The ceremony took place on Wednesday midnight at Calabar International Conference Centre in Cross River State in Nigeria. The competition was attended by 25 girls from different countries.
Miss Africa 2017, Gaseangwe took home $35,000 and a Ford Edge Sport Utility Vehicle as her star prize.
First runner-up Muthoni pocketed $10,000 while South African Luyolo Mngonyama received $5,000 as the second runner-up.
Muthoni had also emerged third runner-up at Miss Rwanda 2015.
The theme of the event was ‘Climate Change and Migration’ which was chosen to create awareness on the need to protect the environment and caution African youth against illegal migration.
The ceremony was entertained by different famous artists including Neza from Rwanda, Mafikizolo from South Africa, Vanessa Mdee from Tanzania, Tekno and Runtown from Nigeria.
Police paraded all suspects yesterday in Rusarabuye Sector of Burera during the outreach exercise that attracted top government officials with the aim to sensitize population on owning and strengthening community policing efforts to combat drug related crimes.
Inspector General of Police, IGP Emmanuel K. Gasana said that one drug dealer died during the operation as a result of trying to fight security organs.
“Since this operation started, one person died trying to fight security officers. We continue to urge Rwandans not to get involved in drug dealership,” he said.
Different sorts of drugs were seized in Burera at the borders of Rwanda and Uganda. Among them include illicit gins and cannabis among others all worth about Rwf11 million.
Gasana said that they have mapped out about 80 routes between Nyagatare and Burera districts used by traffickers and crackdown operations have been intensified.
Minister of Local Governance, Francis Kaboneka said that measures have been strengthened following President Paul Kagame’s call at the recent National Dialogue Council (Umushyikirano) to step up efforts against drugs.
Kaboneka called upon residents to avoid using drugs because they hamper the country’s development.
“We cannot continue the journey to development when we still have people using drugs. Drugs and development are different things that cannot get along the same way,” he said.
Chairman of Standing Committee on Political Affairs and Gender in Parliament, Alfred Kayiranga said Thursday morning that defamation has been removed from the draft law determining offences and penalties in general.
As the committee tabled before the Lower House plenary sitting the report on the review of the Penal Code, Kayiranga said that some articles were dropped as the committee found them fitting into civil laws.
“Like some other articles, defamation should not be criminalised. We have removed it from this draft law,” he said.
The current Penal Code states that anyone found guilty of defamation shall face a jail term of six to 12 months and a fine of Rwf1 million to Rwf5 million.
However, Article 169 of the proposed Penal Code indicates that when convicted, one is liable to a jail term of not less than two years but not exceeding three years and a fine of not less than Rwf3 million but not exceeding Rwf5 million.
Though defamation was dropped from the proposed Penal Code, MP Emmanuel Mudidi opposed the move saying the House should revisit this article because scrapping it would pose many consequences. To him, defamation is a big offense that should be considered in the law.
Kayiranga explained that, like defamation, many other points were left out for political interests.
“There are some articles that were removed from Rwanda’s Penal Code draft for political interests and respect of human rights. This doesn’t imply that these offences will not be penalised, but they will go into civil laws or in laws regulating media,” he explained.
{{Good news to journalists}}
Tightening penalties on defamation in Penal Code amendments had sparked debate and media practitioners had recently raised voices against the article saying that it would undermine freedom of expression.
Executive Secretary of Rwanda Journalists Association, Gonzague Muganwa had said that defamation contradicts journalistic ethics under the article two of media ethics and, therefore, should not be in Penal Code.
He said that breach of media ethics should be handled by media self-regulatory body.
Early this month, the media fraternity had convened in a consultative meeting and agreed to file a petition to parliament stating their position that defamation should be scrapped from the Penal Code under review and be handled as a civil matter.
In the legal notice dated December 28, Dr Mailu warned that anyone found contravening the control of shisha smoking rules will be “liable to a fine not exceeding Sh50, 000, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or to both.”
{{Fine}}
If the offence, contravention or default is of a continuing nature, a further fine not exceeding Sh1, 000 for each day it continues will be imposed as contemplated in section 163 of the Public Health Act.
“No person shall import, manufacture, sell, offer for sale, use, advertise, promote, facilitate or encourage shisha smoking in Kenya,” reads part of the notice.
Confirming the legal notice, Director of Medical Services Jackson Kioko said: “Our decision for the ban is informed by all aspects…from social to health and is also guided by scientific evidence of the negative impact of smoking shisha.”
This ban makes Kenya the third East African country to ban shisha smoking after Tanzania and Rwanda.
Other countries which have banned shisha are Pakistan, Jordan, Singapore and Saudi Arabia.
{{Tobacco}}
Shisha includes tobacco products that may be flavoured or non-flavoured that are consumed using a single or multi-stemmed smoking instrument that contains water or other liquid through which the smoke passes before reaching the smoker and which the smoke passes before reaching the smoker and whose syrup tobacco content includes molasses, honey vegetable, glycerol and fruit flavours including apple, grape, lemon and mint.
