Author: Jean d’Amour Mugabo

Over 2000 properties for relocation from Kigali wetlands

The order being implemented by City of Kigali and districts in partnership with security forces, concerns properties which were developed in the wetlands after the ban on settling in wetlands in 2005 while those which settled before will be evicted later as the government finds the budget for expropriation, according to Remy Norbert Duhuze, Director of Environmental Regulation and Pollution Control at REMA.

The deadline for relocation expired a fortnight ago when a team of officials from REMA, City of Kigali and security personnel closed down businesses in the wetland between the sectors of Kacyiru and Gisozi in Gasabo District. But Duhuze said the exercise continues to forcefully relocate all from 7,700 hectares of wetlands in Kigali and later reach out to all other parts of the country.

“We have started in the city because, unlike in rural areas where farms absorb a good quantity of water, concrete works due to many constructions in the city do not allow water seepage to the soils and almost all the rain-storm water flows to the wetlands which help in flood water control and replenishing underground water. They also constitute biological diversity reservoirs,” Duhuze told IGIHE on Friday.

He said that after the expiry of seven days, some people were granted a period ranging from one month to one year after presenting their relocation plans.

“Government had always told property owners to relocate but people ignored the order. We want to restore wetlands that have been laid to waste. Some will serve as beautification landscapes of the city. We are now targeting properties without settlement permits,” he said.

Tenants in residential houses have also been given 15 days expiring on October 5, 2017 but some plead with the government for time extension so that they find other houses away from wetlands.

A mother of two children who preferred anonymity said she found it hard to get means for renting another house within 15 days because house owners require rent fee of three months for a tenant to enter the house, adding that she is unsure of her future after the expiry of deadline. She is a widow and has been paying a rent of Rwf13,000 in Gisozi Sector, Musezero Cell, Amarembo Village.

Godlev Mukagasana, an elderly woman who owns a house in the area, said she is worried of her future in case she is evicted without compensation so that she can buy land and build another house somewhere else.

“I sold my land plot upcountry and bought this plot and built this small house five years ago. I am not sure if I will be compensated because I do not have settlement permits. I am likely to become a wanderer on the streets because I do not have means to pay rent,” she said.

Rwanda’s wetlands represent about 14.9% of the national territory, including 6.3% for marshes and 8.6% for lakes, rivers and permanent or seasonal fresh water pools.

October 2, 2017
Educationists identify priorities ahead of Government 7-Year Programme launch

{Today, tomorrow or soon after but obviously before September sinks, Rwandans impatiently await to hear of the new Government’s Seven-Year Programme (7YGP) which the Premier must present to the bicameral legislative house within a maximum of 30 days after assuming office as states article 119 of Rwanda’s Constitution of 2003 amended in 2015.}

Prime Minister and Head of Government, Dr Edouard Ngirente, was appointed in the docket on August 30, 2017 and immediately took office the very day. Taking an example of the immediate last 7YGP, the blueprint relied on four pillars namely Good Governance, Justice, Economy and Social Well-being, all with the overall goal as to spur economic development in order to shift Rwanda from a poor country to a middle-income country, according to a document presented to the Parliament by then Prime Minister Bernard Makuza on October 13, 2010.

The 2017-2024 blueprint, a national strategy for transformation, received green light of the Cabinet on Tuesday but still remains out of the sight of the general public. However, guessers cast their expectations and people from different areas list what they think should be prioritised.
{{
Educationists speak out
}}

Education is one of the sectors to which every citizen attaches much importance. Indeed, almost every household has a student and the sector employees much more people than any other but it is also a sector which has seen many reforms over the years. Some people will not hesitate to blame educational inefficacies to incessant changes, saying that it lacks consistency. The overall goal of the government has always been of enhancing quality of education at all teaching levels.

Different teachers have spoken to IGIHE of what they need to see in the next seven years to help improve the quality of education, stressing on the need for comprehensive training on the current Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC), provision of good materials and teachers’ motivation.

Pierre Célestin Niwemwungeri, a teacher at GS Bihinga in Gatsibo District, says he would like to see teachers in secondary schools use ICT in all teaching processes like computers and projectors instead of chalk by 2024.

