IGIHE

Author: IGIHE

  • Gunmen kill two in Rusizi

    {Two Rwandans were killed while another was injured in an attack by armed gunmen in western Rwandan town of Rusizi, on Sunday morning.}

    According a statement from Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), one of the deceased and the wounded were on night patrol locally called Irondo at a health post, while the second dead victim was a 12-year-old.

    “This morning, at around 1.00 in Rusizi District, Bugarama Sector, Ryankana cell, Kabuga village, unidentified armed group attacked and killed two civilians and wounded one,” said the acting Defence and Military spokesperson Lt Col Rene Ngendahimana.

    He explained that the unidentified gunmen withdrew to Burundi as the incident took place near the border with Burundi.

    “Investigations into the incident have started to establish the identity of the attackers,” Ngendahimana said.

    The year 2016 ended with frosty relations between Rwanda and Burundi following allegations that Kigali was meddling in Bujumbura affairs. Rwanda denies the accusations.

    The acting Defence and Military spokesperson Lt Col Rene Ngendahimana.

  • Rwanda, São Tomé et Príncipe sign agreements to boost trade, agriculture

    {A delegation from São Tomé et Príncipe led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Urbino Botelho is in Rwanda to promote bilateral cooperation where both countries have signed agreements to promote agriculture and trade. }

    The delegation has visited Gisozi memorial and paid tribute to genocide victims. It also visited Kigali Special Economic Zone and received explanation on the performance of Rwanda Development Board, its vision and achievements.

    A meeting between Rwanda and SaoTome delegates held yesterday saw five agreements signed to promote cooperation in’ Agriculture, Tourism, Trade, Visa exemption and Air transport, according to a tweet from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    At the end of last year , the Prime Minister of São Tomé et Príncipe, Emery Travoada and his family visited Rwanda ,hosted by the head of state and held discussions on establishing bilateral cooperation.

    Later, the delegation from the Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs led by the Minister, Louise Mushikiwabo visited São Tomé et Príncipe where they held bilateral talks to promote cooperation.

  • Man who lied about role in 1994 genocide against Tutsi faces deportation after prison

    {Gervais Ngombwa, who claimed he was a victim in 1994 genocide against Tutsi in order to gain refugee status, was actually ‘an active participant’, Iowa judge said.}

    A Rwandan man who lied to gain entry into the US after helping slaughter scores of people during the 1994 genocide against Tutsi must serve 15 years behind bars before facing deportation, a judge ruled on Thursday.

    Gervais Ngombwa, 57, “is a violent individual who presents a danger to the community”, US district judge Linda Reade said.

    “There isn’t a doubt in my mind that he was an active participant, indeed a leader, of the genocide in Rwanda,” Reade told a courtroom in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where Ngombwa lived and raised a family for two decades.

    The sentence following his conviction for immigration fraud caps a case that the Anti-Defamation League has called one of the most significant US human rights prosecutions in recent years.

    Federal prosecutor Rich Murphy said Ngombwa was a local leader of an extremist party during the 1994 genocide against Tutsi.

    He said that Ngombwa wielded a machete as he personally butchered Tutsis, looted properties and drove a youth militia around the country to carry out mass killings of people seeking refuge in locations such as churches and an orphanage.

    Murphy glared at Ngombwa across the courtroom as he described what he called the “unspeakable acts” he committed during the 100-day genocide.

    Murphy said that Ngombwa had his own home and family protected by military forces “while he went out and killed”. Ngombwa fled the country rather than face justice, falsely claiming he was a genocide victim in order to gain US refugee status for himself, his wife and several relatives, Murphy said.

    Murphy displayed a photo of skulls of victims that showed they had been clubbed to death as he urged Reade to consider their suffering in sentencing Ngombwa. He compared Ngombwa to notorious criminals such as mob boss Whitey Bolger who lived in hiding after committing “unfathomable” acts of violence.

    Reade said she was convinced of Ngombwa’s guilt in the genocide but that she would leave punishment for those acts to authorities in Rwanda, where he is under indictment and will be deported after his sentence. She focused on the need to protect the public and the “aggravating factor” that several relatives gained entry into the US through Ngombwa’s lies.

    The genocide allegations shocked acquaintances of Ngombwa in Iowa, where he was known as “Ken”, a devout Christian and a father of eight successful children.

    US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has a unit dedicated to catching alleged human rights violators, has arrested 380 such individuals since 2003. But the prosecution was the first of its kind in the northern district of Iowa, said US attorney Kevin Techau.

    Ngombwa was convicted at trial of falsely telling authorities that he was the brother of an exiled Rwandan prime minister and therefore subject to persecution. That claim was the basis of the decision to allow his family to resettle in the US in 1998 from a refugee camp in Tanzania where his family had been living.

