Kagame was speaking Tuesday in Kigali while presiding over the swearing-in ceremony of newly appointed State Minister in Charge for Economic Planning in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MINECOFIN), Dr. Claudine Uwera, the Secretary General of Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB), Col. Jeannot Ruhunga and the Deputy Secretary General of RIB, Isabelle Kalihangabo.
The Head of State assured new leaders on cooperation.
He reminded them on better performance of their responsibilities towards attaining their targets.
“When activities are not going well, we, as leaders should remind one another to work for improvement. Moreover, we serve Rwandans, when we don’t perform well, in a way that responds to people or the country’s expectations, people face challenges and this should not happen,” he said.
“I just want to remind leaders who already had responsibilities and others who are newly appointed to understand that we envision working towards benefits all Rwandans,” he said.
The head of State said that though there might be some imperfections, there should be limitations.
“Though you can’t get ten out of ten, it happens because we are human being, but there is a certain standard that we should not go below, for us like people who experienced the history of struggle we all know, we should continue to make people think in that way,” he said.
Dr. Uwera was appointed to MINECOFIN last week replacing Dr. Uzziel Ndagijimana who was elevated to Minister of Finance and Economic Planning. Ndagijimana also replaced Amb. Claver Gatete who was appointed the Minister of Infrastructure.
Col. Ruhunga and Kalihangabo were appointed Monday to head the new formed investigation body, Rwanda Investigation Bureau.
Muhigirwa lives in Nyakabungo Village, Karama cell of Ntongwe Sector. He is the security chief in the village and vice-president of Ibuka in the cell.
Speaking to IGIHE, Muhigirwa said that he is worried about his security.
“We are in a country that is secure, but I’m worried of my life due to different acts I’ve been experiencing at my home at different times. Three months ago I found a cross at the entrance of my house. The suspect ran away. Today I found a grenade at the same place,” he said.
The Police Spokesperson in Southern Region, CIP Emmanuel Kayigi told IGIHE that they are still investigating the case.
The heads of the new investigation bureau were announced yesterday in a statement released by the office of the Prime Minister.
Ruhunga, a Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) senior officer holds a Master’s degree of arts in International Studies from University of Nairobi, Kenya.
He also holds a Master of Arts in Governance and leadership acquired from Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) in 2011.
He attended different courses from different countries across the World where he got diplomas and certificates in Criminal Justice, Criminal Investigation, intelligence and Counter Terrorism.
Prior to new appointments, Ruhunga served in different positions including being Military Judge, Lecturer of Criminology at the Institute of Lay Adventists of Kigali (INILAK). He also served as the Director of Criminal Instigations (J2 RDF), and Commissioner of Intelligence at Rwanda National Police since 2005 to 2009.
Ruhunga also served as the Commanding Officer of Maintenance Battalion Acting Chief (J4 RDF); Directing Staff at RDF Command and Staff College- Nyakinama and the Directing Staff Kimaka Senior Command and Staff College (Uganda) on EAC Directing Staf Exchange Program.
Since 2015-2016, Ruhunga was the Chief Instructor at RDF Senior Command and Staff-Nyakinama.
Until new appointments, he was the Acting Chief J2 at RDF headquarters.
The Deputy Secretary General Kalihangabo had been the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice since 2014.
She served in different positions like Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Legal advisory services in the Ministry of Justice since 2007 to 2014.
Kalihangabo also served as Judge to the High Court of the Republic since 2004 to 2007, and Judge to the Supreme Court, in the Department of the GACACA Jurisdictions which are responsible of the trial of the 1994 genocide presumed perpetrators since 2000-20004.
She holds a Master’s Degree in International Business Law from Queen Mary University of London which she got in 2012
RIB will be supervised by the Ministry of Justice.
As stipulated by law, the body has the mission of preventing and pre-empting criminal acts by identifying and investigating all kinds of physical or cyber-attacks.
RIB will also conduct investigations intended to identify, stop and dismantle existing or emerging criminal acts and cartels whose activities threaten or may threaten the country, people and properties.
The handover ceremony took place at the Prime Minister’s Office between Evariste Rugigana the new Director of Cabinet in the Office of the Prime Minister and outgoing Odette Uwamariya.
Alphonsine Mirembe who had been the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, replaced by Doreen Kagarama also handed over and will be taking on services of Permanent Secretary in the Ministry in the Office of the President.
