Author: John Mbaraga

The government was responding to US president Donald Trump’s notification of 60 days to suspend the application of duty-free treatment for Rwanda through AGOA saying that Rwanda imposed barriers to US trade in apparel products.

In a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of Senate, Trump said that the government of Rwanda continues to impose barriers to United States Trade which affects the exports of apparel products.

“I am providing advance notification of my intent to suspend the application of duty free treatment to all African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)-eligible goods in the apparel sector for the Republic of Rwanda 60 days after the date of this notification,” the letter reads.

Trump said that the Government of Rwanda continues to impose barriers to United States trade, specifically, barriers affecting certain United States exports of apparel products.

Rwanda’s position

Through the statement released yesterday, he government of Rwanda says that the notification by the United States on suspension of duty-free status for Rwandan apparel products under the AGOA follows a decision by East African countries to raise tariffs on second-hand clothing imports, in order to promote local manufacturing capacity in garment and other industries.

“AGOA is a commendable unilateral gesture to African countries, including Rwanda, meant to promote trade and development through exports. The withdrawal of AGOA benefits is at the discretion of the United States,” the statement reads.

Bagabe had taken over from Dr. Louis Butare in October 2016. Butare was removed from the position and arrested in June 2016 following poor hospitality that was accorded to delegates that attended the Africa Agri-researchers’ Conference that took place in Kigali then.

Butare had taken over in 2015, replacing Prof. Dr. Jacques Mbonigaba Muhinda.

Structural or individual problems?

RAB has been characterized by challenges, many of them perennially detailed in the Auditor General’s (OAG) reports, making officials from the institution appear before the Parliamentary Public Account Committee (PAC) every year.

Mbonigaba led RAB from 2013 to 2015. During his leadership, the Auditor General’s report revealed that RAB awarded tenders in ways that fell way below the established yardsticks. In one such bent procedures, RAB awarded a tender to a bidder who was Rwf20 million higher than the lowest bidder.

Also the report revealed 35 irregularities were committed by the management. Among the irregularities were; misappropriating farmers’ seeds, mismanaging One Cup of Milk per Child Programme, negligence in Girinka Programme implementation and monitoring and favoritism in awarding tenders.

Before the Parliamentary Public Account Committee, in 2014, Mbonigaba pleaded guilty to the mistakes committed in tender awards and how the bidders delivered. He requested for pardon.

At the time, Mbonigaba told media that most mistakes were a result of the big size of the institution. He said that management used to plan programmes but the staff failed to implement.

In 2015 Mbonigaba was removed from office, replaced by Dr Butare. Butare served as RAB Director General for one year.

Butare and former Head of Research Department, Dr. Patrick Karangwa now the Acting Director General were arrested in June 2016 following poor hospitality that was accorded to guests that were participating in International Agri-researchers’ conference that took place in Kigali.

In the meantime, former Deputy Director General, Dr. Daphrose Gahakwa took over in acting capacity for five months before Cabinet appointed Dr. Mark Cyubahiro Bagabe in October 2016. Cyubahiro was, then, Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) Director General. During his tenure at RSB, Bagabe was a high-fly performer who left a legacy of initiating, developing and implementing many standards at international level. This was not to be the same case at RAB where he was to be mired in inept implementation of government programmes.

Poor collaboration

In October 2017, RAB management was summoned by PAC about mismanagement of government resources.

Before PAC, former Director General Bagabe failed to thoroughly give explanations about the expenditures. Bagabe’s explanations did not convince PAC members as he said that Dr. Gahakwa was the right person to give relevant explanations. She did not.

Bagabe told Members of Parliament that administrative measures would be taken against Gahakwa for neglecting the invitation to PAC. She did not. Instead, in November 2017, Gahakwa and three RAB officials were suspended by Prime Minister, Dr. Eduard Ngirente.

Within thirteen months, Dr. Bagabe was also removed from RAB leadership by the Cabinet and was replaced by the Head of Research Department, Dr. Patrick Karangwa.

In December 2017, six RAB employees were arrested for embezzlement of public funds and forging documents.

Without revealing the identification of the arrests, the Police Spokesperson, CP Theos Badege confirmed to local newspaper Rwanda Today that RAB officials were arrested over alleged use of forged documents and embezzlement in the financial year 2016-2017. He said they used forged papers to get per diem allowances.

A reliable source says that MINAGRI admits to the problems in RAB.

However, the source says, that rotation of Director Generals should be considered on individual circumstances other than a blanket generalisation of crisis for the entire institution.

“RAB is a very big institution which implements all programmes in agriculture sector. The Ministry coordinates, establishes policies and seeks funding and capacity building for agricultural sector among others,” it says.

As an institution which implements different responsibilities, it is easy to have many challenges, the source says.

According to sources, the recently expelled officials including former Director General Dr. Mark Cyubahiro Bagabe and Deputy Director General Dr. Daphrose Gahakwa among others are under investigation.

