Author: IGIHE

James Rudahigwa, 42, was arrested red-handed receiving the money from Francois Ugirumurera, whom he had promised to help reopen her bar located in Nyarugunga Sector.

Ugirumurera’s bar was closed recently by local leaders due to poor hygiene.

According to the Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Marie-Gorrette Umutesi, the Police Spokesperson for Central region, Rudahigwa approached Ugirumurera and demanded Rwf30, 000 so as to help her reopen her bar.

“Rudahigwa told Ugirumurera that he’s a driver at Nyarugunga Sector and a friend to the same local leaders who closed her bar. He demanded Rwf30, 000 so as to convince the officials to reopen her bar,” said CIP Umutesi.

“Ugirumurera took the bold and legal decision to report it to the law enforcement and Rudahigwa was arrested redhanded receiving the money,” she explained.

“The public should take legal decisions… abide by the laws instead of taking criminal shortcuts to which they will be arrested.”

According to article 4 of the law on corruption, any person who solicits, accepts or receives, by any means, an illegal benefit for himself/herself or another person or accepts a promise in order to render or omit a service under his or her mandate or uses his or her position to render or omit a service, commits an offense.

Upon conviction, the offender is liable to imprisonment for a term of more than five years but not more than seven years with a fine of three to five times the value of the illegal benefit solicited received.

Penalties provided under this Article also apply to a person who offers or promises to offer a benefit, by any means, an illegal benefit for him/her or another person to have a service rendered or omitted.

The memorandum was signed on August 21st,2019 in a bid to solve conflicts between Rwanda and Uganda and was followed by a meeting to review the implementation of the Luanda Agreement that brought together ministers of foreign affairs in both countries, ministers of defense and security as well as investigation bureaus.

The meeting to evaluate the implementation of Luanda agreements was supposed to happen in November 2019 but it was postponed to December.

This Friday, a delegation of Rwandan Government officials will head to Uganda to discuss the implementation of the agreement.

One of the topics that will be discussed in the meeting includes numerous Rwandans who were illegally imprisoned in Uganda and were not brought to justice to respond to alleged crimes.

Arrested Rwandans were beaten and tortured and some were chased back to Rwanda including those who had established businesses and built homes in Uganda.

That point in the agreement states Rwanda gave a list of Rwandans detained in Uganda and Uganda accepted to try them in court and release those who were unjustifiably arrested.

Statistics published this Thursday, December 12th, 2019 show that the service sector contributed 49%, agricultural sector 27% and industrial sector 17%.

Some of the factors that led to the growth in GDP in the industry sector include booming construction activities that rose by 29% as well as manufacturing whose value increased by 13%. However, the mining sector’s performance reduced by 16%.

Yusuf Murangwa, the Director-General of the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda says that the poor performance in the mining sector was due to low outputs of Cassiterite, Coltan, and Wolframite which led to a reduction in exports.

The prices of the aforementioned minerals have also considerably reduced on the market, hence the low income.

GDP in the service sector increased by 13% due to the high performance of privately owned companies of which output increased by 25%.

Transport increased by 18% and the investment sector by 9% while hotels and restaurants output increased by 15%.

In agriculture, an increase in output by 8% resulted from the increase in cash crops by 5% and the increase in agricultural exports by 22% including a large portion of coffee production by 22% and tea by 29%.

Murangwa explained the volatility of market prices these days which contrasts and compromises the high GDP increase reported by NISR. He explained that there is a growing demand that does not match the supply.

“We are facing high demand due to population increase and the scarcity inevitably results into the increase of prices on the market. The economic situation was stable until July this year and if there is a satisfying harvest and favorable weather in December, prices might get back to normal.”

Currently, the prices used to determine GDP are from 2014 but Murangwa explained that the income approach used to calculate GDP allows NISR to use market prices for a period of 5 years. Starting next year, Rwanda will be using new market prices to calculate GDP.

Jacques Bagiramenshi, Clarrisse Umuhoza and Claude Dusabumuremyi were arrested on Tuesday in Kimisagara Cell, Kimisagara Sector of Nyarugenge District with 1000 pellets of cannabis.

Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Marie-Gorrette Umutesi, the Police spokesperson for the City of Kigali, said that the narcotics were recovered in the house of Bagiramenshi where all the suspects were arrested.

“The Anti-Narcotics Unit had information that Bagiramenshi heads a group of drug traffickers supplying mainly in Kigali, and his house was being used as a store,” CIP Umutesi said.

“On Tuesday at about 9am, acting on credible information that Bagiramenshi had brought another consignment of narcotics, ANU conducted an operation and caught him red-handed with 1000 pellets, which he was at the time selling to his retailers; Umuhoza and Dusabumuremyi,” she added.

She commended the continued ownership of the general public against drug dealers in their localities.

“ANU with the support of the general public continues to compile a list of major suppliers, and this is helping to arrest most of them red-handed. We urge the public to maintain this spirit of information sharing to break chains of supply,” said CIP Umutesi.

Last week, Police intercepted another drug trafficker in Rulindo District, en route to Kigali from Rubavu with 2000 pellets of cannabis.

