The Ministry of Health has extended its condolences to the families of two men, including a 45-year-old man and a 50-year-old from Rwamagana.
It was the second day in a row in Rwamagana District that two people die.
The Minister of State for Local Government, Prof Shyaka Anastase, recently announced that if Rwandans continue to stay up late, it is possible that in the next few days they have to go back into total lockdown, while the COVID-19 pandemic will intensify.
The 20 new cases were identified in Kigali: 13 (testing in high risk groups), Muhanga: 3, Nyanza: 1, Rubavu: 2 and Rwamagana: 1.
The total cases so far detected in Rwanda are 5,262, of whom 4,967 or 94 percent have recovered, while 255 remain active cases. A total of 574, 876 tests have been conducted, with 2,974 new tests conducted over the last 24 hours.
Coronavirus symptoms include coughing, flu, and difficulty in breathing. The virus is said to be transmitted through the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract.
Rwandans are required to continue to comply with government regulations, especially with frequent washing of hands and water and soap, wearing masks when leaving home or in public.
The warning is contained in his message after it became clear that many people have already given up on COVID-19 prevention measures, while the outbreak has not gone away despite of the fact that active cases are few.
As of Sunday, police had arrested more than 230 people in bars with alcohol, in violation of COVID-19 prevention guidelines.
In an interview with Television Rwanda, Minister Shyaka said: “So obviously we are still sleeping, without taking steps to implement the given precautions, Lockdown is inevitable. We repeat it, maybe more than a week or two, but if that continues, that’s a problem that we are throwing ourselves into, and yet we have a choice to avoid it.”
He said that people should return to complying with measures of prevention, and involved organs to punish and to take necessary measures because people seem to have become careless of the situation.
“You could see there was some sort of laziness because most people saw the numbers going down and started thinking we have prevailed on the Covid,” he observed.
“That is the mistake that has been made all over the world, where the countries that have eased the lockdown to going back to total lockdown again. So, we would only resort to this as a last resort. ”
Countries have recently returned to total lockdown after have been open for a long time with an increasing number of activities including France, Germany, and the UK, even Italy is getting ready to go back.
However, there is hope that the vaccine will be available in the coming months, after a 90% chance of protection from infection by Pfizer and BioNTech.
On Monday, the Ministry of Health said that two deaths in Rwamagana district were the newest cases of the covid-19 in Rwanda, bringing the number of deaths to 38.
Since March 14, 2020, when the first patient was found in Rwanda, 571,902 Coronavirus samples had been taken, of which 5242 cases were confirmed. Of those, 4967 recovered, while 237 are still active cases.
The minerals had been smuggled into Rwanda from the neighboring DR. Congo.
The driver of the taxi Toyota Carina RAB 669T identified as Damascene Jambo, 45, and one Angelique Umulisa, 35, the alleged owner of the minerals, were also arrested in the process.
Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Bonaventure Twizere Karekezi, the Police spokesperson of the Western region, said that the taxi was intercepted at about 11 pm as the suspected smugglers were en route to Rubavu town.
“Earlier that evening, security organs in Rubavu District had received information from residents about consignments of minerals that had been sneaked into Rwanda from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through a porous border, and kept in a house located in Kanembwe Village of Busigari Cell in Cyanzarwe Sector,” CIP Karekezi said.
He added: “The house was put under surveillance until the suspected rightful owner—Angelique Umulisa—arrived with a taxi she had hired, and loaded the minerals which were concealed in five sacks, into the vehicle. Umulisa was arrested alongside her driver, shortly after taking off as they headed to Gisenyi town. The taxi, minerals and suspects were handed over to Gisenyi RIB station, for further management.”
Following their arrest, Umulisa, who is said to have been engaged in this unlawful mineral business for a while now, stated that she had 150kgs of traumaline.
However, after measuring, it came to light that the five sacks weighed 250kgs.
CIP Karekezi thanked the residents, who provided credible information which facilitated the successful operation.
