Author: Nicole Kamanzi Muteteri

Building on the achievements of the first phase, the current phase will continue supporting 299 women from the initial cohort and introduce 300 new participants, bringing the total number of direct beneficiaries to 599.

The initiative, which targets communities in Mushubati and Gihango sectors, will benefit more than 2,800 individuals in total, with an investment of USD 1,773,841 (equivalent to approximately Frw 2.55 billion).

This project represents the second phase of KOICA’s broader UPG – Kira Wigire program, implemented by World Vision Rwanda to empower vulnerable communities in Rutsiro. The first phase ran from 2021 to 2023, focusing on socio-economic development and self-reliance.

The project will provide training through programs like “Hinduka Wigire” and “Kora Wigire”, alongside capacity building in agriculture, livestock farming, savings and loan group formation, and market and financial institution linkages.

One of the beneficiaries from the first phase, Vestine Munezero from Congo Nil Cell in Gihango Sector, shared her journey of transformation.

She said, “I used to live in a house made of unplastered bricks that made me feel ashamed, and my husband had abandoned me. Since we were organized into savings groups, I’ve renovated my house, bought chickens, goats, and rabbits, and I’m now able to afford school fees for my children. I’ve achieved all this in just three years through this project.”

Pauline Okumu, National Director of World Vision Rwanda, praised the partnership with local leaders and KOICA, stating that the initiative aligns with national development goals.

She highlighted how the project complements government planning, particularly by empowering citizens through savings groups and income-generating activities.

Kim Kwonho, Deputy Country Director of KOICA Rwanda, echoed these sentiments. He emphasized that the first phase had brought significant improvements in nutrition, economic resilience, and overall well-being among women-headed households.

In the second phase, KOICA views the 599 women not just as beneficiaries, but as entrepreneurs capable of driving meaningful change in Rwanda.

Emmanuel Uwizeyimana, Vice Mayor for Economic Development in Rutsiro, also commended KOICA and World Vision, noting the project’s role in expanding livelihoods.

“This is a great project that has helped our citizens lift themselves out of poverty. As residents of Rutsiro, we consider this project our own because over the past three years, we have witnessed remarkable improvements in the livelihoods of our community. We encourage beneficiaries to continue working hard to achieve even greater results and to target international markets with their products,” he noted.

Impact data from the first phase shows remarkable progress. Between 2021 and 2023, the proportion of households eating two meals a day rose from 35% to 72%, and those consuming a balanced diet increased from 6.7% to 57%.

Community based health insurance coverage improved from 83.6% to 97%, while households saving at least Frw 5,000 per month jumped from 3% to 47%, with some saving up to Frw 44,000 monthly.

Furthermore, contributions to Rwanda’s national long-term savings scheme, Ejo Heza, rose from 0% to 69.5% among beneficiaries, demonstrating the project’s effectiveness in promoting financial security and self-reliance.

In the three years since Spiro began operations in Rwanda, the company has distributed nearly 4,000 electric motorcycles. This initiative aligns with Rwanda’s national goal to phase out fuel-powered motorcycles as part of efforts to reduce air pollution.

Joseph Nsabimana, who has been a motorcycle taxi rider for five years and has been using a Spiro electric motorcycle for two months, highlighted the financial benefits. He explained that switching to an electric motorcycle helped him save money he previously spent on engine oil.

He said, “Every month, I used to pay about Frw 12,000 for oil changes, which adds up to Frw 144,000 annually. With Spiro bikes, that’s money I now save and can reinvest in other areas of my life.”

Nsabimana also thanked the Rwandan government for introducing electric motorcycles and expressed a common wish among riders: that more charging stations be installed in various areas for convenience.

Shanton Ngabire, Spiro’s Head of Sales, announced that the company plans to distribute 25,000 motorcycles this year, some of which will be offered at discounted rates. Spiro also intends to build 400 charging stations across the country.

He noted, “Rusizi is the first district in the Western Province where we’ve opened a branch. Thank you for choosing Spiro. We will increase charging stations as requested. I assure you that wherever motorcycles can reach, we will install stations, not just along major roads.”

Spiro motorcycles come equipped with GPS technology, which allows the company to remotely disable a bike if it is stolen, enabling the owner to recover it easily.

Nsekarije Venuste, Head of Investment and Employment Promotion in Rusizi District, welcomed Spiro to the district highlighting that the electric motorcycles support Rwanda’s green development agenda.

He added, “I encourage all motorcycle taxi operators to adopt them. As one of their peers testified, these electric bikes are more profitable than petrol-powered ones.”

