IGIHE

Author: IGIHE

  • 12 dead in Kinshasa

    {Twelve people were killed Monday in a wave of violence in Kinshasa, said a spokesman for the national police.}

    The toll was a provisional estimate, Pierrot Rombaut Mwanamputu the DRC Police Spokesperson said in an emergency broadcast that interrupted programming on public television.

    He also said two police officers had been injured and were in critical condition.
    Sustained gunfire had been reported earlier close to the central prison in the Congolese capital, where more than 4,000 people escaped in May, and in the districts of Matete and Ndjili, residents and activists said.

    Emmanuel Cole, a campaigner for prisoners’ rights, said from the nearby district of Selembao “There has been gunfire around Makala Prison for the last hour.
    It is suspected that Bundudia Kongo was associated with the violence. The group is a new religious movement with a political and cultural agenda that is associated with the Kongo ethnic group.

  • Kenyans in Rwanda vote

    {Kenyans in Rwanda descended upon the Embassy in Kigali to cast their vote today in the morning at Kacyiru.}

    Those who discussed with IGIHE this morning said that over 850 Kenyan’s are expected to vote for the president at the Kenyan Embassy in Kigali. The winner of the vote will lead Kenya for the next five years.

    Tuesday’s election is seen as a crucial test of Kenya’s progress since a disputed poll a decade ago led to two months of politically motivated ethnic clashes.

    The elections are between incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta of the Jubilee Political Party and his rival Raila Odinga from the opposition National Super Alliance (NASA) who has already heightened claims of vote rigging and fears of violence.

  • Clerics commend political maturity

    {Religious leaders have commended the recently concluded 2017 presidential elections saying they were free and fair conducted in a serene environment. Retired Bishop of the Anglican Church of Rwanda and president of the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC), John Rucyahana, said the spirit of oneness has so evolved regardless of political affiliation which explain calm elections held without any riot or disorder. }

    While addressing a press conference about the first ever election observer experience of religions in Rwanda, Rucyahana said that the only inconsistencies observed were in the voters’ register of a few voters which was later rectified by the Electoral Commission.

    Over 94 election observers were dispatched countrywide by the religious forum. “We are the religious leaders and Shepherds are supposed to provide guidance to their congregations and facilitate their respective flocks to do better for themselves and their country,” Said the retired bishop adding that the civil participation was a sign of Rwandans’ commitment to getting involved in the management of their own affairs.

    The Mufti of Rwanda Sheikh Hitimana Salim said that Rwandans have shown that they understand and know what they want, demonstrated political maturity and can no longer be misled by foreign ideologies.

  • RNP intercept 400kgs of untagged minerals

    {The Rwanda National Police Marine Unit has intercepted over 400kgs of untagged minerals on Lake Kivu that were being smuggled.
    }

    The interception happened in the night of August 7, from the suspected smuggler identified as Claude Ntamubano, who was also arrested.

    The Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Theobald Kanamugire, the Western region Police spokesperson, said that the arrest followed information on Ntamubano’s illegal dealings.

    “At first, the Marine Unit detected some movements at about 3.00am; we searched one of the boats which Ntamubano was in at the time, and discovered 400kgs of cassiterite. Ntamubano was immediately arrested,” Kanamugire said.

    “Ntamubano didn’t have documents authorizing him to transport the minerals as a legal standard; the minerals were not tagged and their origin unknown. All this is unlawful and punishable by the law,” he added.

    The minerals have been handed over to the Revenue Protection Unit, a Rwanda National Police arm attached to Rwanda Revenue Authority to fight smuggling and fraud.

    According to law, minerals are supposed to be tagged before they are transported by licensed dealers or companies.

    Article 1 of the Ministerial Regulations No001/Minifom/2011 relating to fighting smuggling in mineral trading stipulates that nobody is allowed to purchase or sell minerals without commercial registration.

    Article 4 of the same instrument indicates that transportation of minerals outside mining licensed areas (concessions and permits perimeters) is only allowed when the consignment shows the source mine, its value and when it has the right tag.

