Coronavirus outbreak has resulted into tragic human consequences across the world and in Rwanda where 11 people have already tested positive.
In addition to existing Central Bank liquidity facilities, the Bank has established an extended lending facility worth Rwf 50 billion which will allow banks with liquidity challenges to borrow from BNR. The facility will operate for the next 6 months.
The announcement that was published by BNR on March 18th, 2020 states that “For the next six months, BNR offers to buy back bonds at the prevailing market rate and the waiting period if one fails to sell the bond on the secondary market will be reduced from 30 to 15 days.”
BNR also encouraged using digital channels and contactless mobile payments to curb the transmission of coronavirus. Starting March 19th, 2020, mobile network operators and banks will allow zero charge transfers on all payments between bank accounts and mobile wallets, zero charges on Mobile Money transfers and zero merchant fees on all POS payments.
Finally, the limit for transfers on mobile money wallets has been increased from Rwf 500,000 to Rwf 1,000,000 for Tier I customers and Rwf 1,000,000 to Rwf 4,000,000 to Tier II customers.
BNR will follow up closely on the implementation of the aforementioned measures.
The ECMS is an on-premise and cloud-based solution and was designed to help manage all processes related to benefits administration and claims management after the Central Bank of Rwanda (BNR) explained the types of loss insurance companies incurred overtime.
In 2018, statistics from BNR showed that insurance companies in Rwanda lose more than Rwf 6 billion in claims every year.
Private insurance institutions made a Rwf 8.3 billion loss in 2013, Rwf 12.2 billion in 2014, Rwf 12.5 billion in 2015, Rwf 13.4 billion in 2016 and Rwf 6.9 billion in 2017.
Normally, insurance claims cover damages sustained after a car accident or for representation or intervention on the insured’s behalf when they are liable for damages.
During the claiming process, some individuals can trick insurance companies into paying more damage costs than the ones which were incurred in reality and hence lead to irrecoverable loss.
An ECMS or claims processing software automates insurance claims management, electronic submission, and collections and allows transparency in insurance processes.
Following various reports of losses made by insurance companies, the four students at KIC created an ECMS to support flawless claims processes. The four innovators are Mugiraneza Amani, Uwineza Denyse, Uwase Honorine and Irakoze Blaise who received support from their lecturer Iyaturemye Jean Claude.
{{How the ECMS operates}}
The ECMS uses e-baza technology in assisting garages and insurers to recover losses incurred in car maintenance and help customers to submit their claims effortlessly.
Uwase Honorine said, “Our ECMS will allow insurers to manage the claims process with automated workflows and in all transparency.”
Through Www.umuhuza.rw portal, insurers and vehicle owners will create accounts and type in all claims details. A police report of accidents will also be available on the portal and will facilitate insurers to allocate the appropriate funds to the insured.
Insurers will then post pictures of the damaged vehicles and garages which will have created accounts in the ECMS will compete for repairing them.
Garages will be selected following the time limit they will use repairing vehicles as well as their prices. Once the vehicle will be repaired, the owner and insurer will visit the garage, check on all the repairs and pay the garage.
Irakoze Blaise told IGIHE that the technology will allow garages to acquire customers effortlessly through the portal.
The three newly infected patients are a 37-year old Indian who arrived in Rwanda on March 8th, 2020 from Mumbai, India and she is the wife of patient zero who also reported himself to a health facility on March 13th. They also include a 26-year old woman with no travel history and a 45-year old man who arrived in Rwanda from Belgium via Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.
Dr. Ngamije said that the government of Rwanda has resolved to implement a complete lockdown on air travel to curb the spread of the virus since it was shown that most infected patients had recently traveled. “We intend to stop further spread of the virus by imposing a total lockdown on air travel.”
Given that symptoms of coronavirus start showing between 2 to 14 days, some patients who were screened upon their arrival did not pose any threat until days later.
Starting March 20th, 2020, the ministry of health imposed a 30-day renewable air travel ban. “To further mitigate the COVID-19 outbreak, all arriving and departing commercial passenger flights including RwandAir will be halted beginning Midnight March 20th, 2020 for an initial period of 30 days.” Only cargo and emergency flights will keep operating.