Currently, four charging stations have been set up in Rusizi and Nyamasheke Districts, in locations such as Bugarama, Kamembe, Ntendezi, and Nyamasheke, with another under construction in Buhinga.

Outside of Kigali City, Spiro has opened branches in Rwamagana, Kayonza, Muhanga, and now Rusizi, with upcoming plans to expand to Karongi and Musanze Districts in the near future.

In 2024, 86 percent of newly installed power capacity in China came from renewable energy sources, while the share of cumulative installed renewable capacity rose to a record high of 56 percent of the national total, official data showed.

The figures reflect years of arduous efforts of the world’s largest developing country to pivot from fossil fuels toward cleaner energy sources, spearheaded by Xi’s steady and strategic commitment to a low-carbon development path.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said in 2020 that China will strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. The pledge represents the steepest cut in carbon emission intensity in the shortest period of time that the world has ever seen.

“Carbon peaking and carbon neutrality are not something asked of us, but something we are doing on our own initiative,” Xi once said, adding that the goals cannot be achieved easily but efforts must be made immediately.

Calling for advancing green and sustainable development rather than GDP-oriented growth, Xi has urged regions burdened by outdated industrial models to accelerate green transitions while balancing the need for energy security.

Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in north China offers a vivid illustration. Rich in coal and central to the nation’s energy supply, the region had been leaning on high-polluting industries and resource-intensive growth.

In 2018, during a joint deliberation with fellow lawmakers from Inner Mongolia, Xi urged the region to develop the modern energy sector effectively by following the latest industrial trends.

Over recent years, the region has quickened its pace of transformation. Once known for coal and desert, it is now dotted with vast arrays of solar panels and wind turbines. By the end of 2024, the region’s installed new energy capacity, which includes wind power and solar energy, had overtaken thermal power for the first time, reaching the landmark a full year ahead of schedule.

The region’s green transition mirrors broader national efforts. To achieve its carbon reduction goals, the government has introduced sweeping measures, including the expansion of market mechanisms to drive change.

In July 2021, China officially launched its national carbon emissions trading market, a critical step in reducing carbon footprints and meeting emissions targets. The platform has since evolved into the world’s largest carbon market by the amount of greenhouse gas emissions traded. Notably, the carbon-emissions intensity in the generation of electricity has since decreased by 8.78 percent.

While striving to tackle climate change, China’s green push has also emerged as a powerful engine of economic growth. “Green, circular, and low-carbon development represents the trend of the current technological revolution, and the direction in which industry is shifting,” Xi said at a meeting in 2015. He also noted that with unparalleled future prospects and potential, the development will create a number of growth drivers.

Since Xi announced carbon peaking and carbon neutrality targets nearly five years ago, China has built the world’s largest and fastest-growing renewable energy system as well as the largest and most complete new energy industrial chain.

The country’s production and sales of new energy vehicles have secured the top position in the world for 10 consecutive years. It also emerged as a global technology leader in sectors such as solar panels, lithium batteries, and carbon capture, among others.

Xi has also underscored the key role a sound ecological environment plays in supporting China’s long-term development, and has long been concerned about land restoration and afforestation.

For 13 consecutive years, Xi has maintained a tree-planting tradition, joining officials and citizens to promote the country’s afforestation drive. From 2012 to 2024, China’s afforestation area was equivalent to over twice the size of Germany.

With nearly one-fifth of the world’s population, China’s green transformation carries global significance. The country has been working to help power the world’s green transition by sharing its expertise in green technologies and aiding clean energy projects in developing countries.

Between 2016 and 2023, China provided a total of 24.5 billion U.S. dollars in climate-related funding to other developing countries. In 2023 alone, China’s exports of wind and solar products helped other countries reduce carbon emissions by 810 million tonnes.

“However the world may change, China will not slow down its climate actions, will not reduce its support for international cooperation, and will not cease its efforts to build a community with a shared future for mankind,” said Xi at the Leaders Meeting on Climate and the Just Transition in April.

The former Zambian President is reported to have breathed his last at 6:00 a.m.

His demise was confirmed by Tasila Lungu-Mwansa, Chawama Member of Parliament and daughter of the late President, as well as Makebi Zulu, the family’s lawyer, who noted that the family is still in the process of informing relatives and close associates.

Dr. Lungu served as Zambia’s President from January 26, 2015, to August 24, 2021, leading the nation through significant political and economic developments.

His tenure left a lasting impact on Zambia’s governance and political landscape, and he remained an influential figure within the Patriotic Front and the nation at large.

In an official statement, Given Lubinda, Acting President of the Patriotic Front, expressed profound grief over the loss of the party’s leader. The statement indicated that further details regarding funeral arrangements would be shared in due course.