“Umwalimu Sacco should expand branches to have two sectors share one instead of having one branch for entire district. We often converge and queue there many hours which should be used in class. Their penalties on repaying credits are also choking when the salary delays yet it is not our fault,” he complains.

Marie Claudine Sugira, a teacher at GS Marie Reine Ruramba in Nyaruguru District, says students’ discipline should be tightened and, though the country’s economy may not allow to increase teachers’ remunerations, there are many ways of giving them a motivation.

“Salary and bonuses should always be remitted on time. Horizontal promotion should also be made effective to retain teachers. We need teachers’ subsidised market where we can shop at reduced prices as police and military personnel do,” says Sugira who has taught for 16 years in primary and secondary schools.

{{Expert’s view}}

Dr. Irené Ndayambaje, PhD in Educational Planning, says the next seven years should see a number of students in classrooms of primary and secondary schools reduced to a maximum of 30, down from over 50 in some instances.

He says government should promote knowledge of English as a medium of instruction, upgrade teachers’ understanding of the curriculum, offer more motivation to teachers and increase salary as the economy grows, and avail efficient education materials including access to internet for teachers and students to do research.

“Research indicates that a big number of students in classrooms hampers teaching and learning processes because a teacher needs to evaluate every student but is impossible when the class has 40 students or more. Standards differ from country to country but a maximum of 30 students in class can be handled,” observes Dr Ndayambaje, a lecturer at University of Rwanda’s College of Education and Library Sciences (UR-CELS).

He says reading ability remains a challenge in Rwandan education because there are students who cannot even read Ikinyarwanda (local language) while a too big number do not know English language.

“Now English is a medium of instruction, how will a student understand other lessons if they do not understand a medium of instruction as a bridge to reaching the understanding of other subjects. Leave alone students, not all teachers have good knowledge of English,” he says.

Dr Ndayambaje says there is need for internal and external evaluation of the initiatives, like Umwalimu Sacco, aiming at improving teachers’ welfare to ensure that they effectively deliver to their targets, adding that thorough research is needed to inform policy-makers on issues in education and how they can be handled. He advised schools to make use of English a mandatory tool of communication throughout the school life in order to help students and staff know English better.

September 13, 2017
Kenyatta re-election nullified

{Kenya’s Supreme Court has nullified the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta, this morning, Friday.}

Daily Nation reports that a six-judge bench, by majority decision, on Friday found that the electoral commission failed to conduct the polls according to the Constitution and Elections Act.

Judges Ojwang and Njoki Ndung’u dissented while Judge Mohammed Ibrahim did not take part in the decision because he is unwell in hospital.

The top court in Kenya, in a bold move, ordered the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to conduct a fresh presidential election within strict confines of the law within 60 days.

Kenyatta had secured a second term in office after winning bitterly disputed elections of August 8 but the opposition rejected the results which they claimed to be undermined by fraud. Mr. Kenyatta, 55, got slightly over 54 percent of the vote while opposition leader, Raila Odinga, got 44.7 percent.

National Super Alliance leader Odinga had asked the Supreme to nullify the August 8 presidential outcome on Tuesday saying that the IEBC conducted the election in a manner which violated constitutional and legal provisions.

September 1, 2017
Co-working space: A new approach helping start-ups develop

{Imagine We, a local social enterprise, recently opened a co-working space that has so far brought together six start-ups in one setting to share experiences and keep all afloat.}

Located near Kacyiru Sector office in Kigali, the space dubbed “Imagine Nation” seeks to help small and medium enterprises overcome challenges that fail them in the first three years of operation.

The five companies in Imagine We’s co-working space laud the new working approach and urge other start-ups to emulate the model.

The five include; Acacia Book Café which sells gift items in a coffee shop setting; Bag Innovation, founded by a Swedish national who prepares university students into becoming consultants; Elcon Media which deals in producing documentaries and animation; Ikobe Communications focusing on storytelling and Awesomity Lab which creates websites, software and applications.

Speaking to IGIHE last Friday, Imagine We’s founder Dominique Uwase Alonga said she realised the need for facilitating start-ups to grow and opened doors for them in June, considering that she had a very big space at her premises.