The new officials were appointed by President Paul Kagame last week.
Ngirente thanked Uwamariya with who they entered in the Office of the Prime Minister together in August last year.
He said that in past seven months, they performed several tasks together and made great strides in their responsibilities.
“When the government appoints you to serve the country, you serve it with your heart and determination. I thank her commitment to the job. There were very many tasks accomplished including coordination of activities, coordination of government programmes, collaboration with Ministries and parastatals. I thank her for the good show of performance,” he said.
Ngirente also thanked Mirembe, the outgoing Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, who received and guided the Prime Minister, Uwamariya and the Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Marie Solange Kayisire that were new in their respective offices. He said that she guided them in new responsibilities.
“We used to ask her everything and told us the way business is conducted. All activities went well and we wish her success in new responsibilities,” he said.
Uwamariya thanked the partnership in the team saying that in short period she served in the position, they attained several milestones especially in coordinating government programmes among other activities.
She tasked her successor Rugigana to ensure follow up on the completion of new Ministerial complex that will house Prime Minister’s Office and other ministries among other activities.
Rugigana had been working in the Prime Minister’s Office as the Economic Advisor in the past ten years. He promised to use his experience to deliver.
On his second day in Rwanda, Grandi met President Paul Kagame and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and East African Community Affairs, Louise Mushikiwabo.
Through his twitter account Grandi said “I have learned much from my refugee experience”: Africa has in President Paul Kagame a visionary leader who understands the importance of innovative solutions to forced displacement. Grateful for an inspiring discussion with him and Foreign Affairs Minister Louise Mushikiwabo.”
He also visited Kigali Genocide Memorial Center and paid tribute to over 250,000 victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi laid to rest there.
“Profoundly humbled to be in Kigali during the commemoration of the genocide against the Tutsi. We must do everything in our power for this never to happen again anywhere in the world,” reads his twitter message.
{{Visit to Congolese Refugee camp}}
Yesterday, Grandi visited Gihembe Refugee camp in Gicumbi District. The camp hosts a number of Congolese Refugees.
Grandi who arrived in Rwanda from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is expected to visit Burundi.
Speaking to the media yesterday in Gicumbi, Grandi said that he is visiting the region to look at diverse refugee situations and see how they can better respond to their needs.
“I’m visiting this region to look at various refugee situations and see how we can better meet the needs of the refugees, but also of the host countries and most importantly how we can find solutions for the problems of refugees,” he said.
In Gihembe refugee camp, refugees raised different issues including insufficient food rations, poor access to medication, dilapidated houses and access to education among others.
The UNHCR boss said that they are going to experiment new approaches like talking to World Food Programme about food. He said that they think that there’s need to increase the capacity for refugees to be self-reliant.
“They have been in this country for more than 20 years, and I think the time has come for them to have access to employment and of course to national services,” he said.
“To do that we need to strengthen national services, it is unfair to ask Rwanda to host these people and not to give enough support to the country. So, this is another purpose for me to be here,” he added.
Grandi said that for these refugees to return in their home country (DRC), UNHCR need to discuss it with DRC and Rwanda.
While in Congo he said, he discussed the matter with DRC President, Joseph Kabila. He said that it is important for people to return in their country, not only these in Rwanda but also Congolese Refugees in Zambia, Angola, Burundi and Tanzania.
“I told them that they have to create conditions on the ground that is secured as there are many security problems in Eastern DRC. We need to address these problems so that the people abroad can go back, which is what many of them want to do,” he said.
The young wife, who lives in Gatebe Sector of Burera District in the Northern Province, dropped out from primary six about two years ago as a consequence of her parents’ incessant conflicts which often made the mother and children spend nights away from home, fleeing from their father’s beatings.
“I got married at 17 because of the conflicts at my parents’ home. I luckily got a man to save me from the bad situation and I decided to join him. My elder sister also got married at 16 years of age as she was also tired of the situation at home,” says Nyirambangutse in solemn face with tears lingering in the eyes.
“Conflicts between my mother and father kept persisting. We, as their children, tried to ease the tension but in vain. Families and neighbours intervened but our father became incorrigible. We fear our father will kill our mother as he is always saying.”
Her younger sister Thérèse Ushizimpumu, 15, also dropped out from senior one last year because her conflict-torn family was not paying her school fees and materials.