    Any person, who receives or exports minerals and quarry substances without authorization, under Article 440 of the Penal Code, is liable to a term of imprisonment of up to three years and a fine of two times the amount of the value of the received or exported substances.

  • Rwanda, Tanzania Police forces discuss cross-border security

    {The Inspector General of Tanzania Police Force, Simon N. Sirro, arrived in the country, yesterday for a four-day official visit that focuses mainly on strengthening existing ties between the two police institutions against cross-border crimes.}

    IGP Sirro was received at the Rwanda National Police (RNP) General Headquarters in Kacyiru by his host IGP Emmanuel K. Gasana. The meeting, the third of its kind to be held this year, is in line with the cooperation pact signed in 2012 that seeks to combat cross-border and transnational organized crimes, including drug trafficking and terrorism; building capacity to respond to emerging security threats; prevention and management of disasters; and ensuring security and road safety along the Central Corridor.

    IGP Gasana said “Heads of State of the two countries gave guidance on strategic partnership and cooperation”

    “What remains and a task at hand now is how we fast-track our cooperation in the policing journey with collective understanding,” IGP Gasana said.

    “These engagements manifest the will our leaders to work together to translate their vision into our missions,” he added.

    He outlined capacity building especially through training, exchange of best practices and criminals, embracing technological development as well as taking a tough stand against drug trafficking, as areas of immediacy that send strong message to criminals.

    “The need to maintain homeland security in our countries goes with development. We need to strengthen our cooperation to facilitate fast development and the wellbeing of our people,” he said.

    The IGP of Tanzania, on his part, said that increased production and export of the two countries depends on the security, which attracts investment and facilitates development.

    “We are gathered here for one thing; security of our people. The transitional flow of people, trade capital and ideas have become larger, and brought many benefits to citizens,” IGP Sirro said, calling for cross-border coordinated efforts, sharing of information and joint operations to protect the law abiding citizens against threats.
    He commended RNP and the leadership of Rwanda for ensuring safety and incident-free presidential elections, and thanked Rwandans for exercising their electoral rights peacefully.

    The cooperation pact highlights major areas of cooperation including exchange of information on criminals, expertise, and joint training, among others.

    Consequently, the two forces have exchanged training programmes, engaged in joint disaster response – in particular when Rwandans were involved in fatal accident in Tanzania few years back – as well as study tours conducted in Tanzania by police students of the Senior Command and Staff Course.

    Meanwhile, IGP Sirro later on his first day of the visit, toured various RNP facilities including Isange One Stop Centre, which offers free medical, legal and psycho-socio services to victims of GBV and child abuse; the Regional Centre of Excellence of GBV and Child Abuse; and Police Training School Gishari.

  • Kenya goes to the polls in closely contested election

    {Kenyans are casting their votes to elect a president and a new parliament following weeks of campaigning and claims of a plot to rig the results.}

    Polling began at 6.00am (3:00 GMT) and will close at 5.00pm (14:00 GMT) local time with results expected to be announced within seven days.

    More than 19 million voters have registered to cast their vote in Tuesday’s election in 40,883 polling stations across the country.

    Polling stations were crowded from the early hours of the day, with some voters queuing at stations as early as 1.00am despite the chilly weather of 15 Celcius degrees.

    President Uhuru Kenyatta, 55, is seeking a second and final five-year term in office and faces stiff competition from an opposition coalition led by veteran politician RailaOdinga.

    {{Odinga, 72, is running for the presidency for the fourth time.
    }}

    Fourty three-year-old AggreyMwelesa, a father of four who works as a security guard, told Al Jazeera that he was happy to exercise his democratic right by voting in the election and the process was smooth.

    “The exercise was smooth. Very calm. I came to the polling station at 2am. I pray for the best man for our country to win,” he said.

    Alice Waithaka, a 35-year-old mother of two, said she had been queuing since 4am and did not experience any problems while voting.

    Polls have shown the two candidates – Kenyatta the son of the country’s founding father and Odinga former prime minister and son of the country’s vice president – neck and neck.