“It is about two months since we opened this co-working space but I have realised that such space is highly needed because I had received five new entrants within the first month while I expected to receive the first company at least after six months. We are now six companies in these premises,” she said.

Companies in the space are gaining clients from one another because visitors to one take a tour all around, sharing experiences, helping one another with skills and equipments as well as a significant reduction on operational costs mainly on house rent and utilities.

Each company pays a monthly rent of between $50 (around Rwf41,000) and $200 (Rwf165,000) depending on the size of the room a company needs.

“Starting companies often suffer from financial constraints, lack of clients and partners, and limited capacity in institution management especially because we are all young. All managers of these six companies are aged less than 30 years. Working together has got us solutions to most of these challenges,” says Alonga.

She added that the space is temporarily closed in order to harmonise the co-working conditions and build up firm systems before receiving new entrants in the next two months

The six companies in ‘Imagine Nation’ space have started a joint radio talk show project on how to start a company in Rwanda and it is being executed by Elcon Media, one among the six.

Yvès Honoré Bisemage, one of Awesomity Lab founders said their operational costs have reduced and clients doubled since they joined the co-working space last month.

Natasha Umutoni, a founding member of Acacia Book Café said they have also gained clients and operational costs reduced up to 30% since June when they got into Imagine We’s Imagine Nation.

Alonga advises young entrepreneurs to get together, avoid expensive offices and equipments in order to first develop themselves instead of trying to look bigger than they really are.

Having opened in January 2015 with the aim of encouraging Rwandans to read and write, Imagine We has reached out to 6000 people, opened libraries in 20 schools and University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK), trained many language teachers and published two books. It is publishing three more books and opening libraries in three hospitals including CHUB in this August.

August 18, 2017
Over 350 children receive Christian education

{At least 360 children, from around the country, are receiving Christian education in a camp meeting going on at College Saint André in Nyamirambo Sector, Nyarugenge District.}

The third edition of the annual exercise dubbed “Children For Christ Camp 2017” was organised by umbrellas of Christian churches in Rwanda in partnership with World Vision Rwanda. The three-day camp meeting started on Tuesday under the theme “Children, Obey Your Parents.”

The camp was officially opened today in the ceremony which attracted many church representatives in Rwanda including Philippe Rukamba, Bishop of Butare Diocese who doubles as the Chairperson of the Catholic Episcopal Conference of Rwanda, Archbishop of Anglican Church in Rwanda, Onesphore Rwaje and National Director of World Vision, Abebe Nigatu, among others.

Bishop Rukamba urged parents and church leaders to raise children on a Christian model, respect their rights and protect them from all kinds of evil and violence drawing on the example of Biblical legends, Joseph and Mary who raised Jesus Christ.

“This exercise is intended to provide children with Christian education. We urge you, children, to respect your parents following the example of our Lord, Jesus Christ,” he said.

World Vision’s Nigatu pledged the charity’s unwavering support to ensure that children receive good education and Christian principles preparing them to be good citizens of the country.

“Obedient child becomes a good citizen who brings peace into society. Obedience is God’s commandment and Jesus is our role model,” he said.

Nigatu said that World Vision Rwanda inked a partnership agreement with Christian churches on children’s education in 2013 because “we know potentials of churches in raising children.”

Other sessions of the camp are expected to be held in other areas of the country to reach at least 1300 children by end of 2017, according to Nigatu.

World Vision is an international partnership of Christians whose ministry focuses on community-based development through interventions in health, economic empowerment, water, sanitation and hygiene, education, among other areas.

August 9, 2017
Farmers’ mixed priorities to greet the next President

{As Rwanda’s electorate go to polls on Friday to determine the next 7-year presidency, farmers have suggested the next President’s priorities in agriculture.
}

They want the next Head of State to upscale irrigation, set up special agriculture-related financial institution, ensure timely delivery of seeds and fertilisers, intensify research, fix fair prices for their production and tighten security of their farms against thieves, among others, to help improve farmers’ livelihoods.