Three other major narcotics suppliers were arrested late last month in Rubavu and Rwamagana districts with 6800 pellets of cannabis.

Article 263 of the law determining offences and penalties in general in Rwanda, stipulates that, any person who, unlawfully produces, transforms, transports, stores, gives to another or who sells narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances commits an offence, with a sentence ranging between 20 years and life in prison, and a fine of between Rwf20 million and Rwf30 million.

The agreement signed by Johnston Busingye, the Minister of Justice on behalf of the Rwanda Government, is part of the ongoing global efforts to build capacities in fighting corruption.

It aims at providing a cooperative framework for developing and implementing activities for training against corruption.

According to Ali Bin Fetais, the United Nations Special Advocate for the Prevention of Corruption, under the deal, Kigali will be a centre for the training of up to 1,000 anti-corrupt people every year.

The specific date for the start of the trainings is not yet established, but there is hope that by 2020 the first cohort will begin training.

In the framework of the agreement, areas for collaboration include capacity building in anti-corruption, training of trainers, transparency, accountable and inclusive institutions, international law, and sustainable development in anti-corruption.

A specific agreement will be signed for every specific area of cooperation to agree on technical and financial settings.

According to Providence Umurungi, the head of International Justice and Judicial Cooperation Department at the Ministry of Justice, Rwanda is responsible for providing the space where the trainings will be hosted, UNITAR will provide the expertise in the form of trainers and the government of Qatar will finance the project.

Fetais said that Rwanda was chosen to host the project due to the country’s exemplary position on the continent and the recovery made after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

“I am sure that Africa needs people like you for a lesson,” he said.

According to the Transparency Internationa (TI) Corruption Perception Index, a global index that measures the level of corruption across the world, in 2018 Rwanda improved by one point to score 56 out of 100, making it one of the five least corrupt countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Rwanda was ranked the fourth least corrupt country in Africa behind Seychelles, Botswana, and Cape Verde.

In East Africa, Rwanda was found to be the least corrupt country while, globally, the country was ranked the 48th.

Johnston Busingye the Minister of Justice and Attorney General said that the agreement is important in taking forward the agenda of capacity building in respective institutions, which will combat corruption.

The exhibition is being organised under the auspices of The Public Authority for Investment Promotion & Export Development (Ithraa) in partnership with The Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (Madayn)

Maymuna al Adawi, Ithraa’s Director of Export Facilitation says the fact that Rwanda’s economy grew by 8.6% in 2018 is a motivation for other African countries.

She also noted that the economic performance of Rwanda makes it an attraction for investment from other economically stable countries.

“While many countries known to export considerable amounts of goods have shrinking economies, Rwanda keeps striving forwards with income from exports.”

She said Rwanda’s economic performance is impressive given that much of the national income is not derived from agricultural exports but from impeccable service provision that contributes to a continuously improving economy.

“We see great investment potential in Rwanda and we are confident the Omani Products Exhibition will be successful.”

Ayman bin Abdullah Al Hasani, Chairman of Opex Organising Committee says that products manufactured in Oman meet international standards and that the exhibition that will be held in Kigali will undoubtedly be successful given how productive previous exhibitions in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates were.

Omani Products Exhibition was launched in 2012 and Kigali will host the 10th exhibition that will showcase a variety of products and services manufactured in Oman and that are exported in more than 140 countries around the world.

Rwanda is among the less corrupted countries in Africa due to the measures that have been taken by the government so far to counter it and the intolerance towards corruption crimes.

Deputy Ombudsman, Musangabatware Clément says that the steps Rwanda has taken to eliminate corruption were complemented by the government of Rwanda significant corruption control, sensitization about how negative that vice is and the implementation of strict laws towards corruption crimes.

He mentioned that electronic bidding and online job applications made way to more transparent practices.

The determination of Rwandans to eradicate corruption was also a large contribution to the cause.

Senator Nkusi Juvenal says that Rwanda won the fight against corruption through adopting transparent practices and implementing laws that do not tolerate any form of corruption.

Those efforts were complemented by the Government of Rwanda intolerance against corruption.

However, Musangabatware finds that Rwanda still has a long way to go on the journey against corruption since we have not yet reached the desired results.

That statement is supported by a recent report by Transparency International Rwanda which shows that government institutions still have corrupted practices.

The report placed Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) at the fourth place and Rwanda National Police (RNP) at second place while Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions come at the forefront.

Another report by the Ombudsman office published in 2018/2019 discovered 45 corruption cases in public institutions.

The steps that Rwanda has taken in eliminating corruption made it that on December 9th, 2019, Rwanda hosted the International Anti-Corruption Excellence Award in partnership with the government of Qatar.

An open hand monument was placed at Kigali Convention Centre to demonstrate a country that only has transparent practices therefore cementing the Government of Rwanda fight against corruption.

Rwanda also signed an agreement allowing to be the global center for training on anti-corruption.

The unfortunate news was announced on Wednesday, December 11th, 2019 as RBC launched a sensitization program aimed at fighting and preventing NCDs as well as providing medical assistance to already affected patients.