    But no sitting president has ever lost an election in the East African country of 48 million people.

    Five years ago Kenyatta defeated Odinga with the former prime minister disputing the results before they were confirmed by the country’s supreme court.

    To win the election outright, either presidential candidate must garner at least 50 percent of the votes, plus one. Candidate must also get at least 25 percent of the votes in half of Kenya’s 47 counties to prevent the second round of voting.
    If no candidate receives that, the election will go to a runoff, which would be a first in Kenya’s history.

    The election is largely being fought over the economy and the courting of the youth vote. More than half of the registered voters are under the age of 35.
    Kenyatta is promising to create more than one million new jobs in the country, which has the second biggest economy in the region. He also said he will reduce the cost of living in a country where 47 percent of the 48 million population live below the poverty line.

    Odinga, on the other hand, is promising to fight corruption. Transparency International – the global anti-corruption group ranks Kenya 145 out of 176 in its 2016 corruption index.

    Odinga has also said he will create jobs for young people and make the country – which in recent years has experienced droughts – food secure.

    In an interview with Al Jazeera earlier this week, Odinga said his party has put in place efforts to stop an alleged plot to tamper with results.

    “There are attempts to manipulate the results,” Odinga said. “The only way [Kenyatta’s party] can win this election is by rigging.”

    The country descended into violence in 2007 after the opposition, led by Odinga, claimed the election results were rigged in favour of the then incumbent MwaiKibaki.
    More than 1,000 people were killed in post-election violence and some 600,000 were displaced.

    Kenyatta, while addressing a campaign rally last week, denied attempts to rig the elections and said the allegations by opposition leaders were a ploy to form a coalition government.

  • Nyirarukundo to stay out for five weeks

    {Rwandan 10,000-meter-female long distance athlete, Salome Nyirarukundo who was injured while representing her country at the 16th edition of the IAAF World Championship on Saturday night in London, England is said to be out for five weeks.
    }

    The 20-year-old finished in a disappointing 25th position after clocking a time of 32 minutes, 45 seconds and 95 seconds behind Ethiopian Gold medalist Almaza Ayana.
    According to the National Athletics Federation (RAF), the female athlete is said to be out for five weeks before he begins training.

    The athlete looked ailing when she was limping at the start of the race but she keeps it up until when she crossed the finish but later was carried by the medics because she could not walk after the race.

    After injury prognosis, it was disclosed that she suffered from a chin splint tibia and could be out for a least five weeks before making a return for training.

  • MTN to settle Rwanda fine over the next few months

    {MTN has reached an agreement with the Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA) to pay the fine imposed on the telecom in May for “non-compliance with license obligations” by hosting its IT services outside the country.}

    During its announcement of interim financial results for the six months ended June, the mobile operator revealed that a meeting between MTN and RURA has led to finality on the matter.

    Rob Shuter, ‎Group President, and CEO MTN told ITWeb Africa that he met with Rwanda’s Minister of Telecommunications as well as representatives from the regulator concerning the fine.

    “The status of the fine is that we have agreed to pay the 8.5 million dollars, we will spread it over the next few months. That part of the issue is closed now.”
    Shuter, who took the reins at MTN a month before the fine was announced, also revealed that the sanction, which totals Rwf7,030,000,000, came after it alerted the regulator of possible breaches on its part.

    “In 2011 we were discussing with the Rwandan regulator that we wanted to build a hub in Uganda that would manage a few of the markets. The Rwandan regulator felt very strongly that they didn’t want data or resources to be moved from Rwanda into the hub.

    There were some clear lessons from that and I think over the years our team felt that the real concern was over data sovereignty, that the data should not move. In the end, they were in the hub and the team felt they had addressed the concerns and when the whole issue came out, the regulator felt that what had been done did not address the concerns.

    “I think we made mistakes, we did report the issue ourselves – we self-reported. In the end, the lesson we must learn from it is to make sure that we fully document any arrangements that we enter into in these markets so that there can be no confusion over a four or five-year matter.”