“There are increased successful operations against smugglers and drug traffickers largely because of the ownership and responsiveness of the people, who provide information,” said the spokesperson.
Article 54 of the law on mining and quarry operations, states that; “any person, who undertakes mineral or quarry exploration, exploitation, processing or trading without a licence commits an offence.”
Upon conviction, the offender is liable to imprisonment for a term of between two and six months and a fine of not less than one million Rwandan francs (FRW 1,000,000) and not more than five million Rwandan francs (FRW 5,000,000) or only one of these penalties.
The court also orders confiscation of any seized minerals or quarry in storage, trading or processing without a license.
Fourteen of the 20 new cases emerged in the Eastern Province district of
Rwamagana, which have not been among the hotspot districts since the first case of COVID-19 was detected in the country in March this year.
The two deaths were also recorded in the same district, with the Ministry of Health revealing that the two were 45-year old males, passing on condolences to their families.
The Eastern Province districts of Kirehe, Nyagatare, Ngoma and now Rwamagana have registered several cases over the last months, mainly due exposure to cross-border infections, mainly linked to trucks or movement of goods.
The City of Kigali however continues to register few numbers, with just one among the new cases, Huye district in Southern Province has 3 while Kayonza and Kirehe districts have one each.
The total cases so far detected in Rwanda are 5,242, of whom 4,967 or 95 percent have recovered, while 237 remain active cases. A total of 571, 902 tests have been conducted, with 1,293 new tests conducted over the last 24 hours.
Coronavirus symptoms include coughing, flu, and difficulty in breathing. The virus is said to be transmitted through the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract.
Rwandans are required to continue to comply with government regulations, especially with frequent washing of hands and water and soap, wearing masks when leaving home or in public.
The operations are aimed at implementing national directives meant to curb further spread of COVID-19 pandemic.
Rwanda National Police (RNP) spokesperson, Commissioner of Police (CP) John Bosco Kabera said that about 100 violators were caught in Landmark Suites located in Kagugu cell, Kinyinya Sector of Gasabo District on Sunday at about 1am, drinking.
“At about 1am on Sunday, Police received information about a large group of young people, who were gathered at Landmark Suites drinking.
Police officers deployed managed to arrest 100 people, most of them drunk, and took them to ULK ground in Gisozi. Many other violators, who were there also drinking managed to escape during the operation,” CP Kabera said.
The hospitality establishment had the previous day on Saturday hosted a wedding party. It is said that some of the invitees stayed back drinking, after the party ended.
“It was a big gathering at the time when everyone was supposed to be home. It is so unfortunate that after about nine months of awareness on the pandemic and prevention directives, we can still witness such serious violations,” CP Kabera emphasised.
Local authorities have since closed the hospitality establishment.
Meanwhile, 73 other violators were found drinking at a bar located in Kimironko Sector also in Gasabo District, and taken to Amahoro stadium
Other 58 were caught in Nyamirambo, Nyarugenge District including 10, who were found holding a birthday party in a home that had also been turned into a bar. They were taken to Kigali stadium.
The stadiums and other designated sites are used to control movements during prohibited movements hours (10pm to 4am) but also to educate those caught in varied violations on the pandemic, government directives as well as safety guidelines.
All the implicated hospitality facilities were closed in addition to fines applied to owners and all those caught in the violations.
CP Kabera warned owners and employees of hospitality establishments as well as the general public against breaching prevention directives and guidelines, putting other people at the risk of contracting COVID-19.
“Such inappropriate human behaviors can be the source of further spread of COVID-19 with the risk of taking Rwanda back to bad days of the pandemic including the lockdown. No one wants that, which means it is the responsibility of everyone to report such violations happening in your neighborhoods or whenever you witness such,” CP Kabera said.
As the government continues to ease and open some of the services, CP Kabera warned that this should not be perceived as an opportunity to operate beyond set safety guidelines but rather a moment to operate with “maximum compliance.”
“COVID-19 is still amongst us and it is spread by the people. We still see new infections and sadly, some people have succumbed to the virus. So, whatever you do and wherever you are running your errands, remember that you can be the source or someone next to you can infect you.
