Author: Nicole Kamanzi Muteteri

The launch of the monument was part of the annual Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani International ‘Anti-Corruption Excellence (ACE Award)’ which was held in Africa for the first time.

The leaders symbolically used hammers to knock down a makeshift wall with the word ‘corruption’ inscribed in different languages.

The wall portrayed the barrier that is corruption and the action to break it was ostensibly a demonstration of the determination of leaders to knock down that barrier.

Kagame thanked Ahmed Al-Bahrani, a renowned sculptor behind the statue, and said it symbolized both the openness and the firm resolve needed to prevail in the fight against corruption.

“We thank you for this iconic work of art, which will have pride of place here in our capital city, and which will also go a long way to keep reminding us and encouraging us to always be present in this fight against corruption,” he noted.

Seven people who demonstrated willingness to fight systemic corruption and champion the message of anti-corruption were awarded.

Hage Geingob, Namibian President said corruption is a case that “all of us need to lift hands and fight against.”

“But to do that, transparency plus accountability spell trust. We, leaders, need to be transparent and accountable so that people can regain trust in us,” he noted, adding that corruption is not an African disease.

“For those who think corruption is African, then who comes to corrupt Africa?” he asked.

Faki, on the other hand, said that corruption is a scourge that can be addressed with good governance.

“Governance is closely linked to corruption. Poor governance is a breeding ground for corruption,” he noted, adding that an African convention on prevention and the fight against corruption was adopted by African countries to respond to that.

The sculpture is a steel figure in the form of a hand with an open palm, which symbolizes transparency, openness and the values that underpin the struggle against corruption.

The 12-meter statue is made up of pivots and connections which are said to underscore the importance of partnerships and collaborations globally to combat graft.

The monument is made of 186 triangular connections representing the signatories to the United Nations Convention against Corruption. It is aimed at encouraging people to have unwavering spirit and resolve in their battle against corruption.

“This iconic work of art, will also go a long way to keep reminding us and encouraging us to always be present in this fight against corruption.” President Kagame remarks during the 4th International Anti-Corruption Excellence Award | Kigali, 09 December 2019 pic.twitter.com/6j98dUOnuI

— Presidency | Rwanda (@UrugwiroVillage) December 9, 2019

The Festival, organised by Nation Media Group (NMG), brings together various stakeholders and leaders led by Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi, and African Union Infrastructure Envoy Raila Odinga, among other dignitaries.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Nation Media Group Board Chairman Dr. Wilfred Kiboro said the festival is being held in Rwanda because the country represents the possibilities that societies everywhere in Africa, particularly those with less painful history, can achieve.

“We are celebrating 60 years as Nation Media Group and with this in mind; we thought it would be good for the continent to have a conversation about its future. That’s why we are here today,” Dr. Kiboro said.

For the next 60 years in Africa, it is noted, these will be the people shaping the continent.

The festival allows connections to this valuable cast of players and gives institutions and businesses a great opportunity to hitch their wagon to the coming African Century.

After the launch in Kigali, the Kusi Ideas Festival will be held in different African cities annually in the years to come.

The name Kusi is coined from one of a regular pattern of the monsoon winds in the Indian Ocean which allowed for traders to plan their trade routes south and north along the East African coast.

The Kusi (southerly) wind, a mainly southerly wind blowing for approximately six months from April to mid-September, allowed traders to head up north along the coast.

It is noted that beyond trade, over the centuries, Kusi and other trade winds made possible cultural, intellectual, and technological exchanges, and considerably shaped the history of the nations on the east side of Africa, its hinterland, and the wider Indian Ocean rim.

The organizers of the festival observe that the world’s future, in that sense is very African, and it is a future that’s both exciting and frightening providing a precious platform to create and sell solutions and build immense wealth, “but also very punishing if we fail.”

The head of state gave the advice as he responded to one of the participant’s concern over what is required for other African countries to reach where Rwanda is now, during the inaugural ‘Kusi Ideas Festival’ taking place at Kigali Convention Center.