    Ngombwa worked as a school janitor and hotel employee and was active in his church. He had a clean record until 2013, when he was arrested for arson and insurance fraud after police said he intentionally burned down his home, which was built by Habitat for Humanity.

    By then, investigators were looking into allegations that Ngombwa had participated in the genocide. He was indicted on immigration charges in 2014 after an investigation that included US agents based in South Africa, who traveled to find witnesses in Rwanda.

    Ngombwa’s attorney, Ray Sheets, said his client denies involvement in the genocide or that he was a leader in the extremist MDR-Power party. He said Ngombwa was known as a good and kind person to his supporters.

    At trial, Ngombwa denied claiming he was the brother of former prime minister Faustin Twagiramungu, who lives in exile in Belgium. He insisted he meant he was Twagiramungu’s “political brother”, agreeing with his positions.

    Ngombwa waved to his children and friends as he slowly walked out of the courtroom in shackles.

    Gervais Ngombwa must serve 15 years in prison for immigration fraud, after which he will be deported to Rwanda, an Iowa judge ruled.

    Source:The Guardian

  • IREMBO is the next Guest on #TSMTWEETCHAT

    {This coming Friday March 3rd 2017, 11am-12 noonThe Service Mag shall be hosting Clement UWAJENEZA CEO of RwandaOnline discussing on the efficiency, ease, and reliability of Irembo.}

    Irembo is Rwanda’s one-stop portal for e-Government services and a platform for Government services online. Some of the services offered include:Birth certificate, Registration for driving test, Child Registration, Application for National ID, Marriage certificate, Registration for driving test, Certificate of being Single, Criminal record clearance certificate, Renewal of driving licenseand many others.

    Log on at 11am to 12 noon with your questions, comments and suggestions on @theservicemag using the harsh tag #TSMTWEETCHAT

    The TSM Tweet Chat takes place every fortnight and is an opportunity for business managers, owners and CEOs to interact with their customers, hear their queries and respond to their comments in a bid to improve customer service.

    The ServiceMag Tweet Chat started to enable customers/citizens reach top management of businesses, corporations and organisations that serve them. The sessions are also a way of bridging the communication gap between service providers and service beneficiaries.

  • Belgium appoints new ambassador to Rwanda

    {The Kingdom of Belgium has appointed a new ambassador to Rwanda, Benoît Ryelandt replacing Arnout Pauwels who represented it to Rwanda since 2014. }

    Benoît Ryelandt appeared on the list of 24 diplomats Belgium released last week to represent it in various countries.

    The King approved the assignment of 24 Heads of Diplomatic Missions, as proposed by Foreign Affairs Minister Didier Reynders.

    Mr. Benoît Ryelandt has been serving as the deputy Secretary General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    Belgium has also appointed Mr. Nicolas Nihon currently Counsellor at the embassy in Bangkok, Thailand as ambassador to Nairobi, Kenya.

    Arnout Pauwels represented Belgium to Rwanda since 2014.

  • First Lady attends Gaël Faye’s literature show

    {Madam Jeannette Kagame yesterday joined other poetry and literature enthusiasts at Kacyiru Public Library to appreciate readings from Petit Payes, by Gaël Faye dubbed ‘Petit Pays’. }

    The event dubbed ‘Music and Poetry Evening’ was also attended by the first daughter Ange Kagame.

    Gaël Faye, a Rwandan artist and author, was joined by another artist Samuel Kamanzi to read the story of ‘Petit Pays’.

    The book ‘Petit Pays’ is about life of a child born in Burundi to a female Rwandan refugee and white French citizen who worked in Burundi.

    The story stirred participants’ emotions as Gaël read part of the book describing the child’s hard life especially emanating from racial discrimination of Hutus and Tutsi in addition to having been born from parents of a different race and turbulent regional politics which hampered his dreams from coming true.

    Gaël Faye has said that his book will have been translated into 28 languages between 2017and 2018 including Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Arabic, and Chinese among others.

    Talking at the event Gaël Faye said “I am first of all delighted to see many people coming to support me. I am happy that Rwanda doesn’t currently favor racial discrimination,” he said.

    Gaël Faye explained that there is a delegation in France planning to act out the book into a film.

    Following the event, Madam Jeannette Kagame thanked Gaël Faye via twitter account.

    “Many thanks Gaël Faye for Petit Pays. It is a great honor to our history and strength to our citizens,” she tweeted.

    On 1st September 2016 Petit Pays’ book received an award from Fnac library which sells books online. Faye was also awarded as the best writer of books in the category of ‘Roman’.

    First Lady attending Gaël Faye’s literature show yesterday

  • Mushikiwabo appeals on child soldiers

    {The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Louise Mushikiwabo, has requested African leaders to stand against the enrollment of children in military outfits but instead support them into school.}

    He made the call yesterday as she chaired the 661th council of ministers comprising the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) that discussed easing free movements, services, goods and elimination of children enrolment into the military.