On June 3, 2025, Nathalie Clauwaert, General Director of the Belgian Cycling Federation, announced their participation in the upcoming Road World Championships in Kigali after consultations with Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI).

This decision has sparked considerable attention, given that Rwanda cut diplomatic ties with Belgium in March, accusing it of siding in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo and disseminating misinformation aimed at destabilizing Rwanda.

In a message posted on the social media platform X, Minister Nduhungirehe described the Belgian Cycling Federation’s decision as a positive step, emphasizing that the Belgian team is welcome just like all other cycling teams.

“This is a positive decision that moves in the right direction. The Belgian cycling team is indeed welcome in Rwanda, just like all the other cycling teams. The Road Cycling World Championship in Rwanda [September 21–28, 2025], the first ever held in Africa, will undoubtedly be a popular and festive sporting event,” he said.

Belgium is among the countries with cyclists who have recently excelled at the Road Cycling World Championships, including Remco Evenepoel, who won the road race in 2022 and secured the Individual Time Trial titles in 2023 and 2024.

Belgian cyclist Lotte Kopecky also won the women’s road race at the Cycling World Championships in both 2023 and 2024.

In February, the Belgian team Soudal-Quick-Step Devo Team declined to participate in the 2025 Tour of Rwanda, citing security concerns related to the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

However, this did not prevent 14 other teams, including Belgium’s Lotto-Dstny Devo Team, from competing in the eight-day race, which proceeded peacefully until its conclusion.

Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social account that he finished a phone call with Putin and discussed the attacks on June 1. It was the first time the U.S. president publicly talked about the operation that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky touted being directed by himself.

“We discussed the attack on Russia’s docked airplanes, by Ukraine, and also various other attacks that have been taking place by both sides… President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields,” Trump wrote.

He said the Wednesday call lasted approximately one hour and 15 minutes, noting “It was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace.”

This collaboration brings together NCBA’s expertise in affordable, sustainable finance and GCK’s mission to pioneer climate-smart urban living that leaves no one behind. A core element of the partnership is the creation of mortgage products tailored to low- and middle-income households—enabling wider access to homeownership in Kigali.

The initiative aligns with NCBA Group’s regional Change the Story sustainability strategy, which includes deploying electric vehicle infrastructure, planting 10 million trees by 2030, and eliminating single-use plastics across its operations.

“Across the group, we’ve committed to raise USD 230 million and direct it towards green financing,” said Maurice Toroitich, Managing Director of NCBA Rwanda. “We firmly believe sustainability and affordability are inseparable if we are to build cities for generations to come.”

Green City Kigali is a bold, government-led effort to rethink how African cities grow. Set on 600 hectares of land in Kinyinya Hill, the project is part of the City of Kigali Master Plan 2050 and aims to create a vibrant, inclusive neighborhood for up to 200,000 residents. Its first phase will develop 1,700 to 2,000 homes through public-private partnerships.

“The Green City is more than a housing project—it’s a model for how cities can be affordable, climate-resilient, efficient with resources, and rooted in local culture,” said Basil Karimba, CEO of GCK.

To bring this vision to life, the partnership with NCBA Bank will focus on breaking down the barriers to homeownership—especially for low- and middle-income families. It will also invest in people, offering financial literacy, skills training, and community programs that empower residents—particularly women and youth—to fully participate in and benefit from the city’s transformation.

Beyond buildings, the partners will help restore the local environment by planting over 10,000 trees each year and rehabilitating the landscape of Kinyinya Hill.

“We stand behind this initiative because it provides a blueprint for homegrown sustainable and inclusive development. Today, we have corporations, the government, the youth, a bank, and the community coming together—because no one can do this alone,” said Dr. Jack Ngarambe, Director General of Urbanization, Housing, and Human Settlement at the Ministry of Infrastructure, during the event.

“We are trying to develop a 600 hectare of Green City in Kigali today, but the real vision is to replicate this model across Rwanda and, ultimately, to see it replicated across the continent, he added.

Among the planned youth beneficiaries of this partnership is the Kepler College Environment Club, whose members attended and spoke at the event. The partnership will support the club’s climate action, civic engagement, and environmental stewardship. Their ongoing projects include plastic and e-waste collection and community awareness campaigns that involve residents of Kinyinya as well as other universities across the country.

“As students of Kepler and members of the Environment Club, we’re excited about this partnership because we are both participants and beneficiaries,” said Binama Jessica, President of the Kepler Environment Club. “We’re already living in the Green City Kigali, and now we’re helping to shape it—both here on campus and beyond.”

