IGIHE

Author: Nicole Kamanzi Muteteri

  • Another hospitality establishment closed over violation of Coronavirus prevention measures

    In the evening of Wednesday, September 2, at around 6pm, 19 people were found gathered at the bar drinking beer, according to the Executive secretary of Gisozi sector, Providence Musasangohe. Not only were they drinking beer, they were also seated very close to each other. Additionally, this was the second time the bar owner was caught in such illegalities.

    “This is not the first time that this bar has been caught violating COVID-19 prevention measures. What is next is for the owner to pay a double fine for recidivism because they were warned the previous time. People who were drinking at the bar will also be fined,” Musasangohe said.

    She also noted that people should understand that when people take alcohol, there is a higher risk for them to get closer and touch each other, or even drink from the same bottle. All these accelerate the spread of the Coronavirus.

    The bar owner, Innocent Urimubabo told the media that he regrets to have been influenced by his clients’ demands to serve alcohol.

    “I had changed the bar posters to ‘restaurant’, and we spent some time without serving alcohol. But yesterday (Wednesday), people were having alcohol. That is when I was caught red-handed by the authorities,” Urimubabo narrated.

    He also advised owners of other hospitality establishments to not fall in the same trap of violating the COVID-19 prevention measures.

    The government recently ordered the closure of all bars, including those operating in restaurants and hotels.

    Rwanda National Police (RNP) spokesperson, Commissioner of Police (CP) John Bosco Kabera gave a fresh warning to all members of the public against COVID-19 prevention measures violations.

    “The virus is still around and some Rwandans have succumbed to it. Violating measures put in place to save lives is something we cannot tolerate, and whoever fails to abide by the directives will face immediate consequences.”

    The August 31 directives issued by City of Kigali on the penalization of people, who violate COVID-19 prevention measures stipulate that whoever will be found operating a bar business in their hospitality establishments, homes, supermarkets, and other places will pay a fine of Rwf150,000 and their businesses closed for at least a month but not more than three months.

    The City directives also provide that any client caught in these establishments drinking also face a fine of Rwf25,000, and taken to allocated centres for at least 24 hours, where they are enlightened on the pandemic of COVID-19 and prevention measures.

    19 people were arrested in the bar in violation of the Coronavirus regulations

  • COVID-19: 18th death, 92 recoveries

    “Condolences to the family of 31-year-old man who passed away in Kigali,” said the Ministry of Health on Thursday, September 3.

    On Thursday, though the country met a loss, the figures were inspiring hope, with 37 new cases, the smallest number in the last three weeks and 92 recoveries bringing the number of recoveries to 2,163.

    The Ministry said that of the new cases, Kigali has confirmed 23 cases from contacts of traders in Kigali market cluster; Rusizi has 4 cases, Gisagara 3, Gakenke 2, while Nyabihu, Kamonyi, Nyanza, Musanze, and Rubavu have each recorded 1 case.

    With the new cases, Rwanda has now confirmed cases to 4255 of which active cases are 2,074.

    Although many services are still open, Rwandans are urged not to be deceived and think the pandemic is over. They are advised to continue to follow the established rules, remembering to wear masks every time they leave home, wash their hands often, to avoid meetings and gatherings. All those who feel the symptoms of this pandemic, including coughing, shortness of breath, among other things; should call the tall free line 114 for medical assistance.

  • Police arrest five with about 2,000 liters of illicit brew

    Police also seized 1,985 liters of locally made illicit substances from the five suspects.
    The operation is part of the strengthened fight against production and sell of illicit drinks, and to dismantle illegal distilleries.

    If was facilitated by credible information from community policing partners in the area, according to Superintendent of Police (SP) Alphonse Mayinga, the District Police Commander for Nyaruguru.

    “We are working with youth volunteers, DASSO and community policing committees to identify and arrest people involved in criminal activities. These include dealers in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. We are also combining operations with sensitization on awareness and prevention of the COVID-19 pandemic,” SP Mayinga said.

    The five men arrested are; Emmanuel Ntakirutimana caught with 610 liters; Janvier Manirakiza with 350 liters; Sylvester Bizimungu had 830 liters; Joseph Hakizimana with 100 liters, and Jean Claude had 95 liters.

    According to SP Mayinga, these psychotropic substances pose a threat to human security.