Avoid unnecessary movements, go home early, wear a facemask, wash or sanitize your hands regularly, observe physical distancing, avoid unnecessary or prohibited gatherings and report violators. Fighting COVID-19 is the responsibility of everyone through maximum compliance and reporting violations.”
“President Kagame and the Government of Rwanda have congratulated U.S. President-elect @JoeBiden and Vice President-elect @KamalaHarris upon their victory;
“We look forward to building on the strong partnership between our countries,” the President’s Office tweeted on Sunday.
It was on Saturday, after four days of voting, that Democratic Party candidate Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. defeated Donald Trump in a landslide victory.
Biden, 78, pipped incumbent Trump in one of the U.S most competitive elections, garnering 50.6 percent of the total votes cast, equivalent to 75,198,127 -the highest number of votes to be received by any U.S Presidential candidate, giving him 290 electoral college votes, compared to Trump’s 214.
Kamala Harris, on the other hand, became the first female Vice President in the history of America, and the first Black person and the first person of South Asian descent to be elected to the second most coveted position in U.S politics.
MTN Mobile Money (MoMo) is the most widely used platform for payments in Rwanda. By availing the MoMo API, developers and programmers can innovate on the platform and develop products and solutions that will create a wider range of digital financial offerings for MTN’s 3.2 million MoMo customers.
“We’re excited to announce the official opening of the MoMo API. As technology evolves, our ambition is to lead digital for a brighter Rwanda and opening the MoMo API further emphasises this ambition by giving local developers an opportunity to innovate and build products that will enhance financial inclusion and improve customer experience when making payments,” said MTN CEO, Mitwa Ng’ambi.
The Mobile Money API can be accessed by developers online through https://momoapi.mtn.co.rw/
“Previously, developers had to physically come to MTN and undergo a lengthy integration process. Now they can do it from the comfort of their homes. The online system provides an option for developers to test their products prior to go-live using an API sandbox available at no cost on the website,” added Ng’ambi.
The availability of the API will give a chance to innovators to be able to monetise their products as they stimulate the growth of the MoMo ecosystem in Rwanda.
Once an application is tested successfully, MTN will align on commissions with the developers, sign contracts and invite them on the live environment for the open APIs.
To further foster innovation and enhance financial inclusion, MTN is inviting developers and entrepreneurs between the ages of 15 – 35 to participate in the MTN Yolo Hackathon and win up to Rwf2,000,000. The Hackathon will go live on 15th January 2021.
Commenting on the Hackathon, Ng’ambi said, “The MTN Yolo Hackathon further illustrates our commitment to being a partner that is open to collaboration with members of the developer community. Shared value creation that enables shared prosperity is at the heart of everything that MTN does.
We celebrate the role that collaboration can play in ensuring that more people enjoy the benefits of a modern connected life.”
Individuals participating in the Hackathon are expected to address challenges and come up with solutions that are feasible, scalable, inclusive and revenue generating in these 4 sectors.
A call for applications, terms and conditions as well as regulations of the MTN Yolo Hackathon will be announced by the end of November 2020 and will be posted on the MTN Website www.mtn.co.rw.
For any questions on the MoMo API or the upcoming MTN Yolo Hackathon, interested parties can get in touch with MTN via momo.RW@mtn.com.
Rotary clubs have for long been contributing to improving the quality of water supply, quality of education, fighting epidemics, ignorance and poverty, protecting the environment and promoting peace.
Assistant District Governor – District 9150, Rugera Jeannette, said the donations raised by the Rotary Club are in line with continued promotion of hygiene.
“This support to the schools is meant to fight the Covid-19. We as Rotary Club Rwanda have not stayed behind. We found it good to join the government, especially now that some children have returned to school, and others will be joining them soon. There are still need for handwashing stations.”
She added that the campaign was going to start in Kigali but will be scaled to other districts.
