Author: John Mbaraga

Gates made the remarks in a note he shared Wednesday. He says that after the 1994 genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi, Rwanda’s economy and health system were in ruins.

He said that many of the country’s doctors and health workers had been killed or fled, fewer than one in four children were vaccinated, a cholera epidemic swept through refugee camps.

Gates said that Rwanda had the world’s highest child mortality rate and the shortest life expectancy and the country’s future seemed miserable.

However, the World’s second tycoon and philanthropist in health and welfare services says that the situation has changed to the extent Rwanda became global reference.

“Today, Rwanda is a stunning global health success story—one I often cite when I’m asked about examples of health and development progress. More than 97 percent of infants are vaccinated. Rates of child mortality, maternal mortality, and deaths from tuberculosis, AIDS, and malaria have all plummeted. Its health system has become a model for other nations to follow,” he said.

He said that many people contributed in making such dramatic turnaround possible from government leaders to health workers to the people of Rwanda themselves.

Among key contributors Gates mentioned include, former Minister of Health, Dr. Agnes Binagwaho.
“As a physician, leader of Rwanda’s HIV program, and later minister of health, Dr. Binagwaho has spent the last two decades playing a hands-on role rebuilding the country’s health care system,” he said.

“The transformation of Rwanda’s health system has its roots in a very simple, but powerful idea promoted by Dr. Binagwaho and the government of Rwanda. It’s the belief that health is a human right for all—no matter their income, ethnic group, or where they call home,” he noted.

While much more work needs to be done to continue to strengthen health care, Gates says that Rwanda’s progress has been remarkable that the country’s health system has managed to achieve so much progress on a limited budget compared to other poor countries is often called a “miracle.”

Gates supports different health services programmes in Rwanda through his Foundation ‘Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’.

Tuesday cyclists set-off from Huye District in Southern Province to Musanze District in Northern Province on the distance of 199.7 kilometers.

The stage winner, Hellmann used 05hours 11 minutes and 4 seconds, while the second Lozano Riba David used 05hours 11 minutes and 12 seconds.

At this stage, Rwandan Valens Ndayisenga came fifth with eleven seconds behind the first but continued to leading the general classification and retained the yellow jersey.

Samuel Mugisha came 11th using 05 hours 12 minutes and 21 seconds.

Among 79 players who attended the competition, three withdrawn yesterday after failing to finalize second phase from Kigali to Huye. Those are Behringer Olivier for Team Novo Nordisk, Bissa Badoja for SNH Velo Club and Jilowa Agoster for Sampada

{{Stage three top five}}

1. Hellmann Julian
2. Lozano Riba David
3. Beneke Calvin
4. Doring Jonas
5. Ndayisenga Valens

{{General Classification}}

1. Samuel Mugisha: 10h34’00”
2. Jean Claude Uwizeye: 10h34’21”
3. Hailemichael Mulu: 19h34’21”
4. Lozano Riba David: 10h35’55”
5. Doring Jonas: 10h36’17”

Article 79 of the 2003 Constitution as amended in 2015 says that for elections purposes, the President of the Republic dissolves the Chamber of Deputies at least 30 days and not more than 60 days before the end of the parliamentary term.

The organic law says that the term of Deputies is five years starting from the day they take oath of office.

However, the law emphasizes that for electoral reasons, the President of the Republic shall dissolve the parliament, Chamber of Deputies in a period not less than 30 days and not more than 60 days before the expiry of their term of office.

The outgoing members of parliament were elected on September 16th and sworn in on October 4th, 2013. This means that remaining days to end their term allow the president to dissolve the house.

The National Electoral Commission has revealed that a total of 521 candidates were found eligible to compete for parliamentary seats.

Five political parties (including coalition of different political parties with RPF-Inkotanyi) are competing in the elections while four independents are standing.

It is the first time for the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda (DGPR) to have candidates in parliamentary elections.

The list released yesterday in Kigali contains 521 candidates eligible to compete, among 539 who had presented their interests.

Among the 521 candidates, only four candidates are standing as independents including; Elissam Salim Ntibanyendera, Ally Hussein Sebagenzi, Philippe Mpayimana and Janvier Nsengiyumva while approved candidates from political parties–RPF Inkotanyi, Liberal Party (PL) and Social Democratic Party (PSD), are 302.

From the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda (DGPR), among the 34 candidates that expressed interest, two were not confirmed while of the 45 PS-Imberakuri submissions, nine were rejected. .