    “We have had cases of people, who turn violent after drinking illicit brew and becoming threats to the security of residents and their own families in particular.
    That is not all, because during this period when everyone is urged to be vigilant, their clients remain exposed to the risk of contracting the Coronavirus, as they drink from closed up places where social distancing is not applied, neither are facemasks worn. Sometimes, they even drink from the same bottle,” the DPC observed.

    Article 263 of the 2018 law determining offences and penalties in general, stipulates that producing, trafficking or selling simple narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances attracts a term of not less than seven years and not more than 10 years in prison, and a fine of not less than Rwf5 million and not more than Rwf10 million.

    Alcoholic drinks produced without complying with standards and other laws; and chemical substances whose original intended use had been altered, and used as narcotic drugs are classified under simple narcotic drugs by a 2019 ministerial order establishing the categorization of drugs.

  • Akamanzi on Global Innovation Index Advisory Board

    “In 2020, the Global Innovation Index (GII) welcomes two new members to its esteemed Advisory Board: Clare Akamanzi, the Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Development Board, and Heizo Takenaka, the Director of the Center for Global Innovation Studies in Toyo University and former Minister of Japan,” reads the statement.

    In 2011, an Advisory Board was established to provide advice on the research underlying the Global Innovation Index (GII), generate synergies at its stages of development, and assist with the dissemination of its messages and results.

    The Advisory Board is a select group of leading international practitioners with expertise in the realm of innovation. Its members are from diverse geographical and institutional backgrounds and participate in their personal capacity. In 2020, the GII Advisory Board is comprised of 17 members in total.

    Its members come from diverse geographical and institutional backgrounds and participate in their personal capacity.

    Among the high profile figures members of the GII are the Director General of UNESCO Audrey Azoulay, Houlin Zhao, ITO Secretary General and Fabiola Gianotti, Head of European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).

    The GII report is co-published by Cornell University, a US-based Ivy League research university, INSEAD, and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a specialized UN agency.

    The 2020 index is expected Wednesday, September 2, marking the 13th edition; it includes 131 economies, which represent 93.5 percent of the world’s population.

    This edition, with the theme “Who Will Finance Innovation?”, sheds light on the state of innovation financing by investigating the evolution of financing mechanisms for entrepreneurs and other innovators; it is expected to also point out the remaining challenges – including in the context of the economic slowdown induced by the Covid-19 crisis.

    RDB CEO, Clare Akamanzi, was named new advisory board members of the GII, alongside Heizo Takenaka former Minister of Japan.

  • My savings became my life jacket during COVID-19 crisis – Story of Marie Rose

    With the support she received from FXBVillage SKOL program, she was able to develop a successful income generating activity of selling fruits and vegetables, her children returned to school, she joined a savings groups and created a kitchen garden that provided her with legumes. She affirms that she could earn $5 and could regularly save before COVID-19 crisis. It is with apparent happiness and pride that she narrates her story

    ‘’ ’My name is Marie Rose and I live in Gasharu cell, Nyamirambo Sector, the district of Nyarugenge of Kigali city. I am a beneficiary of the VillageFXB SKOL poverty alleviation program, which is now in its final year of implementation. I want to share with you my story of how the FXB SKOL program helped me to cope with the COVID-19 and take care of my family.

    The pandemic that emerged in China was of little concern to us. Most people in Rwanda did not know anything about this disease. After spreading to Europe and other countries around the world, the rumor was that it did not affect Africans, we were wrong. From the first case in Rwanda, everything went very fast, we were put in quarantine, only essential services were still allowed, and our businesses suffered.

    I am very proud to be part of the FXB -SKOL family. It is true that we went through a very difficult time during this COVID-19 crisis, but FXB had prepared us. In three years, I have received a lot of training that allowed me to cope with this situation.

    In the first year, I received training in financial literacy, project management and was provided a start-up capital that allowed me to start an income generating activity of selling fruits and vegetables. We have also been trained and helped to grow a vegetable garden where I grow carrots, lamb’s lettuce, cabbage, beets and much more.

    These vegetables are primarily intended to improve our own diet. I usually sell the surplus to the market, which allows me to increase my income. However, during the crisis I shared them with my neighbors who were starving.