After a six-year pause, this highly anticipated convention is set to bring together over 1,500 Rwandans from across the globe, including members of the diaspora and guests from Rwanda.

The event is designed to celebrate Rwandan culture, promote unity, and explore opportunities for national development. The 2025 edition carries added significance as it coincides with Rwanda’s 31st Liberation Day and U.S. Independence Day, making it a symbolic moment of pride and shared celebration.

The convention will serve as a vital platform for dialogue, collaboration, and reconnecting. It will feature networking events, business forums, and youth-centered activities aimed at strengthening community ties and encouraging diaspora engagement in Rwanda’s development agenda.

According to organisers, the attention is particularly drawn on attracting businesses to present their services and products to the diaspora community and Rwanda’s international allies, with the goal of fostering partnerships and driving new investment into the country.

Participants will have access to a wide range of government and private sector services, creating an environment that mirrors the convenience and community spirit found back home.

Institutions such as banks, government agencies, and representatives from the Private Sector Federation (PSF) are expected to be present, offering practical support and information to attendees.

The convention will also shine a spotlight on sports and youth engagement. A series of friendly games—including basketball, football, and volleyball—will take place, with participation from young Rwandans and former national team players now based in the U.S.

The sporting segment will include under-18 basketball matches, with standout players having the chance to represent the diaspora in the African Basketball Championship later this year in Kigali.

Cultural heritage will be front and center throughout the event. A showcase of Rwandan products, traditional music and dance, fashion, and historical exhibitions will offer attendees a rich cultural experience.

These efforts aim not only to preserve Rwandan traditions but also to educate younger generations about their roots and responsibilities in shaping Rwanda’s future.

Entertainment will play a big role in the celebration. The convention will open with a Liberation Day concert featuring Intore Massamba, and continue with a Youth Night concert headlined by The Ben, supported by talented DJs and artists from the Rwandan-American community.

A closing prayer breakfast will be led by Apostle Paul Gitwaza, with popular artist Meddy leading worship.

While the event offers plenty of moments for joy and celebration, its deeper mission is to strengthen national bonds and encourage greater participation in Rwanda’s growth.

With over $505 million in diaspora remittances recorded in 2024, the convention provides a timely platform to recognize the diaspora’s contributions and inspire even more engagement.

Rwanda Convention 2025 is poised to be one of the largest gatherings of Rwandans outside the country, not only highlighting national pride and unity but also reinforcing the diaspora’s critical role in building Rwanda’s future.

According to the latest report from the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), trade activity slowed overall, but the country’s trade deficit narrowed. Total exports for the month amounted to $148.51 million, marking a 2.9% decrease from March and a more significant 28.01% drop compared to $205.96 million in April 2024.

The figures indicate that domestic exports amounted to $105.42 million, slightly down from March by 1.69%, and down 33.04% year-over-year.

Re-exports, which include goods imported into Rwanda and then exported without major transformation, also declined, falling 5.74% from March and 11.8% compared to April 2024.

On the import side, Rwanda brought in goods worth $380.64 million in April, down from $420.18 million the previous month. This represents a 9.41% month-on-month decrease and an 18.22% drop year-on-year.

The slowdown in imports contributed to a narrowing of the country’s trade deficit, which improved by 10.43%, falling to $232.13 million from $267.23 million in March.

While the drop in exports signals subdued external demand or production constraints, the sharper decline in imports may reflect changing consumption patterns, tighter foreign exchange conditions, or shifts in trade logistics.

Imports of key items such as mineral fuels, machinery, and chemicals declined noticeably, though certain categories like vegetable oils and manufactured goods recorded modest gains.

Rwanda’s trading partners also saw shifts in performance. The United Arab Emirates remained the top destination for Rwandan exports, although volumes declined slightly from previous months.

The Democratic Republic of Congo maintained its position as a major export partner, increasing its share of Rwanda’s exports. Other notable export destinations included China, Sweden, and the United States, with the latter seeing an uptick in Rwandan goods.

In terms of imports, China continued to lead as Rwanda’s largest source, supplying goods worth over $79 million, despite a decline of 18% compared to March. India and Tanzania followed, with Indonesia emerging as a notable contributor, with its exports to Rwanda rising sharply—by over 700%—due mainly to oils and fats.

Transport data also illustrated a shift in trading dynamics. The bulk of trade continued to move by land, accounting for the vast majority of exports and imports.

However, air transport, which had seen a strong performance in March, slowed dramatically in April. Imports by air fell to just $37.5 million, down from nearly $80 million, while air exports also declined slightly.

Despite the decline in overall trade activity, the narrowing trade deficit may offer a measure of relief, suggesting a more balanced exchange between what the country buys and sells.