“Right now we are going to start with five schools, three in Kigali and two in other districts,” She said. “This is a great start, but it will continue to be a great way to get kids to wash as much as possible.”
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Rwanda, Rotary clubs have joined hands with others to help those affected by the spread of the pandemic, including feeding the needy and the unemployed, buying facemasks for the needy and providing medical equipment to health workers.
Baguma Rose, Director General of the Ministry of Education for Policy and Planning, told IGIHE that they already have plans to expand bathrooms in schools, praising the Rotary club’s role in the fight against COVID-19.
“As MINEDUC, we are very grateful to the Rotary Club for their support in helping us to build a place for children to go to school,” she said.
“Nowadays, children are starting to go back to school but you know that one of the strategies put in place by the Ministry of Health includes regular washing throughout the day, wearing masks and other measures. So this is one of the ways we can help protect children from COVID-19 infection while they are at school. ”
In Rwanda, Rotary is made up of six clubs including Musanze, Kigali Mont Jali, Kigali Virunga, Kigali Doyen, Gasabo and Butare with 122 members.
The Ambassador participated in the Mass of Sunday, November 8, at Regina Pacis Catholic Church; where the Cardinal Antoine Kambanda, who embraced the presence of H.E Hazza Alqahtani, led the Mass.
H.E Hazza Alqahtani thanked the Cardinal for allowing him to participate in the Mass.
“The United Arab Emirates (UAE) was founded in 1971; it is a constitutional federation of seven emirates that include Abu Dhabi the capital and Dubai the economic capital. There are over 200 nationalities living in harmony & coexistence in the UAE today and every major religion is practiced; the expatriate community outnumbers the population of UAE nationals.”
According to the Ambassador, the founding father of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed was tolerant and called all people to be tolerant themselves, to accept others and coexist with them regardless of color, religion, or beliefs.
“He did this using his compassionate fatherly style, wisdom, and gentle words done with ease and spontaneity to reach the hearts and minds of listeners.” He said
“Diversity, openness, religious tolerance all align with Emirati adherence to moderate Islam, a guiding principle of the UAE’s national identity since 1971. As emphasized by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi H.E. Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE is a nation of tolerance, peace, cultural diversity, and coexistence.” H.E Alqahtani said
The Ministry of Tolerance was created in 2016 and the UAE declared 2019 as the Year of Tolerance & issuance of Document on Human Fraternity.
On February 4th, 2019 His Holiness Pope Francis, head of the Roman Catholic Church and spiritual leader to 1.2 billion devotees, arrived in Abu Dhabi, becoming the first pontiff ever to visit the Arabian Peninsula.
“During this momentous visit, Pope Francis met with His Eminence Grand Imam Sheikh of al-Azhar Dr. Ahmed al-Tayyib. The two religious leaders signed the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together at the Founder’s Memorial in Abu Dhabi.”
The Document of Human Fraternity calls for an end to the use of religion as a justification for war, violence, and harm and opposes extremism in all forms. This historic document presents a series of guidelines, which denounce violence in the name of religion and urge the adoption of a culture of dialogue and mutual cooperation as a code of conduct and reciprocal understanding.
“His Holiness Pope Francis said and I quote…. “This visit to the United Arab Emirates belongs to the “surprises” of God. So let us praise Him and His providence, and pray that the seeds sown may bring forth fruits of peace”.”
H.E Alqahtani said that the Abrahamic religions Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are united by the belief in one God, and all three share in a history connected to the patriarch Abraham.
In an increasingly polarized world, the UAE proposed a dedicated space for inter-faith dialogue.
“Religious tolerance and the embrace of diversity have been a part of the UAE story from the very beginning. And following this, last year I hosted at my Residence, an Inter-Faith Iftar that brought together the leaders of the different religious faiths in Rwanda including His Grace the Cardinal, members of the Diplomatic Corps, and the former Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Richard Sezibera.”
The UAE unveiled plans for the Abrahamic House of Fraternity on September 20th, 2019 in New York alongside the UN General Assembly.