The World Health Organisation recently revealed that smoking shisha poses grave health risks as the smoke of 100 or more cigarettes is inhaled in a single session.
“Cigarette smokers typically take eight to 12 cigarettes with a 40 to 75 millimetre puffs and inhale 0.5 to 0.6 litres of smoke. [This is] unlike shisha-smoking sessions which typically last 20 to 80 minutes, during which the smoker may take 50 to 200 puffs which range from about 0.15 to 1 litre each.”
{{Source: The Nation}}
She said that many young people engage in using drugs for the curiosity to explore what is behind using them.
Mbabazi was speaking in a televised talk show on the national broadcaster, RBA, on Sunday. The talk show revolved around consequences of drugs and the state of drug abuse in Rwanda.
She said that youth top users of drugs as Police statistics point out.
“Drugs are a matter of concern at the international level and, in Rwanda, we are not an island that cannot be affected. The majority of users are youth as they are in ages where they have curiosities. Statistics from Police show that old people using them are 5,000 but youth between 18 and 35 years are 16,000, whereas those below 18 are around 3,000,” she said.
Mbabazi said that a research conducted in 2011 on 2,400 youth indicated that 52% tried to use drugs once in their life and can retry. According to the research, 4% of them were completely drug addicted.
“That is why Rwanda established the center for rehabilitation and restoration of those youth drug users,” she added.
Isaac Munyakazi, State Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, said that drug abuse is an alarming matter among the youth.
“This is a matter of concern. Considering our vision for a knowledge-based economy, drugs are hampering the knowledge we provide to our youth,” he said.
Munyakazi said that Government is continuously imposing penalties against drug users, dealers and traffickers in order to fight the vice.
He added that any student found using drugs is immediately dismissed from school and sent to rehabilitation center so that they do not affect others.
With 250 members, each member contributed Rwf20,000 in the cooperative named ‘Ikoranabuhanga n’Iterambere bigera kuri buri wese’ loosely translated as Inclusive Technology and Development. The three month-old cooperative operates from Kigali downtown opposite M.Peace Plaza building.
Speaking to the media at the official opening of the shop on Wednesday, president of the cooperative, Isaie Hakizimana said that getting 250 vendors off the streets will close the market for stolen electronics.
“We will do this business legally and will improve transparency as all phones will be registered on the owners’ identity before they are sold,” he said.
Théogène Ngendahimana, a member of the cooperative said they are ready to jointly end street vending by selling recognized commodities with the main purpose of development.
He said they expect much profit from the new shop with security at the forefront.
“The first profit is security, most of us used to be suspicious of buying stolen products which could lead usto jail,” he said.
The Director of Good Governance in the City of Kigali, Damascène Kanamugire hailed former street vendors for the idea saying that no development can be attained unless people abide by laws and contribute to security sustainability.
“You are going to operate legally. A good Rwandan operates in transparency, truthfulness and abides by the laws,” he said.
Within the three months of operations, the cooperative members have recovered and handed to Police different electronics including 24 smartphones, 20 mobile phones and eight laptops, all worth Rwf3.6 million.
MTN, which returned to profit in the first half of its financial year in the absence of one-off charges related to a $1.1 billion Nigerian fine, said the assignment of the loan to IHS will lead to a loss of 2.8 billion rand ($228 million) on transfer of the carrying value of the loan.
The loss on transfer will impact headline earnings per share (HEPS) for 2017, the main profit measure in South Africa that strips out certain one-off items, but not earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), the firm said.
MTN said the loan, which is due in 2024/2025, will allow its Nigerian unit to continue to invest in its network and simplify MTN’s interests in IHS.
“The agreement will enable MTN and IHS to mutually benefit from continued investment and commitment to the rollout of broadband and data services in Nigeria,” MTN said in a statement.
MTN formed a joint venture partnership with specialist tower company IHS in 2014 to own and operate MTN’s transmitter towers in Nigeria.
IHS has operations in Nigeria, Cameroon, Cote d‘Ivoire, Rwanda and Zambia.
The group is detained at Nalufenya, a high profile police detention facility in Jinja District.
Police spokesperson Emilian Kayima has said that their investigations have pointed out to a number of offences committed by the group.
“They were arrested at the border traveling with forged documents and fake identities. Two suspects were arrested in Kampala and are their collaborators,”Kayima said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.
“These individuals are not innocent. Police has found out that they are culpable of more serious offences other than forgery including terrorism.”
The group through their lawyers last week filed a complaint before Jinja Chief Magistrate’s court citing detention for more than the 48 hours mandatory by the law adding that they should be brought before court and charged.
However in response, the police mouthpiece said in a statement that investigations into their case have been completed but noted that the delay in arraigning the suspects before courts of law has been occasioned by the festive season .
“The team has completed investigations ,pending perusal and prosecution by the DPP .The delay in court has been to a large measure due to festive season.”
Kayima however noted that the group’s detention at Nalufenya is legal because it is a gazetted place of detention for high profile suspects.