    “We have to fight the practice. Our children must be at school battlefields,” appealed Mushikiwabo.

    “Heads of states and governments encouraged African countries to approve AU passport with the aim of promoting integration. Some countries including mine have already opened borders for all Africans,” she said.

    Mushikiwabo explained that African continent presents best agreements among leaders on easing free movements but noted that there are challenges which have to be addressed to execute the program.

    “We need African experts in security matters to attain free movements of people and goods in Africa,” she said.

    Rwanda is chairing the AUPSC in February 2017 after replacing Sierra Leone represented by Amb. Hope G. Tumukunde.

    The member states are Rwanda, Algeria, Botswana, Burundi, Chad, Congo, Egypt, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Togo, Uganda and Zambia.

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Louise Mushikiwabo.

  • Kenya: University of Nairobi, Mount Kenya most preferred varsities – report

    {A recent survey by the Madison Insurance Company, through its Education department,the University of Nairobi (UoN) remains the most preferred choice with a 24% approval rating.}

    It is closely followed by Kenyatta University at 20%.

    Below on the preference table were Boston, Pwani, College of Insurance, and Mombasa Aviation institutions at 1% approval rating each.

    As for the parents, most of the preferred The University of Nairobi at 49% which separated with a large difference mark with Kenyatta University at 13%.

    However, at the bottom were nine universities including Maseno, Technical University of Kenya, and Oxford University with 2% approval rating each.

    During ranking by number of students in public universities in 2015/16, the UoN showed to be the largest with a 22% intake, while Kabianga university being the smallest institution with a 1% intake.

    In the private universities category, Mount Kenya University (MKU) registered the highest number of new students in the same period, followed by Kenya Methodist University and United States International University.

    On the other end, ranking by the size of faculties offered, UoN led with 14% while MKU offered more degree programmes than any other private institution, followed by Daystar and University of East Africa Baraton.

    In particulars, fees for both MKU and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) have been revised downwards in a period of five years and at times remained the same.

    According to the report, most students enroll for degree courses than technical courses.

    The research, released on Tuesday, February 21, was driven by the need to understand escalation in education over the last five years, understanding factors that have contributed to changes in the education patterns and understand the ways of financing higher education.

    The research involved 260 participants from both public and private universities from Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa, within a two weeks period in January 2017.

    Technical University of Kenya (TUK) students a a past graduation ceremony.

    Source:Citizen TV

  • Rwanda’s economy resilient in 2016 – BNR

    {Despite global and regional economic challenges, Rwanda economy was resilient with a growth rate of 6.1% in 2016 from 6.9% in 2015. }

    This has been revealed today by the governor of the National Bank of Rwanda (BNR), John Rwangombwa during the presentation of Monetary Policy and Financial Stability statement held in Kigali Serena Hotel.

    Service sector growth in 2016 was 7.7% up from 7.0% in 2015, contributing 49.7% of GDP, followed by industrial sector contributing 14.6% and agriculture with 29.6%.

    BNR has attributed the growth of service sectors to the gain in hosting events including CHAN, WEF, AU Summit and Kwita Izina among others.

    Transport has also been identified as a growing sub-sector with RwandaAir being in the lead, having opened six new routes.

    Agricultural production contracted in the first three quarters of 2016 having grown by 3.7% down from 5.3% of 2015. Drought has been cited as a responsible factor for this slump.

    Industrial sector grew by 5.0%, down from 6.7% in similar period of 2015. The decline is attributed to instability in the minerals market.

    The gap between imports,exports is 5.9% in 2016 equaling USD1649.8 million from USD1752.5 in 2015. Authorized exports increased 7.1% while licensed imports decreased by 2.7% in 2016.

    Rwanda economy is expected to rise by 6.0% in 2017.

    In general World’s economy decreased by 3.1% in 2016 down from 3.2% of 2015 while Sub-Sahara Africa has seen it economy decreasing by 1.6% over the reduction of exportations, drought, Ebola in the West and political chaos in some countries.

    Africa Sub-Sahara economy is expected to rise by 2.8% in 2017.

    The governor of the National Bank of Rwanda (BNR), John Rwangombwa.

  • India-Africa relations preservation vital

    {India vice president M. Hamid Ansari has promised that his country will continue to maintain good relations with Africa and supporting initiatives that ensure security. }

    Ansari has noted this as he delivered a public lecture at the University of Rwanda attended by students, UR employees and the Minister of Education, DrMusafiri Papias Malimba.

    Ansari has said that Rwanda has a good cooperation with India rooted on development activities including trade which has doubled to USD 106 million over the past five years.

    “We will keep encouraging India companies to take Rwanda on heart and think about investment opportunities present here,” he said.

    He has said that Africa-India cooperation is founded on shared history, common interest and mutual respect.

    India vice president Hamid Ansari delivering a public lecture at the University of Rwanda yesterday.