He was speaking at a Presidential Panel alongside, the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo Félix Tshisekedi, Moussa Faki Mahamat, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission Raila, Raila Odinga, the Africa Union High Representative for Infrastructure Development and Vera Songwe, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

Kagame pointed out the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement (ACFTA) as one of the ambitious strategies through which the continent can work to fast-track the development countries want to achieve in the future.

“Nothing will happen unless Africans decide, which they have done. This is what was done here in Kigali when we met in 2016, seeing through the signing of the ACFTA,” Kagame said.

“We now have to keep challenging ourselves to make sure we do all the things we have committed ourselves to do”

While there is a lot of work to be done, Kagame said, the AfCFTA is a good foundation.

“My reassurance about the progress and success of the ACFTA and other things Africans have committed themselves to, lie in what pronouncements African leaders have made themselves and what we are seeing happening,” he added.
“”
The President had earlier met with members of the AU Reform Team, which he chairs, to review the progress. Among the key progress is the significant reduction of the African Union budget by 12 percent.

By trimming the budget, the AU is aiming at being fit for purpose and drive towards financial self-reliance through the 0.2 per cent levy on eligible imports model. The budget serves to finance the cost of running the Union, its organs, specialized technical agencies, representational offices and agencies across the world.

“I think we’re starting from a good place. What remains is to build on that to achieve many things. The purpose of reforms is mainly to have an effective African Union, one that is accountable to the people of Africa,” he reminded the participants.

The President highlighted that there is no question that if other countries have been able to work together to achieve the immense benefits they have achieved, nothing prevents Africa from being able to achieve the same results.

“Much as we are not where we need to be or want to be and we fully understand there is much work to do, I think we are up to the task. It’s a question of working together,” he noted.

The panelists highlighted that education and investing in building infrastructure, are some of the prerequisites that will propel the continent to achieve the results it set out to achieve in the future.

Tshisekedi said he was embarking on rolling out free education in his country.

“Since I took that decision, we are overwhelmed by the high number of young people who are now able to go to school. This is how we shall change a nation that is in the midst of problems it wants to overcome,” he noted.

Leaders are looking at DRC as one of the countries with great potential to drive the future of the continent. Projects like the proposed Grand Inga Dam were highlighted as one of the most transformative projects.

Grand Inga is the world’s largest hydropower scheme on the River Congo.

In 2016, African heads of state and governments met in Kigali to sign the AFCTA. More than 40 leaders at the time signed the agreement for the establishment of a free trade agreement that will create the world’s largest market.

The African Continental Free Trade Area brings together all the 55-member countries of the African union to trade tariff-free.

Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) has arrested the duo following complaints from people who had cases pending before the courts of law who claimed that judges solicited for bribes to fast track the cases or to make favorable rulings.

Arrested with them is a court registrar Victoire Banashenge, working at Muhanga Intermediate Court.

“All suspects are held at Kimihurura, Kicukiro and Kimironko RIB stations as their case files are being processed for prosecution,” RIB announced.

The arrest was announced a few hours after President Paul Kagame called on the heads of institutions in the Judiciary to address concerns of corruption that have been highlighted in the sector.

President Kagame said that corruption in the Justice sector has been mentioned several times among institutions where corruption still exists.

“We must fight it. We should not let it be culture because once it becomes a norm in the Justice sector, it is normalized in the entire country,” he said.

He pointed out that corruption aligned with the country’s development ambitions or what it aspires for, adding that those implicated should be dealt with decisively and convincingly.

The development came a day after the High Council of the Judiciary chaired by the outgoing Chief Justice Prof. Sam Rugege fired several judges and court staff suspected to be involved in corruption including those who were arrested.

Others fired include Abraham Shumbusho who was a Judge in Nyamagabe Intermediate Court, Clémentine Mukahirwa who was a registrar in the court of appeal and Pacifique Kiyonga Rukenura who was a law researcher.

Residents say they have lost sleep and are afraid to go for work as most of them use a path through a forest where the said leopard has been seen several times.