Incumbent President and Rwanda Patriotic Front’s flag bearer, Paul Kagame, Democratic Green Party of Rwanda’s Frank Habineza and independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana, have all toured the country presenting their manifestos with different pledges towards agriculture.

Agriculture employs 70% of the labour force and accounts for about 30% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), making it an ideal sector of emphasis for anyone vying for the country’s top office.

Cléophas Habiyaremye, a farmer and carpentry innovator based in Kayonza District, said the office cannot be won out of the blue but a candidate with the best manifesto merits his vote.

Drawing on the last year’s droughts which caused food shortage in Eastern swathes especially Kayonza, Nyagatare and Kirehe districts, Habiyaremye says “Farming should be prioritised under anyone’s leadership as the largest economic activity nationwide. Farm irrigation should be given high priority to reach out to every corner of the country and we would see improved access to finance.”

Athanase Murenzi, the coordinator of rice growers’ cooperative in Ruramba marshland (CORIMARU), Bugesera District, lauds the progress in rice growing but cites challenges that he would see heeded in the next seven years.

“We target seven tons of rice per hectare, up from 5.2 tons currently. To hit the target, we would see timely delivery of fertilisers which are delaying for up to one month. We eye a rice price increase to at least Rwf300 per kilogram, up from current Rwf280 which does not benefit farmers,” he says.

Murenzi says research in agriculture should be put forward to identify more varieties of seeds, adding that three rice varieties they have currently are becoming incompatible with the soil in the area.

Fiacre Nzagirante, a coffee farmer in Gitambi Sector and coordinator of coffee growers’ cooperative in Rusizi District, finds the only way of providing farmers with access to finance in setting up their special financial institution because banks are giving little attention to farmers’ projects.

Phoibe Mukarwego, a mother of four and farmer in Kiramuruzi Sector of Gatsibo District, says she often grows poor quality maize seeds because the government delays to deliver better seeds to farmers.

“Theft especially in our farms is so high here. We grow a lot expecting good production but harvest little while a bigger portion goes to thieves. We often catch them but government releases them within no time and they continue their deeds. We want government to tighten security and penalties against evildoers,” she says.

{{Candidates’ pledges}}

Both Habineza and Mpayimana have vowed to bring reforms in agriculture policies by scrapping land consolidation and allow every farmer to grow the crop of their own choice.

Mpayimana says he will empower farmers with enough skills, let them sell their production to anyone they want and end government intervention in fixing market prices for farm production.

Habineza, who calls himself ‘Kimaranzara” (loosely translated as one who will end hunger), promises new policies to end food insecurity in the country once he is elected.

Incumbent President Kagame who is seeking re-election promises to build on the existing policies and take the sector to the next step. Each of the three candidates has confidence to win the elections because of different reasons.
Kagame draws confidence in hundreds of thousands of people who have been attending his rallies with many lauding his performance since he ascended into the top office in 2000, but above all, he confided into the wishes of over 98% of the electorate who uplifted term limit for him through the referendum of December 2015. He expressed his confidence on the first day of his campaign by telling mammoth crowds that the results of the elections are known before even going into polls.

Habineza says he will win the elections despite a small number of people he has seen at his rallies because casting a vote is done secretly. Mpayimana, whose rallies’ attendance has been the least, also confides into his manifesto which, he says, is convincing and the best of all, adding that Rwandans have got it right. Mpayimana, who came to Rwanda this year after spending many years in France, also expects the highest votes in the Diaspora.

According to the National Electoral Commission (NEC), over 6.8 million registered voters are expected to cast their votes during the 2017 Rwandan presidential elections. NEC has set up 2,340 polling centres countrywide and 98 polling centres in the Diaspora where 44,362 people are registered to cast their votes at embassies or consulates.

The entire election process has been organized at the tune of Rwf6.2 billion. The number of voters has increased by 1.7 million, up from 5.1 million that voted in the last elections in 2010. 54 per cent of voters are female. Over 1780 observers are set to monitor the elections this year.