“Bagabe did not want to collaborate and respect his bosses in the Ministry. He just wanted to work as an independent institution without reporting to the Ministry,” a source says.

Where cometh RAB

RAB was formed after the merger of three agriculture institutions; the Rwanda Animal Resources Development Authority (RARDA), the Rwanda Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) and the Rwanda Agriculture Research Institute (ISAR).

IGIHE has observed that problems with RAB are likely to have roots from the merger of these institutions.

The Auditor General’s report of 2014/2015 revealed that former districts owed RAB a total of Rwf610 million. The report also revealed that RAB had arrears of Rwf114 million that they had to pay other institutions.

In September, 2016 when she was appearing before PAC, former RAB Deputy Director General, Gahakwa was asked about the arrears from the districts and measures they had set in order to recover them.

Gahakwa responded that the arrears were from RADA and RARDA.

She said that both agencies had provided different products like artificial insemination and vaccines among others to former communes. After the merger of communes and forming of new district entities, Gahakwa said that they failed to recover the debts.

“These are debts from long ago; I can’t assure you that we will recover them, actually no institution is accountable to repay,” she said.

How do RAB problems affect farmers?

According to Emmanuel Hafashimana, a maize farmer from Gahara Sector, Kirehe District in Eastern Province claims that they don’t get fertilizers on time.

“Sometimes we can get fertilizers during plantation period, but miss it during weeding period. During plantation, we use DAP but in weeding season we need UREA, that is where we suffer a lot because sometimes we wait and end up without getting it,” he said.

He said that it affects their production as they don’t comply with the cultivation practice packages.

He calls on RAB to reduce the prices of the fertilizers as it costs them much money.

“They should consider cutting the price of the fertilizers; one bag of 50kgs of DAP is Rwf21,250,” he said.

He said that in the last planting season they did not get UREA.

Another farmer Martin Bizimana, from Gahara Sector of Kirehe District observed that problems they face are caused by lack of agronomists and veterinaries.

He says that they have one agronomist and one veterinary in the whole sector. He added that when a person needs them for immediate help, it can take a week without reaching him.

“We, the farmers, suffer a lot. Take an example when there is a crop disease outbreak; you can call an agronomist to help you, and can take a week to reach the farm. The situation ends up in loss,” he said adding that it is the same case with veterinary services.

Efforts to talk to current RAB management were futile until press time.

This was announced by Prime Minister, Dr. Eduard Ngirente on Tuesday while presenting the status of agriculture sector to members of both chambers of parliament.

Ngirente said that agriculture growth stood at 7% in 2017 up from 4% in 2016. In livestock and livestock products, productivity increased by 11%.

He said that agriculture and livestock contributed 31% to Rwanda’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2017 from 28% in 2010.

Among different measures to increase the sector’s productivity, Ngirente said that Rwanda targets to increase irrigated land to 102,284 hectares.

“On measures to increase contribution of agriculture and animal resources sector to the economy of the country, the government targets to increase irrigated surface to 102,284 hectares by 2024 from 48,598 hectares in 2017,” he said.

However, members of parliament raised a concern on water shortage in different parts of the country asking whether it would not hamper the implementation of the programme.

The Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), Dr. Geraldine Mukeshimana responded to MPs’ concerns saying that they are putting in efforts in using water from rivers and lakes through pumping techniques.

“There are no more projects to increase water for irrigation than using water harvesting systems, and rivers and lakes which we hope will make good impact,” she explained.

By referencing to World Bank report of 2016, Minister Ngirente said the contribution of agriculture sector to Rwanda’s GDP continues to be vital.

The refugees who recently crossed the border to Rwanda from the Democratic Republic of Congo had refused to abide by laws and obligations regulating refugees in Rwanda, citing religious beliefs.

Accompanied by officials from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs (MIDIMAR) and the High Commissioner for Refugees (HCR), all refugees arrived at Nemba border at 8:00am and were registered before crossing to Burundi.

On Saturday, according to MIDIMAR, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and East African Community had written to Burundian government telling them that the refugees will be repatriated back.

At the border no Burundian official was present to receive them, only border officials and Police Officer deployed there were available.

MIDIMAR Permanent Secretary, Olivier Kayumba said that all refugees from Gashora were sent home and they remain with those hosted in Nyanza based transit center and Nyarushishi in Rusizi District.

On Thursday, Police had arrested 33 refugees who were inciting others to reject the assistance. Among them 31 were from Gashora transit centre.

Kayumba said that those who had been arrested were also released and repatriated.

According to Kayumba, after refusing to abide by laws, refugees chose to return in their country.

Early this month, over 2500 Burundian refugees entered in the country from the Democratic Republic of Congo. They refused all food assistance processed from industries.

Also the refugees declined physical identification, treatment and vaccination.

On Saturday, MIDIMAR, the United Nations refugee Agency (UNCHR), The Ministry of Health (MoH), The World Health Organization (WHO) and World Food Program (WFP) jointly warned the refugees to abide by laws regulating refugees if they want to be granted refugee status in Rwanda.