Of the aspiring youth representatives, six among 32 who presented their interests were not approved while all ten candidatures for persons with disabilities were successfully approved. For seats reserved for women in parliament, 179 candidates were approved.

According to NEC Chairperson, Prof. Kalisa Mbanda, this year, they received many candidates when compared to the 2013 Members of Parliamentarians’ elections.

In 2013, NEC received 441 candidates and approved 410, among them, 221 (50%) were women, while this year women are 326 (60%).

Campaigning activities are scheduled from August 13th to September 1st 2017.

Mbanda called on candidates to follow electoral code by avoiding defamation and divisive messages.

“This serves to remind them that they are Rwandans, their shared target is national building. Candidates are requested to campaign in peace. A candidate presents their manifesto, but, they should not criticize others’ campaigns,” he reminded candidates.

He reminded voters to follow electoral campaigns for them to identify candidates who they will vote for.

Kagame was speaking Monday in Kigali while opening the 2018 Giants of Africa Camp.

Giants of Africa is a Kenyan non-profit organization aimed at facilitating young talented basketball players gain experience and access to coaching and facilities.

At the camp in Kigali, the young players will be facilitated by Adam Silver, the Commissioner of the National Basketball Association, a men’s professional basketball league in North America. Also attending the camp is Masai Ujiri, the President of the Toronto Raptors, a Canadian Professional basketball team based in Toronto.

Kagame thanked both participants saying that it is pleasure to be in the camp for young people and for basketball.

“We are grateful that you have identified and spotted our country’s young talents and you are doing this work to develop them,” Kagame said.

Speaking to young basketball players, Kagame said “we look up to you for you to be what you want to be among other things including basketball players,”

He told participants of Giants of Africa camp to invest possible efforts if they want to become giants.

“You don’t become giants anyhow. Invest your energy, time, thinking and passion into it, you may end up being giants,” he urged.

Mugisha sealed the 120.5 kilometer road followed by another Rwandan Jean Claude Uwiyeze playing for POC Côte de Lumière in France and Mulu Hailemichael from Ethiopia. Currently, Mugisha plays for Dimension Data but his team did not participate, a reason why in the competition he plays for Team Rwanda.

In Kigali—Huye stage, Mugisha used 3hours 8minutes and 56seconds with 21 seconds ahead of the second Uwizeye who used 3hours 9minutes and 17 seconds.

{{Top five on the list in Kigali-Huye stage}}

1. Mugisha Samuel (Team Rwanda) – 03h08’56”
2. Uwizeye Jean Claude (POC Côte de Lumière yo mu Bufaransa)—03h09’17”
3. Mulu Hailemichael (Ethiopia)—03h09’17”
4. Munyaneya Didier (Team Rwanda) –03h12’20”
5. Doring Jonas (Team Descartes Romandie) –03h12’22”

{{Top five players on general list}}

1. Mugisha Samuel (Team Rwanda)
2. Uwizeye Jean Claude (POC Côte de Lumière yo mu Bufaransa)
3. Mulu Hailemichael (Ethiopia)
4. Lozano Riba David (Team Novo Nordisk)
5. Lagab Azzedine (Algeria)

The Head of State was speaking to the youth yesterday at Gabiro Combat Training Centre in Gatsibo District while closing the XI edition of Itorero Indangamirwa.

The edition brought together 568 trainees, 430 Rwandan residents and 138 Rwandans residing in 20 countries across the world.

Kagame reminded them that the training they received was not only about military drills, but, it is about their daily tasks and mindsets.

“You see the good and the bad in all the places you live. We want you to take the good and use it to build yourself and your nation. And we need to learn from the bad, to protect yourselves and your country from it,” Kagame urged the youth.

“When you build something, however big or small, you work to protect it from any harm. It is the same for our country. We each have a role to protect what we have built together,” Kagame added.

Kagame said that the essence of Itorero comes from Rwandan culture about investing in every Rwandan citizen to ensure that they can become the best they can be.

“It is about ensuring every Rwandan strives to be useful members of society,” he noted.

He reminded the youth that knowledge is important when facilitated by good values.

“Knowledge is important, but if you do not have any values, the knowledge you have gained becomes useless,” he said.

Kagame encouraged youth interested in joining the army to do so, adding that it is the profession joined by best people.

“It is an honor and a pride to know that you are capable of defending yourself, your home and your nation. That is how those of us who joined the army at your age understood it,” Kagame told the youth.