August 3, 2017
“Food is the core part of a healthy life” F&B professional Awanish Joshi

{It’s a reality most people tend to forget, but our entire body relies on what we consume, from brochettes to broccoli. Depending on our views, we may choose to live by or ignore the phrase “we are what we eat,” but our blood, bones, cells, cholesterol, hormones, and more depend on the vitamins and minerals we intake from food and beverage.
}

Speaking to IGIHE, Awanish Joshi, a F&B professional hailing from India, revealed how people can stay healthy while avoiding bad eating habits which lead to many health problems such as obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

After exploring various countries and a great many culinary experiences for about eight years, Awanish arrived in Kigali in March to take up responsibilities as the Executive Sous Chef of Kigali Marriott Hotel.

“Food is a core part of life, and a good balance of food and exercise is needed to keep happy and healthy,” he observed, “The key takeaway is moderation. You can enjoy cakes, alcohols, and red meats, but it is important to balance these rich foods with other healthy, nutritious foods.”

Awanish added, “We recommend eating seafood that is high in [omega-3s->http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/omega-3-fatty-acids-fact-sheet#1] as they positively contribute to your overall health. For those with sensitive stomachs, many teas aid in digestion. At Kigali Marriott, we’re happy to give guests options to eat well. For example, our brunches offer a “healthy corner” with many salads and fruits that provide essential vitamins and minerals.”

In addition to his favourite dish of chicken korma (braised chicken with Indian spices and flavoured yogurt) accompanied with German Riesling wine, Awanish says Rwanda has many delicious foods he has enjoyed tasting.

“I like Kigali so much. It is a clean, beautiful, and very interesting city with a great culture. The local foods here are tasty and fresh. Goat meat is quite tender here. I enjoy brochettes with ibirayi (potatoes), matoke, dodo, mizuzu, and Rwandan goat stew,” he said.

Awanish invites all food lovers to the Kigali Marriott to enhance their culinary experience and explore international cuisines delivered by the 5-star hotel’s highly talented chefs.

In its Soko Restaurant, Kigali Marriott offers colourful Theme Nights on weekday evenings and a fun-filled Weekend Brunch to cap off the week.

-* [Kigali Marriott Hotel offers delectable Weekend Brunch, Theme Nights->http://en.igihe.com/lifestyle/kigali-marriott-hotel-offers-delectable-weekend.html?var_mode=calcul]

July 21, 2017
Kigali Marriott Hotel offers delectable Weekend Brunch, Theme Nights

{Food lovers and weekend revellers now have a range of options to spice up their days, nights, and weekends, thanks to Kigali Marriott Hotel’s Weekend Brunch and Theme Nights.}

The five-star hotel offers mouth-watering and flavoursome cuisines, served by a brigade of professional chefs endowed with experience from all corners of the world.

Awanish Joshi joined Kigali Marriott as the Executive Sous Chef four months ago after exploring various countries and tasting a great many culinary offerings for almost eight years.

“It’s time to introduce new flavours to Kigali. We’re showcasing a wide range of dishes from Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern, Western to African cuisine,” says Awanish.

In its Soko Restaurant, Kigali Marriott offers colourful Theme Nights on weekday evenings and a fun-filled Weekend Brunch to cap off the week.
{{
Weekend Brunch dishes}}

Weekend brunches take place on Saturday and Sunday from 11.30am to 4.00pm. International dishes include:

• A live barbeque grill with a choice of seafood, meat, and poultry
• Live Asian noodles station
• Carving station
• A variety of pasta dishes
• A selection of international cheeses
• Homemade bread rolls and loaves
• A ‘Healthy Corner’ featuring a salad bar, compound salads, and antipasti
• An international breakfast counter that includes fresh fruits, cereals, flavored
yogurts, breakfast pastries, waffles, and pancakes
• A delicious dessert station with cakes, pastries, and other treats
• Ice cream station

The newest and most exciting addition to Kigali Marriott’s weekend brunch is its extravagant champagne option.

“We’re the first hotel in Kigali to offer a champagne brunch,” says Awanish, adding that all brunches carry with them free swimming pool access, giving families and groups of friends a great day out. Kids can also play in the newly opened bouncy castle to burn off that extra weekend energy.

{{Theme Nights features}}

Kigali citizens looking to spice up their week nights need look no further. The Kigali Marriott now offers three theme nights featuring amazing Indian, Asian, and African food.