According to the police publicist, the crimes committed by the group happened in various parts of the country and that no one region has complete jurisdiction over them.
“Moreover being a large number involved in the same offences it is more convenient to and efficient to manage them in one place.”
He however denied that the 45 suspects are refugees from Nakivale refugee camp, adding that they are Rwandan national who migrated to Uganda and have been living in various parts of the country .
These developments come at a time when the relationship between Uganda and her neighbour in the South West, Rwanda is frosty following allegations of kidnap of Rwandan dissidents and repatriated to be handed over to the Kigali government to face a number of charges.
Nine people including senior police officers are currently facing related charges for kidnapping and repatriating Lt.Joel Mutabazi, a former bodyguard to Rwandan president Paul Kagame to Rwanda in 2013.
They are facing charges before the General Court Martial in Makindye.
The Governor made the remarks recently while addressing about 1000 people including sector and cell executive secretaries, and village leaders from the sectors of Muhoza, Cyuve, Musanze and Kimonyi.
The Governor urged them to put much effort in fighting illicit drugs and child pregnancies.
“Drug abuse is a high impact crime and a security threat that should be given emphasis to fight it,” Gatabazi said.
He hinted on security issues related to domestic conflicts, sexual assault resulting into child and unwanted pregnancies.
He, however, noted that there is a general reduction in drug related crimes adding that much concerted efforts is still needed to combat the vice and ensure dealers are arrest.
“We have to protect the young people including preventing anything that can lure them into sexual malpractices that lead to child pregnancy, dropping out of school and engaging in criminal acts like theft,” Governor Gatabazi said.
The outreach exercise included ministers; Francis Kaboneka of Local Government, Dr. Diane Gashumba of Health, Rosemary Mbabazi of Youth, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Emmanuel K. Gasana, Governor of the Northern Province Jean Marie Vianney Gatabazi and Prosecutor General Jean Bosco Mutangana, among others.
The government awareness campaign against drugs included separate meetings with local leaders, residents, public destruction of seized narcotics and parading of about 160 suspected drug dealers that were arrested with the disposed of substances.
About 2918 dozens of banned contrabands in different brands seized in various police operations in Burera, recently, were disposed of.
Minister Kaboneka reminded the residents not to allow such drug dealers in their midst adding that “you and your children are the immediate victims.”
“A lot has been achieved in various aspects of development, but again a lot in education, health and resource development, among others is still hampered by such illicit drugs,” Kaboneka said, referring to the paraded suspects, majority the youth.
Minister Gashumba embarked on the health hazards of abusing drugs, citing heart diseases, kidney, liver and hepatitis as some of the life threatening diseases caused by illicit drugs.
IGP Gasana, on his part, said: “There is redline against narcotic drugs, and you are part of the force to report everyone still involved to face the wrath of the law.”
“We can’t allow lives of young people to be wasted by individual with personal evil agenda. We have mapped out about 80 routes between Nyagatare and Burera used by traffickers, and operations have been intensified, counting on your usual cooperation and information sharing, to arrest them,” IGP Gasana added.
The Northern region is one of the major routes for traffickers of banned gin in different brands, especially in the three districts of Gicumbi, Musanze and Burera.
Residents of Burera and Gicumbi have since formed at least one anti-drugs club in every sector, which police say, have been effective in identifying and arresting dealers.
Meanwhile, Governor Gatabazi said that action will also be taken to local leaders who areas are hubs of drug dealers, defining it as an act of incompetence.
{{State of drugs in Rwanda}}
This came on the heels of strengthened efforts between Rwanda National Police (RNP) and other institutions as well as the public, to map-out routes used by traffickers and to break chains of supply
Over the years, fighting trafficking, making, sell and use of illicit drugs has been one of the priorities if Rwanda National Police.
This is done through continuous community awareness which facilitates information flow on dealers, routes used, and abusers, which police said, has been effective in ensuring successful operations to arrest dealers and seize illicit substances.
Police statistics indicate that crimes related to narcotic drugs decreased by at least 3 percent from 4059 cases registered in 2016 to 3941 recorded this year.
Over 2040 drug dealers have also been arrested since the beginning of the year while people aged between 18 and 35 years constitute the majority 40 percent of the arrested dealers and abusers, in the same period.
Only 48 people aged below 18 years, have been arrested this year for either dealing or abusing drugs, all referred in rehabilitation centres.
While appearing on the television talk-show that focused on illicit drugs in Rwanda, over the weekend, Aime Bosenibamwe, the coordinator of National Rehabilitation Services (NRS), said that a total of 12228 addicted youth aged between 18 and 35 year, have so far been rehabilitated and equipped with vocational skills since 2012.
According to Bosenibamwe, about 90 percent of the rehabilitated youth have healed completely from drug consequences and currently putting the vocational skills attained from rehabilitations centres to good use in varied income generating activities.
Currently, there are two rehabilitation centres in the country, with the third one set to start soon.
Meanwhile, 79 illegal distilleries have also been closed in different parts of the country in a joint RNP and Rwanda Standards Board (RBS) operations.
