reach these areas because of roads. With the coming of drones, which are directed to such congested places, today we can say that these drones have made big impact; we rarely see these unnecessary movements out of homes, shops have also prevented customers from entering as they are served from outside where they stand in respect of social distancing; movements in groups involving people from the same family are also rare.”

The drones which have in-built mega sound speakers trek in the remote parts of Kigali, residential areas, markets and trading centres spreading the message on coronavirus.

According to RNP, messages are delivered depending on the situation in a specific area, where they are deployed.

“Drones main perform two duties; public awareness and enforcement. With in-built camera and sound speaker, a Police officer can communicate to people seen loitering on streets, in outdoor sports activities and those seen in unnecessary movements, to vacate and go back home immediately and where necessary officers are deployed to enforce the directives and arrested made, where necessary,” said RNP spokesperson, CP John Bosco Kabera.

Some bars located in remote parts of Kigali, whose owners had breached the directives, were identified by drones. In this period, all bars are closed.

“Our vehicles mounted with sound speakers had failed to reach these remote and inaccessible places because of roads, which used to be congested and with unnecessary movements, these prohibited practices have tremendously gone down,” he added.

He, however, urged the public not to leave their home to view the drones; avoid gather in large groups where drones are delivering the messages.

“Stay home; protect your life, your family and others. Apply for movement clearance online and use it for the intended purpose, avoiding gatherings, wear face masks and observe social distancing. These contribute to saving lives and facilitate national efforts against the pandemic.”

The contribution was received by the Honorable Minister of State in charge of Treasury, Richard Tusabe.

While handing over the contribution, Evelyn Kamagaju Rutagwenda, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Equity Bank Rwanda PLC, said that part of the grant was Rwf 500 million provided by the bank, board members and staff, while another Rwf 500 million was donated by the family of Dr. James Mwangi, CEO of Equity Group Holdings.

“We believe that the testing kits will boost the government’s commendable efforts to promptly diagnose COVID-19 cases and take the necessary measures to reduce the spread,” she said.

The Group Managing Director and CEO of Equity Group Holdings, Dr. Mwangi thanked Rwanda’s continued efforts to fight the epidemic, stressing that the cooperation with the government and various private sectors will lead to a swift response in the fight against COVID-19.

“Kindly accept my family contribution of 500 Million Rwanda Francs to boost Equity Bank Rwanda’s contribution towards the national initiative that the government of Rwanda has put in place in preventing the spread of COVID-19,” Dr. Mwangi said.

“The key to Africa’s success in tackling the global epidemic is the cooperation of the people and the government through its commitment to adherence to the programs and regulations set by the Government and the Ministries of Health,” he added.

Equity Bank Rwanda Plc’s CEO, Hannington Namara, said “Equity Bank Rwanda Plc empathizes with people who have unfortunately been infected with COVID-19 and with them a quick recovery. We are optimistic that our country will go back to normalcy much sooner.”

Equity Bank Rwanda continues to adhere to all the necessary preventive measures in place. During these difficult times, the bank continues to help its customers and non-customers stay at home and get the banking services they need 24/7 hours through their digital channels.

It has introduced various options including removing any costs associated with withdrawing money from the account and opening a new account without requiring anyone to go to the bank or approach an agent.

Equity Group shares operations in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and the DRC, and invests in activities including banking, insurance, auditing, infrastructure, and more.

The 100 families donated to the charity are worth 3 million Frw, which is normally addressed to the wider Cricket Association, including the players of the game, where each family received a grant worth 30,000 Frw.

RCA Director of Operations, Byiringiro Emmanuel said: “It is an activity we started by first looking at poor families in these days because we usually monitor their livelihoods and the cooperation of their parents. Many parents are starting to get our message across. We selected 100 families from different places, where our players play,”

“The most important thing is that we are committed and we work together. We have to try our best, we have the resource and can afford to give and make a difference.”

Since the lockdown started on March 21, 2020, the Government of Rwanda has begun to assist vulnerable families, with the assistance of various organizations or individuals.

The funds will be channeled through the Rwanda Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning COVID-19 Donation Fund to support Rwandans during this crisis.

“Collectively, we are experiencing one of the most challenging times in world history. Now more than ever we must stand together and provide support to those that urgently need it.” KCB Bank Rwanda MD George Odhiambo said.

“Despite the spread of this pandemic, we have seen unprecedented commitment and resolve from Government officials, particularly health workers who have ensured all necessary measures are taken for our safety. As KCB Bank, our participation in community aid is unwavering. This financial contribution is only a token of our support to Rwanda’s effort to eradicate COVID-19.” said Mr. Odhiambo.

KCB Bank Rwanda PLC is additionally providing several solutions for businesses to cushion the undoubted economic impact of this crisis. Customers have been provided with loan moratoriums of up to 3 months, as well as various short-term credit options.