Inspiring Indian Theme Night explores the authentic flavours of signature Indian dishes such as succulent Tandoori kebabs, fragrant biryanis, spicy curries, and Indian breads from an interactive open-plan kitchen.

“Don’t forget to complete your dinner with a sweet choice from our tasty Indian desserts selection,” Awanish observes.

Diners can choose from a host of main dishes that includes murgh makhni (butter chicken), mutton rogan josh (Indian mutton curry), Amritsari fish, biryani, mushroom jalfrezi, dal tadka, tandoori chicken, lamb kebab, fish tikka, among others.

Authentic Asian Theme Night boasts Far East delicacies for ones who love feasting on delicious Chinese, Japanese, Malaysian, Indonesian, and Thai cuisine. Main dishes consist of sushi, dim sum, fresh seafood, salads, a carving station, as well as a selection of desserts with an Asian flair.

Appetizing African Theme Night proudly features traditional African food with authentic Rwandan and East African tastes under one roof in Soko Restaurant. Hungry guests can indulge in grilled meats (beef, goat, chicken, or fish), Rwandan goat stew, African beef stew, mchuzi wa samaki, chicken maffe, neboke, iainari, sambaza, isombe, chapatti, and more.

“We have many talented local chefs who ensure the food is top notch at our African Theme Night. Our Chef Innocent takes the lead on our Rwandan cuisine, bringing an authentic touch” says Awanish.

When it comes to food at the Kigali Marriott, guests are spoiled for culinary choices that extend beyond the buffet. Soko Restaurant also offers signature a la carte options. Diners looking for a more intimate option can visit Cucina Restaurant which serves the best authentic Italian cuisine in Kigali.

Having opened its doors in Kigali City centre last year, the five-star Kigali Marriott Hotel is a subsidiary of Marriott International which is present in over 110 countries with more than 6,000 hotels globally.

July 18, 2017
RRA set to auction UTC building over Rwf1 billion tax arrears, negotiations falter

{{Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) is following legal procedures to auction 39 properties including the Union Trade Centre (UTC), a property of Rwandan exiled tycoon, Tribert Ayabatwa Rujugiro and four other shareholders.}}

Rujugiro owns 97% of shares in the $20 million UTC while four others share the remaining 3% in shopping malls strategically located in city centre of Kigali, Nyarugenge District.

Speaking to IGIHE, Mr. Richard Tusabe, the Commissioner General of RRA, says none of the 39 seized properties that appeared on RRA’s announcement of 2nd May, 2017, has cleared tax arrears.

“Not any of the properties on the list has paid yet. We are following the due procedures. We shall auction them in accordance with the laws,” Mr. Tusabe said last week.

UTC is the only famous property that features on the list of seized properties and probably the sole abandoned property under government’s management.

Tusabe declined to give details on UTC tax arrears saying, “Wait until the auction time comes, we shall let you know.”

However, IGIHE has learned that UTC owes government a whopping sum of about Rwf1.2 billion, resulting from evaded taxes between 2007 and 2013, plus penalties.

UTC Manager, Alex Muhaya, said the management is dealing with RRA to see if the issue can get cleared before going into actual auction. However, the deadline seems to have expired, according to RRA’s announcement of May 2, which had given 15 days to property owners to pay taxes before going into auction.

“I don’t think it is important to disclose details about the issue per now. These details are in the interests of UTC shareholders, not for the general public. If it gets into auction, you get to know and if it does not, we shall have cleared the arrears. Let’s wait for RRA’s final decision to announce details,” said Muhaya, declining to give further details on the issue.

Fate of Rugiro dividends under district management

Vedaste Nsabimana, the Nyarugenge District Vice-Mayor for Finance and Economic Development who also chairs the abandoned properties management commission, told IGIHE he is aware of the on-going saga of UTC battling with tax evasion, saying that the commission will manage Rujugiro’s balance after deduction of taxes in case the property is auctioned.

“We manage dividends of Rujugiro only, not the entire UTC because it has other shareholders. We have paid all taxes since we took over the management of his dividends. UTC management can tell more about arrears and circumstances of their accumulation. But we have learned that they accumulated before we got into its management,” said Nsabimana.