“I am currently doing farm activities alongside my mother but I wish I go back to school if I get ways. I reported my drop out to local leaders; they tried to reconcile our parents but their conflicts have become irresolvable. I need help to go back to school. I should be doing senior two now,” wishes Ushizimpumu.
Her elder brother left his parents’ miserable home in search for a better living in Uganda.
“He is working on tea plantation. He escaped from our family’s conflicts and harassment including beatings by his father,” the children’s mother Sylvanie Baziki tells IGIHE on the sidelines of a community debate held in Gatebe Sector on Wednesday.
The family’s fate is one of the horrible situations taking heavy toll on children in some of the families living in the area bordering with Uganda.
The debate that brought together citizens and local leaders was organised by the journalists’ network PAX PRESS in collaboration with Care International, Rwanda Men’s Resource Centre (RWAMREC) and Rwanda Women’s Network.
{{Parents in blame game}}
Baziki got married to Jean Népomuscène Karemye in 1979 and produced together eight children but their conflict erupted eight years ago when the wife sided with their son who accused the father of selling his assets, according to Baziki.
The couple briefly shared their story publicly during the debate with Karemye coming forward first to say that his wife developed a bad habit of taking away agricultural produces three years ago.
Baziki, who abandoned his husband last month to settle at her deceased parents’ home, said Karemye has become incorrigible and not responding to local leaders’ invitation for mediation as the audience clapped in agreement with Baziki’s expression.
Baziki said her husband has been selling away the farm yields without her consent and their standoff has now reached a deadlock because she cannot stay with a man who threatens of killing her. She was advised by local leaders to take her case to court last month but she was blocked by lack of court charges.
Baziki, currently living with her last born daughter, seeks justice for having her share from the property which is entirely in the hands of her husband while the husband insists all the property belongs to him.
Karemye’s views on property and family management are shared by a number of men in the area such as Félicien Kaboga who told the gathering that he must take 90% and leave his wife with 10% of the family’s management.
Some other women expressed their grief over misunderstandings with their husbands who wanted to misuse the family’s property but wives opposed them and ended up going to settle in Uganda where they married other wives, leaving heavy responsibilities to first wives for raising children alone.
The gathering was tipped on the law governing family relationship adopted in 2016 stating that both spouses – man and woman – are jointly responsible for the management of the household, including moral and material support as well as its maintenance.
Anastase Nteziryayo, the Executive Secretary of Gatebe Sector, said they had recently registered 30 families which have serious conflicts but some have settled disputes after intensive sensitisation on the benefits of getting rid of the couples’ conflicts
“There are still issues about family’s property management where men feel they can use it as they please but a number of people are increasingly changing. These family conflicts seriously affect children and some drop out. We often try to get parents keep their children in schools but when parents have no means, the district and different partners intervene to help us get a child back to school. We have so far helped three children in our sector. We regularly teach families to avoid conflicts,” he said.
Nteziryayo pledged to particularly follow up the case of Karemye and Baziki and make sure their last born gets back to school, saying the sector’s office will take up her education if the family fails to do it.
The Rwanda community in Uganda has contributed sh37m towards the construction of a genocide museum in Mpigi, Uganda.
“This is an idea that we generated to in order to preserve the memory of victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi,” the Rwanda high commissioner to Uganda Maj. Gen. Frank Mugambage said.
He said the museum that is under construction at Ggolo Memorial Site in Mpigi district requires sh3.7b for completion.
“This place is not only home to the largest number victims, but is also more accessible compared to the other memorial sites,” he said.
Mugambage revealed this during the announcing of the 24th commemoration of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda activities at the Rwanda High Commission in Kampala on Friday.
This year’s commemoration will be held under the theme; “Kwibuka24: remember – unite – renew.”
Mugambage noted that the museum is envisaged to serve as an education centre that will promote messages against the genocide ideology, negating and revisionism.
“A constant bell should ring in the minds of all peace-loving people that we need to do more in preventing genocide from happening anywhere in the world,” he said.
The other memorial sites in Uganda are Kasensero in Rakai district and Lambu in Masaka district.
The museum will host the pictures of those who lost lives during the genocide, old clothes and history of Rwanda, among others.
For the 24th commemoration of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda that took place in 1994, Rwandans from all over the world will come together to participate in a series of activities.
The activities will be launched on Saturday April 7, at Entebbe and will be attended by government officials, diplomats and Rwandans from around the world.