Statistics show that 7% of Kigali residents suffer from overweight and obesity including 10% of children below the age of 14 while 34% of women suffering from overweight and obesity are at a high risk of having other NCDs.

Dr. Innocent Turate, Head of Institute of HIV/AIDS Disease Prevention and Control (IHDPC) at Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) says that the best way to prevent non-communicable diseases is to avoid consuming drugs including alcohol and cigarettes and go for frequent testing.

“Noncommunicable diseases are increasing at an alarming rate and if no measures are taken, it will result in an even bigger problem. However, we still have the issue that only a few people come for testing.”

Nadine Umutoni Gatsinzi, Vice Mayor in Charge of Socioeconomic affairs at the City of Kigali advises Kigali residents to attend the bi-monthly sports activities ‘Car Free Day’ and to have healthy diets in order to prevent NCDs.

“Diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart problems can result in death but preventing them is possible by attending sports activities and eating healthy diets.”

Statistics between 2016 and May, 2019 show that through sensitization, 19000 Kigali residents have tested for NCDs adding to 29,000 who tested for NCDs during ‘Car Free Day’ sports activities.

Some of the people who have received free NCDs testing during ‘Car Free Day’ thank the Government of Rwanda for sensitizing them to do sports and advising them on how to prevent NCDs. They suggested for cancer screening to be added on the list of diseases that are tested during ‘Car Free Day’

Screening and testing activities started on Wednesday, December 11th, 2019 and are being conducted in the three districts of Kigali City.

In Kicukiro District, screening is done at Zinia Market, in Gasabo District at Kimironko market, In Nyarugenge in the Car Free Zone and also at Gatenga, Kanyinya, Mageragere and Remera dispensaries.

The ceremony was held in Kigali on December 11th, 2019 and brought together government officials including Dr. Colette Ruhamya, the Director-General of Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), the United States Ambassador to Rwanda, Peter Vrooman, the Ambassador of Germany to Rwanda, Thomas Kurz as well as Sarah Metcalf, The head of a DFID country office among others.

In May 2019, 20 e-motorcycle taxis were launched in Kigali to transport people and goods as a pilot scheme to test their performance on the Rwandan market.

The e-motorcycles use a battery swap model and stations were established around town to facilitate drivers in operating them.

The achievement of 250,000 kilometers proves that e-motorcycles are fit for the Rwandan market and can benefit many more citizens.

Gatete said that Rwanda aims at a zero-carbon future where people and goods can be transported by vehicles with the least carbon dioxide emissions.

“The Government of Rwanda cares about the environment and aims at providing transport means that will not contribute to further climate change.”

Ampersand Chief Executive Officer, Josh Whale says there are so many benefits in using e-motorcycles.

“Ampersand e-motorcycles use a battery swap model and we have established stations across Kigali to support drivers in operating them. They come at a relatively cheaper price and are made with top-notch technology that allow owners to gain more income. That technology will also allow Africa to achieve a zero-carbon future.”

Ampersand has an assembling plant in Kigali and offers e-motorcycles at cheaper prices. The motorcycles have noise cancellation features and other advanced technology features surpassing many other models in performance.

In Rwanda, almost half of the transport facilities available are motorcycles and most of them use petrol that gets more expensive with time and contributes to more greenhouse gases effects.

Ampersand has so far built three recharge stations and will continue to establish more stations to ease the utilization of the e-motorcycles. Charging one battery costs Rwf 920 but it does not require waiting for the battery to be full since you are provided with a fully charged one at the stations.

Ampersand e-motorcycles’ uniqueness is etched in emitting less to no carbon dioxide and research has shown that they contribute to the reduction of 75% in carbon dioxide emission.

Riders identify level of the battery strength on a dashboard indicator and when it is due for recharging.

A 2017 report by REMA showed that cars, motorcycles and charcoal and wood emissions contributed to the release of more greenhouse gases.

The report also showed that 95.2% of cars in Rwanda were manufactured more than 10 years ago. 56.6% were manufactured before 1999 while 77.2% were manufactured before 2000.

The Ministry of Health in Rwanda reports that every year, 3 million patients suffer from respiratory problems among which 13% were affected by air pollution.

More than 80 people were arrested on Monday, December 9th including in Nyakabande, Kisoro, Uganda on orders of Christopher Ruhunde, the chief of police in the area.

Among the arrested people were 40 from Rwanda, 28 from the Democratic Republic of Congo and it is rumored that 15 were Ugandans.

Ruhunde said that even if most of the people who were arrested were Rwandans, it has nothing to do with the tension between Uganda and Rwanda.

“The arrests are absolutely not related to the ongoing conflict between Rwanda and Uganda.”

Daily Monitor published on November 27th, 2019 that Uganda had arrested 32 Rwandans who were later released and deported back to Rwanda.

Since 2017, Rwandans have been arrested in Uganda on allegations that they were spies or that they had entered the Ugandan territory illegally. Some of those who are arrested are beaten and tortured resulting in permanent handicap.

This led Rwanda to strongly advise her citizens not to travel to Uganda until the conflict is settled.