    FXB has taught us to adopt good hygiene habits. We built latrines, showers and a hand-washing station in front of our house. Everybody adopted the habit of regularly wash hands with soap. The government is sensitizing people to adopt good hygiene behaviors to protect themselves from coronavirus, whereas it is already part of our daily life.

    I understood the importance of saving and planning. I am part of a Savings and Credit Group. The group members convenes every week and contribute an agreed amount, based on everyone’s ability, that serve as personal savings and are used to provide small loans to the group members.

    It is also an opportunity to share life experiences and learn from each other. Our group is composed of 28 people and we were able to save $1,200 shortly before the COVID-19 crisis. This is already our second cycle.

    A cycle lasts 12 months and, at the end, we share the profits that we use to expand our businesses or for other personal projects. For this time, our savings have helped us to cope with this challenging situation.

    Even though we are going through difficult times, my family did not suffer too much compared to my neighbors thanks to my income generating activity and my savings. Additionally, my kitchen garden together with all the direct and indirect support I benefited from this program backed me during these hard times.

    The FXB staff remained in regular contact with us remotely via phone and it motivated me. During these tough times, we have really understood the importance of the good lessons we benefited from FXB-SKOL program. My business and my savings have been my life jacket during the moments of turbulence. I thank SKOL and FXB for all the support’’ gratefully relates Marie Rose

    Marie Rose has always been a courageous woman who never gave up despite all the difficulties she went through.

  • Police arrest six in operations against illegal mineral trade

    One of the suspected illegal mineral dealers identified as Jean Damascene Tuyizere was arrested with 280 kilogrammes of Coltan.

    According to Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Aloys Bugingo, the District Police Commander (DPC) for Kamonyi, Tuyizere was at the time smuggling the minerals to Kigali in a vehicle RAC 705I, which was also impounded.

    Apparently, Tuyizere, an employee of COMIKA mining company operating in Rukoma, used the company’s tags to tag his minerals, which he had acquired through other fraudulent means.

    “Tuyizere, who is an employee of COMIKA mining company, was operating other illegal side deals. This time, he had used COMIKA tags in an attempt to beat security and to smuggle the minerals from Kamonyi to Kigali.

    When we inquired with COMIKA management, we indeed found out that the minerals were not theirs and that Tuyizere had used their tags to conduct his illegal mineral businesses on the side,” CIP Bugingo said.

    Meanwhile, another suspected illegal mineral dealer called Gaspard Njenyeri, 54, was also caught with 2.5kgs of coltan. Four other suspects were at the time found mining in a coltan concession in Rukoma.

    “Understanding that there are increased illegal mining and related businesses in Kamonyi, especially in Rukoma, we have increased operations to prevent these unlawful activities and related fraud,” the DPC said.

    He warned residents against the unlawful mineral business and called for continued sharing of information on dealers, including groups that engage in mining and those who buy the minerals from them.

    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 Rwf1 million and not more than Rwf5 million or only one of these penalties.

    The court also orders confiscation of any seized minerals or quarry in storage, trading or processing without a licence.

  • COVID-19: Rwanda records 79 new cases, 31 recoveries

    The Ministry’s statement, on Tuesday, September 1, revealed that 51 new cases were reported from Kigali City from contacts of high risk groups, with 13 from Rusizi, 6 from Rubavu, 5 from Karongi and 4 from Gisagara District.

    Since the COVID-19 outbreak, Rwanda has 4142 confirmed cases taken out of 415,329 sample tests. Of these, 2044 have recovered and were sent home, while the active cases are now 2082.

    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 complying with government regulations, especially with frequent washing of hands and water and soap, wearing masks when leaving home or in public.

  • BK Group nets Rwf 16.1 billion in 2020 first half

    The growth in the company’s interest rate on loans and advances increased by 21.5% compared to the same period last year.

    The bank served over 352,000 retail customers and over 36,600 corporate clients and at the same time expanded its agency banking network to 1,951 agents as at the end of June 2020; the network processed over 1.7million transactions worth Rwf158.8 billion.

    Operating income rose by 8.5 percent to Rwf64.6 billion; this was due to potential impact of Covid-19 and the significant increase in credit risk which largely affected the loan loss provisions. Non-performing loans increased to Rwf52.8 billion, while the non-Performing Loans ratio remained at 5.6 percent while the cost of risk increased to 4.6 percent from 2.7 percent at the end of 2019.