“The Abrahamic Family House will be an interfaith complex currently in development in Abu Dhabi, a representation of the Document of Human Fraternity which will feature a church, a mosque, a synagogue and a secular welcome center on one shared site. Currently, in development, the project’s anticipated completion date has been set for the year 2022.”
“At the Abrahamic House of Fraternity, each of the three houses of faith, a mosque, a church, and a synagogue, will stand at the same height to symbolize equality. The design will highlight the often overlooked similarities between the three faiths and their corresponding architectural traditions.”
The Abrahamic House of Fraternity will act as a place for religious worship as well as a space for exhibitions, programs, conferences, and interfaith dialogue initiatives.
“The aim is to be in support of global and regional stability, increased collaborative opportunities of all kinds, expanded economic prosperity, strengthened international relations, and countering violent extremism in all forms, promoting cross-cultural education and promoting peace.”
He ended his remarks by thanking His Grace Cardinal Antoine Kambanda for the opportunity he was given to share Sunday mass with him.
Mrs. Kagame made the request as she welcomed 23 new Members of the club, which include 12 new members of the cabinet and their spouses, pointing out that inducting new members emphasizes the importance of the club and serves as a reminder of the uniqueness and mission of the organization, urging them to be bearers of light.
“Accepting them today makes us all reminisce about our uniqueness first and foremost. We started our family as a group of women, united by the fact that our spouses were members of cabinet or heads of different institutions of government,” Mrs. Kagame said.
She pointed out that Unity Club was founded at the time when the country was going through a difficult phase, characterized by anger, divisions, prejudice and mistrust as it grappled with the devastating effects of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi; she said that had things remained as they were at the time, 24 years ago when Unity Club was founded, the country wouldn’t be where it is today.
“Our aim was to foster unity, especially since we had already seen that, when divisions and hate are given the front seat, the consequences are serious and long term,” Mrs Kagame said,
She added that the principle of Unity Club is that once you are a member, you are always a member, whether you are still in government or not.
“Our responsibility as torchbearers and as leaders in particular, we are committed to prioritizing Rwanda as a country, Rwandans as an identity and our unity as a people, which is what connects us,”
“We are determined to be the Light! Light brings us out of darkness, for where darkness is, there is much destruction,” she said.
She reminded the members of the club that the idea of coming together was to join efforts to support the government in the difficult journey of rebuilding a country, pointing out that when people join hands, they can overcome any challenge.
Mrs. Kagame said that Rwandan continues to have many detractors who use the internet and social media platforms to tarnish the image of the country and the progress it has made so far, urging members to use the same platforms to challenge the negative propaganda aimed at setting the country back to its dark past.
“We must never tolerate ideas whose aim to destroy Rwanda, and what we have already achieved. A Unity Club member should prioritize Rwandans and work for the betterment of our citizens, the community, and the nation as a whole,” adding that they must ensure that no one’s rights are violated.
“We continue to find users of technology who distort our history and want to destroy our unity. As members of Unity Club, we should as well use this technology to counter this misinformation since we know the truth and we have seen the results of our efforts speaking for themselves,”
The First Lady emphasized the importance of a united country, which she said is the bridge that will allow the country and the people to transition from its past characterized by divisions and ethnicity.
Reflecting on the recommendations of the 13th Forum, which took noted of the challenges facing unity and reconciliation, the First Lady called on members to continue efforts to foster the same, something she said is a calling to Unity Club members.
Among other challenges, Mrs. Kagame said that the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC) highlighted challenges which remain an obstacle to unity and reconciliation, including denying the Rwandan identity, discrimination, harassing genocide survivors, distorting the country’s history, hiding and destroying evidence.
She urged members of the club to be at the forefront of fighting those vices and be the bearers of light which illuminates the world, emphasizing the need to continue spreading the good message, which she said is a vaccine that strengthens the oneness of Rwandans.
During the retreat, members of Unity Club took stock of the progress made, challenges and the future of the organization as well as solutions to challenges facing the Rwandan society today.