Rujugiro’s dividends in UTC were put under government’s management in October 2013 as abandoned property because the owner left the country in 2009 after battling tax evasion in England.

The law of August 2015 on the management of abandoned properties authorises government to manage any immovable or movable property unrightfully possessed by others due to the fact that the rightful owners either died without leaving a legally recognised heir or do not reside in Rwanda for various reasons without having left behind a person legally authorised to manage their property.

The government decentralised the management of abandoned properties to special district commissions. Currently, Nyarugenge District manages 70 abandoned properties including 67 houses and three land plots. So far, six properties, formerly under the commission’s management, have been given back to owners.

Article 17 of the law on the management of abandoned property stipulates that a half of the amount collected from abandoned property shall be deposited on a fixed deposit bank account in the National Bank of Rwanda while the other half of that amount shall be deposited on a current bank account in the National Bank of Rwanda to be used in the maintenance and renovation of the abandoned property and tax payment.

If the owner of the property shows up, the law states, they shall be refunded the money from the fixed bank account after deducting 10% which is transferred to the public treasury account. The owner shall also be refunded any unused money from the current account.

July 6, 2017
Five health benefits of spa treatments

{In today’s world, stress looms every second, claiming many lives every day and contributing to a variety of chronic afflictions. Although there is no survey in Rwanda regarding stress-related death rates, a 2016 survey in the US indicates that 1 out of 20 deaths is caused by stroke.}

Despite stress threats, the world still features healthy, relaxed and beautiful people who got there by living the ‘spa’ life. Spa treatments range from facials, massages, sauna, steam sessions and more that all together help improve quality of life.

IGIHE caught up with Elina Bamulanje, experienced spa services professional and Recreation Supervisor at Kigali Marriott Hotel, to learn about the health benefits of the spa, a service that people are increasingly turning to. Bamulanje holds a degree in spa services has six years of experience and previously worked with Kigali Serena Hotel. She explains the spa’s health benefits in the following major points:

{{1. De-stress}}

From nation to individual, from youngsters to adults, stress is an unavoidable component of physical and mental health issues. Spa treatments and massage therapies can be tools to help people de-stress after their daily busy work schedules.

{{2. Detoxification}}

Spa treatments purge toxins and excess fluids from the body, and by this, the immune system improves, guarding the body against diseases. Spa treatments like mud baths exfoliate and nourish the skin with vitamins and minerals from elements like soil, clay and water, and other natural ingredients.
{{
3. Stimulate blood circulation }}

Spa treatments like hydrotherapy, heat therapy and massages improve circulation and regulate blood pressure. Good blood circulation and pressure leads to better body flexibility and improved breathing which can further defend against disease.

{{4. Lose weight}}

Some people do not engage in enough physical activity and suffer from imbalanced diets, consuming a high amount of carbohydrates and sugar. As a consequence, they gain weight at a rapid pace. Spa treatments and regular gym sessions help balance weight and purge bad energies. These healthy habits allow the body to become strong enough to participate in physically demanding tasks without getting tired.
{{
5. Fight body and skin aging}}

People visit the spa with different needs in mind. For instance, one may not need to lose weight, but wishes to tone and strengthen their muscles. As we age, the skin begins to sag and wrinkle, but a person who regularly works out and undergoes spa treatments can combat the aging process. Treatments such as body scrubs help remove dead cells on the skin and facials help prevent the appearance of aging. Products used during treatments nourish and transform the skin’s complexion, making one look and feel young.

Bamulanje says the benefits of the spa abound, but a skilled and well-equipped service provider is also paramount to ensure that a spa goer maximises the benefits.

She says Kigali Marriott, a five-star hotel, offers the best spa services in Kigali because the spa offers a wide range of experiences and is home to a dedicated relaxation room for guests to enjoy before or after treatments.

“Kigali Marriott’s Saray Spa’s team consists of professionals and has equipment that meets international standards. We offer a relaxation room which is unique to the spa services in the country. The room makes one feel different after relaxation,” says Bamulanje.

July 5, 2017