    With the reduced business volumes and increased financial distress, the bank granted a grace period between 3 to 10 months to clients who sought moratorium. With the restructuring of loans, restructured facilities related to Covid-19 reached 37 percent of gross loans and advances.

    BK Insurance registered a profit of Rwf1.4 billion in the second quarter of 2020 compared to Rwf1.14 billion registered in the same period last year representing a 22 percent growth in profitability (Year on year); the insurance arm profit was among other things driven by an increase in gross premium from Rwf2.4 billion in 2019 to Rwf2.7 billion in the second quarter of 2020 this is a growth of 12 percent.

    At BK TecHouse, there was a growth in net sales by 6 percent year on year to Rwf515 million. Net Profit before tax stood at Rwf99 million; the group’s ‘youngest’ subsidiary BK Capital saw assets under management grow to Rwf9.2 billion as at the end of June 2020 from Rwf2.9 billion at the same time last year.

    The BK Group CEO Dr. Diane Karusisi said that the second quarter was a turbulent period due to the effect of the pandemic on the economy.

    “The second quarter was probably the most tumultuous period in a long time as the pandemic hurt economic activity across all sectors. We continued to deliver for our clients, employees, our communities, and shareholders beyond just business continuity. The growth registered in net loans and customer deposits shows that even in times of crisis, it is possible to pursue new opportunities,” she said.

    She believes that the performance will improve in the coming months as the economy steadily picks up.

    “As the Rwandan economy steadily picks up for the rest of the year, we remain hopeful to close this year with a much better performance than anticipated at the beginning of the pandemic,” she said.

    Bank of Kigali, founded in 1966, is the first major bank in Rwanda with a 30.3% market share. It has 68 branches, 94 ATM units, 1,951 agents, all of which provide services to 352,996 individual customers and 36,684 companies.

    BK Group Plc has reported that in the first six months of 2020 they made a profit of Rwf16.1 billion after paying taxes,

  • COVID-19: Rwanda records highest number of recoveries in a day

    The Ministry of Health said that on Monday, August 31, 2020 that the country has recorded 43 new cases out of a total of 4,763 sample tests, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 4,063.

    Among the new case, Kigali has recorded 36 from contacts of traders in Kigali market cluster, Rubavu has 4 new cases, Muhanga recorded 2 people and Gisagara has 1case.

    Today, Rwanda has taken 409,707 sample tests; the number of confirmed cases is now 4063 of which 2034 are active cases. The total number of recoveries is 2013 and 16 people have so far lost their lives to the pandemic.

    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 complying with government regulations, especially with frequent washing of hands and water and soap, wearing masks when leaving home or in public.

  • Man arrested over abusing prevention directives, attempted bribery

    Uwimana had turned his restaurant into a bar.
    Expecting his penalty to be loosened, he tried to bribe the police officers with Rwf5,000.

    This incident, according to Chief Inspector of Police Bonaventure Twizere Karekezi, the Police spokesperson of the Western region, happened on Saturday, August 29, when officers from Ruhango Police station were inspecting the compliance of the COVID-19 prevention measures.

    When they reached in Gisiza cell, Musasa sector, they found out that Uwimana had started a bar in his restaurant.

    “He was pouring local brew when the officers reached there. Others were taking alcohol, without respecting any COVID-19 preventive measures. The officers told him to close the establishment immediately, but he rushed to bribe one of them instead, which prompted his immediate arrest,” CIP Karekezi narrated.

    He further warned people involved in bribery to stop or face the wrath of the law.
    “This man was caught red-handed violating the COVID-19 preventive measures, and then went further to bribe Police officers so as to cover his violations.”

    The spokesperson requested the public to comply with the measures in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

    He reminded the residents that whoever violates the directives will be punished accordingly.

    Uwimana was handed over to Rwanda Investigation Bureau at Ruhango station.
    Article 4 of law 54/2018 of 13/08/2018 that fights corruption says that whoever demands, gives out or receives in any way, a bribe, when convicted by the court of law, is punished with imprisonment of more than five years but not more than seven years, with a fine of threefold to fivefold the bribe they demanded or received.

    A number of bar and restaurant owners were also arrested last week, due to the violation of the COVID-19 prevention measures.