    Shuter also highlighted that MTN’s newly appointed regulatory and public policy team, which attended the results announcement, would work hard to prevent future sanctions against itself by regulators.

    “The formation of the regulatory and public policy team was done before I was hired so it is not a specific response to that (Rwanda) incident. I think it is much more to say that having a very well-resourced and senior Group team to help our markets manage regulatory and public policy is very much required. This is very common across multinationals. We will put that in place and I think it will help us going forward. In time we will reduce the risk of these sort of things happening.”

  • Marriott’s Cucina Restaurant, Italian delicacies in the heart of Kigali

    {“La bella vita”, translated as ‘beautiful life’, is a popular phrase that defines Italian lifestyle and has been adopted as a mantra by many people the world over. Italian cuisine has also penetrated every corner of the world, even in Kigali, thanks to Kigali Marriott Hotel.}

    “Italian influence is everywhere – Italian food is considered a top cuisine in the world, many people emulate and are inspired by my country’s fashion, and even common law originates from Italy. In order to enjoy life, one needs to get out; for fun, relaxation, and food. This is la bella vita.” says Luca Voncini, chef of Kigali Marriott’s Cucina Restaurant.

    The five-star hotel serves both original Italian dishes and signature a la carte options. “Cucina offers traditional Italian cuisine in a warm atmosphere, making it ideal for a nice meal out with your friends or family. From risottos to homemade pasta dishes to succulent carpaccio, we create fresh and flavorsome favorites that bring the heart of Italy to Kigali,” says Voncini.

    For more than 30 years, Chef Voncini has been focused on his culinary career, working in different cities all over the world, pioneering several Italian restaurants, and partaking in many five-star hotel & resort openings in North America, Europe, Kazakhstan, Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East.

    Voncini says the best of Marriott’s offers are in Cucina where the environment and delicacies are incomparable. Guests can enjoy a world-class main dishes accompanied by beautiful appetizers, desserts, salads, and much more.

    “I invite Kigali residents and visitors to Cucina Restaurant to enjoy food and enjoy life! You are welcome to Kigali Marriott, to our Iriba and Terrace Bar, to Soko Restaurant, to Saray Spa, to everything we have to offer,” invites Voncini.

    Kigali Marriott Hotel also offers a delectable Weekend Brunch and a range of Theme Nights which feature Indian, Asian, and African foods.

    From Ladies Night to Happy Hour to Jazz Night to Shisha Night, guests can also find a fun-filled and lively atmosphere every evening at the hotel’s Iriba Bar and Terrace, with most evenings offering spectacular drinks specials.

    Linguine al Pesto di Basilico con Patate e Fagiolini.
    Carpaccio di Manzo con Rucola e Scaglie di Parmiggiano
    Risotto ai Funghi Mantecato con Burro e Parmiggiano.
    Luca Voncini, Chef of Kigali Marriott’s Cucina Restaurant

  • Rubavu motorcyclist arrested for attempted bribery

    {A motorcyclist in Rubavu District was arrested over the weekend following allegations that he attempted to bribe a police officer so as to secure release of his motorcycle that had been impounded on traffic-related offences.
    }

    Police identified the suspect as Jean Bosco Majyambere who hails from Gasiza Cell of Busasamana sector.

    Police Spokesperson for the Western Region, Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Theobald Kanamugire, said that the suspect, attempted to bribe an officer on duty with Rwf5000 to release his motorcycle, which had been impounded for overloading.

    “Majyambere’s motorcycle had previously been found carrying three people, which is against the traffic rules. Instead of going through the proper channels to get back his motorcycle, he opted to bribe an officer and he was immediately arrested,” said CIP Kanamugire.

    He warned that police have put strict measures against corruption and bribery in particular, and maintained that the fight against such malpractices lies in the day-to-day duties of officers.

    Article 641 of the Penal Code stipulates that any person who offers a gift in order to get an illegal service or refrain from carrying out their duties shall be liable to a term of imprisonment between five and seven years or a fine twice to ten times the value of what they had offered in bribes or both.