Sekamana won the football top position with 45 votes of the total voters against his competitor, Louis Rurangirwa who got only seven votes.

The 60-year old retired army senior officer will serve a four-year mandate. In December last year, same elections took place but there was no victor. The 2017 contest was between Vincent De Gaulle Nzamwita and Félicité Rwemalika.

During the campaign, Sekamana said that after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, only football did not develop, a reason that he decided to bring his contribution towards revamping the sector.

The outgoing president, Nzamwita urged new committee to develop regulations that prohibit members from creating groups which he dubbed ‘Coalition for changes groups’. He said that such groups don’t contribute to solving problems. He urged that they should address problems in the general assembly.

It is not the first time, the federation is led by a senior army officer. It was led by Lt. Gen. Caezar Kayizari from 1995 to 2005; and Maj. Gen. Jean Bosco Kazura from2006 to 2011.

In this spirit, College APECOM Gakenke in Gatsibo District was founded on 6th April 1986 as the first private school in the eastern part of Rwanda which had even a handful of public schools which, worse enough, were largely admitting students from then government’s favoured northern part of the country.

Charles Bazatsinda, a founding member of APECOM, tells IGIHE that about 200 parents from different districts, then known as communes, in the area contributed Rwf50,000 each to develop infrastructure and APECOM opened doors starting the academic year 1986-1987.

“We started College APECOM in order to promote education in our area because our region was not considered for secondary education in public schools while we had no single private school in the region now spanning from Nyagatare to Kayonza districts,” says retired teacher Bazatsinda.

How APECOM sank

According to Aloys Gapira, Chairman of Board of Directors and parents’ representative at now defunct College APECOM, the school rose to fame in the 2000s when the school, then hosting at least 1,200 students, was among the country’s largest schools but enrolments started plummeting gradually from 2009 when the government introduced free-of-charge Nine-Year Basic Education (9YBE), reversing the privatisation of education.

The school was also mired by bad management, according to some founding members and government officials who inspected the school. APECOM’s enrolment, which kept leaning on upper secondary school, sank further in 2012 when the government introduced free 12-Year Basic Education, presenting a better option for parents who were struggling to pay school fees in private schools.

The school, which battled for long to withstand operational costs’ imbalance, announced in January 2018 that it was not admitting students for this academic year and indefinitely suspended operations, citing reasons of changing strategy and taking new direction.

Gapira has told IGIHE that the school was increasingly accumulating debts for staff, suppliers and different creditors while the small students’ number could not service the costs.

“We had 182 students in total last year. We had four students in senior one in 2017, they got frustrated for being few in class and three left at the end of first term. We also had other classes with two, four and five students each. It was so challenging to teach in those conditions. The largest numbers were the then leaving 75 students,” says the Board Chairman Gapira.

“We realised that our enrolment had drastically reduced and thought what we could do. Our school is not business-oriented; we do not even have means to invest much in it. We started APECOM to address schools’ shortage but today schools abound in the country and in our area. We have achieved our mission; education is well offered and more affordable in public schools.”

Gapira said they are considering selling a part of APECOM’s establishment which is currently hosting University of Technology and Arts of Byumba in order to pay debts including eight-month salary for 18 staff members.

He added that they have tasked a team to study the new direction of the school and that they consider reopening it probably next year to offer technical and vocational training and or primary education as a day-school.

Scores shut down every year

APECOM’s fate is shared by most of the private schools which keep wobbling before 12YBE forces. At least 10 private secondary schools in Rwanda are closing down every year, 30 closed down at the beginning of 2017 alone and more are likely to fall in the peril as student enrolment dramatically reduces.

Jean Marie Vianney Usengumuremyi, Chairman of Rwanda Private Schools Association, told IGIHE recently that only government can save the struggling schools by subsidising them but the government has always rejected the proposal.

Usengumuremyi said the association which once counted over 200 members, was remaining with slightly over 100 schools in 2017 but that 70% of them were also struggling to stay afloat.

REB advises

Dr. Irenée Ndayambaje, the Director General of Rwanda Education Board (REB) says that Government’s policy on education for all is paramount and unstoppable but advises private schools’ owners to go back to the drawing board.

“We recognise a vital role that private schools played and are playing in our education but Government has invested much to educate even those who could not afford to pay school fees. Investors should change their strategy, improve their education quality and introduce rare subjects in their regions but also needed on the labour market,” he says.

Dr. Ndayambaje added, “There are many other private schools faring well because their standards are high. I urge all of them to give quality education to win parents’ choice on where to educate their children. I also advise them to invest much in technical and vocational education. Though expensive, technical courses are timely and acquired through a long process because someone can decide to do take many courses at different timings.”

Ministry of Education’s statistics show there were 1,575 secondary schools in the country in 2016 including 460 government-owned with 173,109 students, 862 government-aided with 301,554 students while 253 private schools had 79,076 students with an average of 312 students per school.