Ngamije said the new measures will put less pressure on the health system and allow adequate medical care to already existing patients.
Besides providing medical assistance to infected patients, the ministry of health is also conducting tests on all individuals who had contact with them since their arrival in Rwanda.
Patient zero was identified in Rwanda on March 14th, 2020 and since then the number has hiked to 11. Patients are currently receiving medical care at Kanyinya health center in Nyarugenge district and are quickly recovering.
The ministry of health advises Rwandans to keep observing preventive measures to counter further spread of the virus and to call the toll-free number 114 to report any symptoms.
COVID-19 spreads through direct contact with the infected person, sneezing and coughing. To prevent the spread of the virus, regular hand washing with alcohol-based hand sanitizers or clean water and soap is advised, covering mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing and avoiding large gatherings. In addition, it is important to avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.
Other measures taken by the ministry of health to counter coronavirus are closing all public and private schools as well as higher education institutions, banning public gatherings and advising citizens to work from home.
The World Health Organization(WHO) declared the coronavirus a pandemic on March 11th, 2020 following the increasingly big number of patients since it was identified in Wuhan, China.
Currently, coronavirus has claimed the lives of 8790 people while the total number of infected people are 213, 541 with 84, 314 who have already recovered.
Sources say the three suspects are Mutuyimboni Bonyde, Uwera Clarisse and Nyiransabimana Epiphanie. They were apprehended on March 17th, 2020 and are currently held at RIB Ngoma station.
Umuhoza Marie Michelle, RIB Spokesperson confirmed the arrest but omitted the amount of money they embezzled as further investigation is being conducted.
RIB reminded Rwandans that all forms of embezzlement are punishable by law and urged them not to withhold information about such criminal offenses.
Article 10 on corruption and embezzlement in the penal code of Rwanda states that embezzling funds from public organs, civil society, private institutions and international organizations operating in Rwanda is a criminal offense.
On conviction, culprits are liable to between 7 and 10 years of imprisonment and a penalty threefold the amount embezzled.
The decision follows a drastic slump in air travel demand globally after governments closed borders, companies banned lucrative business travel and conferences and events were canceled in response to coronavirus.
Jambojet started flying to Kigali in November 2019 and recently bought two De Havilland aircraft, flying from Jomo Kenyatta Airport to Kigali International airport once a day.
The airline announced it was suspending flights to Kigali via Twitter in an announcement that reads: “Over the past few weeks, there has been a global spread of the COVID-19 which resulted in a decrease of airline passengers, especially on the international routes. As a result, Jambojet has decided to suspend its services to Kigali, Rwanda, and Entebbe, Uganda with immediate effect.”
Jambojet will keep operating its flights to Malindi, Ukunda, Mombasa, Kisumu, and Eldoret in Kenya. The airline cancels Kigali and Entebbe flights at a time when major airlines in the world are struggling to keep afloat. Since its establishment in 2014, Jambojet has transported more than 3 million passengers.
Flights from Kigali to Nairobi cost Rwf 102,000. Jambojet obtained a flight permit from Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority (RCAA) on November 19th, 2019.
The suspect who is a resident of Gatsibo district is accused of raping two young boys on March 15th, 2020 after luring them with money.
Marie Michelle Umuhoza, RIB Spokesperson told IGIHE that RIB was informed of the crime by one of the boys’ parent who called in for help. “The suspect is currently held at RIB Rukara station as further investigation is being conducted.”
Umuhoza warned Rwandans that no criminal acts will be tolerated and that rapists in particular will be shown no mercy.
The penal code of Rwanda subjects one found guilty to between 20 and 25 years of imprisonment for sexual crimes committed on minors including defilement. If the victim is under 14, convicts are liable for life imprisonment with no possibility of parole.
When rape on a minor resulted into an incurable disease or handicap, the convict is liable for life imprisonment with no room for parole.