There will be a night vigil on April 11, where the youth will be sensitised about the dangers of genocide at Livingstone University in Mbale district.
This will be followed by a public lecture at Kampala International University, Bushenyi campus on April 14 and another one to be held at St. Lawrence University – Mengo on April 20.
On April 21, there will be laying of a wreath at the memorial site in Kasensero landing site in Rakai district, where victims of the genocide were buried.
Mugambage also clarified that the genocide was not caused by a plane crash as some local media had published.
“Genocide does not just start abruptly, it is a planned movement aimed at one particular tribe or ethnic group. The 1994 genocide took place after a series of activities that had previously occurred in 1959, 1963 and 1973,” Mugambage explained.
He explained that it is planned in steps like dehumanisation, where those who are killed are considered symbols and not worth living.
{{Source: New Vision}}
Speaking at the event, the AUC chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat expressed the commission’s solidarity with Rwandans during the commemoration.
“We mark our solidarity with Rwanda and its people, we note that this solidarity was sorely missing when it was highly needed,” he said.
“I would like to highlight why we are here today, let us all be driven by the imperative to remember to draw lessons from our failure to prevent the Genocide, but also to remain vigilant at all attempts of revisionism,” he urged.
Mahamat said that there is a need to unite in paying respect to the victims and express the solidarity with the survivors.
“There is urgency to renew our determination that never again shall we allow such tragedy to occur,” he said.
He said that currently, Rwanda has succeeded because it sought and picked solutions from challenges faced.
Mahamat hailed the government for efforts in making reconciliation possible.
“I would like to pay tribute to the Rwandan government and people for making reconciliation their motto and the unity of the country the remedy to hatred. Rwanda has succeeded beyond all expectations,” he noted.
At the event, they also lit a light of remembrance
Through a statement signed by the party head, Dr. Frank Habineza, they called Rwandans to support different categories of people affected by the genocide.
Among these categories are rape victims, youth born out of rape and survivors divorced women.
“The Democratic Green Party of Rwanda joins all Rwandans in the 24th commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. We stand in unison with the nation and genocide survivors in the fight against genocide denial and the spread of genocide ideology,” the statement reads.
“DGPR would like to take this opportunity to call upon the Rwandan Government and all concerned stakeholders to add more efforts in social and economic support programmes to rape victims, children born out of rape, divorced women and all genocide survivors,” the party said.
The party urged the government that they need to address trauma problems in the survivor families, since most are still struggling to have shelters, food, education and troubled lack of jobs.
“DGPR calls upon Local government entities to pay special attention to genocide survivors and address the challenges faced at community level. They need to be sensitized on their rights, like access to medical care outside the country among others,” it reads.
They urged for an end to name-calling of children born out of rape during the genocide saying that they have been dubbed different names which undermines their humanity.
DGPR urged that the issue of genocide ideology needs to be fought with extra vigor and requested parents to play a positive role in giving proper education to their children.
The party thanked Unity Club and other stakeholders who have contributed in helping the elderly survivors.
Kagame was speaking Saturday at Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre while opening the Mourning Week and the 100 days of commemoration of the 19994 Genocide Against the Tutsi.
The event was attended by different government officials, representatives of different missions in the country and representatives of survivor associations.
In his remarks, Kagame said that Rwanda will not stop commemorating atrocities that took place in the country 24 years ago.
He said that when history is revealed, people continue to understand the truth.
“The truth is necessary to found on towards development. We remember the truth, and those who don’t remember look down on it, but the truth will remain there,” he said.
“This is the 24th time we commemorate, but, it seems like the first time. Commemorating is to start afresh as we remember our nature, families, lives and the country; when we commemorate we go back in these times,” he reminded.
The Head of State said that commemorating remind Rwandans to face their history and noted that commemoration reminds Rwandans that when they don’t watch out same history could re-occur. He said that there are things need to be done to avoid re-occurrence of such history.
“Commemoration reminds that we Rwandans should take a lead in solving own problems. We own our history and our problems. Commemoration reminds us that bad history could come from away or others support us to cause it,” he said.
Kagame said that the history reminds Rwandans that foreigners could participate in falsifying them.
“What we could do is to continue to strengthening our institutions, economy, security and unity as we continue to construct Rwandan society. We should not get held by bad history,” he urged.
He added that the country continue to leave bad history behind through rebuilding, capacity building and development.