CHAN 2020 was expected to be the 6th edition of the championship and was scheduled from April 4th to April 25th, 2020. The championship was expected to bring together 16 football teams including Rwanda.
The announcement which was released on March 17th, 2020 attributes the changes to the outbreak of coronavirus. The next dates for the event were not communicated.
FIFA requested all member bodies to halt all football events till April with the hope that the World Health Organization (WHO) will find a cure to the pandemic.
CAF explained that the decision to postpone CHAN 2020 resulted from WHO advises to contain coronavirus and the fact that more cases have been identified in Africa. In Cameroon, 4 cases have so far been identified.
On March 17th, 2020, COCAN, CHAN governing body in Cameroon confirmed that it is practically impossible to host the championship with the ongoing pandemic.
Many African countries including Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Rwanda, and Egypt have made changes in their football activities to address health threats posed by a coronavirus.
Zhang Xinmin, director of the National Center for Biotechnology Development, named the drug at a news conference in Beijing on Tuesday.
He said the drug was found to be effective in clinical trials by two medical organizations in the country. He said the medicine worked for coronavirus-related symptoms including pneumonia and had no obvious side effects.
The director said the tests were conducted in the cities of Wuhan and Shenzhen and involved 240 patients and 80 patients respectively.
He said those who were given the medicine in Shenzhen turned negative for the virus after a median of four days after becoming positive, while it took a median of 11 days for those without the drug.
The trial also found that X-ray photos confirmed improvements in lung conditions in about 91 percent of the patients who were given the medicine. The number stood at 62 percent for those without the drug.
The director said the drug is highly safe and its effect is obvious, and formally recommends the use of the medicine as a way to tackle the virus.
A Chinese firm that has licensed the drug from its Japanese developers got government approval last month to mass-produce the medication.
China on Monday confirmed 21 new cases of the virus infections, bringing the total in the country to more than 80,000. It’s death toll now stands at 3,226.
The government has been working on the program of completely getting rid of asbestos roofing materials for ten years because of its effects on human health including incurable diseases like lung cancer and others.
In May last year, President Kagame while on a visit to Musanze and Nyabihu districts, reiterated that the roofing materials have to be got rid of once and for all.
“We took decision on removing asbestos roofing materials from government buildings ten years ago. That is what I tasked leaders because on arrival here that is what one sees first.”
The Minister of Infrastructure, Gatete Claver, recently told the media that this year 2020, will leave all state buildings free of asbestos roofing because the required funds have been realized. The removal of remnant sheets will be done be the RDF Reserve Force.
Gatete also said that they are consulting with the private owners of asbestos roofed buildings to follow suit in their removal.
By June last year, the Ministry of Infrastructure announced that 57% government buildings with asbestos materials had been removed and 66% for private buildings.
Statistics show that since 2016, 73 juvenile convicts were pardoned and offered a chance to resume their studies but that only 47 did so while 26 dropped out of school.
Article 109 of the Constitution of Rwanda states that “The President of the Republic has the authority to exercise the prerogative of mercy in accordance with the procedures provided for by law and after consultation with the Supreme Court.”
Some of the youth who were granted pardon explained that they failed to resume studied due to a lack of means and stigmatization from school officials.
Nkundimana Dieudonné, one of the youth who were pardoned said “I met difficulties when I went back to school because I was required to start high school anew when I was supposed to be in my fourth year.”
One other youth said that he had obtained good grades in Ordinary level but that he was not able to pursue studies due to poverty.
Kayitesi Alice, Kamonyi district mayor said that apart from assisting the pardoned youth to find jobs, no other incentives were put in place to support them.
“We support the youth in finding jobs and creating businesses through the Business Development Fund (BDF) but so far no incentive is available to support youth who dropped out of school.”
Some of the youth who were granted pardon was expected to have graduated high school last year. CP Jean Bosco Kabanda, Rwanda Correctional Services (RCS) Commissioner in charge of correction said that going forward, RCS will collaborate with districts’ administrations to follow up on the education of pardoned youth and seek sponsors for those who are not able to pursue their studies due to financial barriers.