“We were horrified to see how this beast left the cow’s Carcass; our children are on holidays, any of them could be the next victim as they collect firewood. We can’t sleep, can’t go to work, we live in constant fear,” said one of the villagers in the area.

“We call upon our leaders to do something to contain the leopard before it hurts anyone else.”

Residents say they have seen the beast in nights roaming the village. This has been going on for a while now as in March this year it killed a goat; on 21 November, it attacked night watchers as they were doing their round but escaped by diving in Lake Kivu.

On the night of 26th November, the leopard attacked a cow in a kraal at the home of Aphrodis Ndekezi, 65, in Rwamatamu village.

Jean Paul Harindintwali, the Gihombo sector executive secretary has called for immediate government intervention.

“We are calling upon the security authorities to capture the leopard before something worse happens. We are concerned that it can attack residents any time.”

The first lady said this during a conference, Tuesday, that brought together the Ministry of Health, UNITAID and Clinton Health Access Initiative that aimed at identifying solutions to prevent and eradicate cervical cancer.

The meeting brought together First Ladies of Rwanda, Niger, Tchad, Botswana and Niger and was part of the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) that started on December 2nd in Kigali.

Mrs. Kagame praised a new programme set to commence in January next year that will provide cervical cancer prevention options to women that have not had a chance to get vaccinated against the Human Papilloma Virus when they were younger.

The new programme will complement the existing efforts that have been focusing on getting young girls (mainly 12-year-old) vaccinated against cervical cancer and screening services and treatment for older women.

The new project will give mass preventive treatment to women, in a targeted age group of 30-49, mainly in the form of treatment of precancerous lesions (early cancer signs) to prevent them from developing into invasive cancer.

“This highly preventable disease, which touches on a sensitive aspect of women’s health, is one that deserves more attention, as it has been the subject of misguided views that turned out to be detrimental to the early detection, and prevention,” she said.

According to Dr. François Uwinkindi, the Director of Cancer Programme at Rwanda Biomedical Centre, this kind of treatment is one of the two ways used in cervical cancer prevention.

“In cervical cancer prevention there are two ways: there is primary prevention which is avoiding contact with the Human Papilloma Virus. Vaccination is one of the practices done in primary prevention, as well as avoiding sexual activity especially for young girls who are under 18 years,” he said.

The other preventive way, he said, is treating precancerous lesions.

“This is when you are screened for cervical cancer and you are found with precancerous lesions, and you are given treatment so that it will not develop into invasive cancer,” he explained.

The new project is a two and a half year partnership between the Ministry of Health, the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) and the International Drug Purchase Facility (UNITAID).

It will use new technologies to improve access to the screening of cervical cancer.
It will be rolled out in five districts of the country for the beginning – as a pilot project.
Under the project, medical facilities will receive mobile testing and treatment equipment as well as training for local care providers.

Up to 72,000 women are expected to be screened for cervical cancer across the five districts of; Gatsibo, Nyamasheke, Musanze, Huye and Nyarugenge, with plans to scale it up to other parts of the country.

Cervical cancer is the top fourth disease affecting women globally, contributing to 6.6 percent of all cancers in women. As it is the case with many other diseases, cervical cancer disproportionately affects the poorest populations.

Rwanda is among high burden cervical cancer countries with an incident rate of 31.9 per 100,000 women and a mortality rate of 24.1 for every 100,000 as per last year.

Last year, there were an estimated 18.1 million new cancer cases and 9.5 million cancer deaths were estimated worldwide.

The prime minister sounded the warning Monday, as he presented the government’s ICT activities in line with facilitating a knowledge-based economy before a joint session composed of members of both chambers of parliament.

Among the achievements he identified are; easy internet access throughout the country, ICT in the education system, e-government, among others.

Dr. Ngirente said that internet access in secondary schools is at 52% and100 % in universities.

Members of both chambers of parliament had earlier raised a concern about the low access to in secondary schools compared to universities.

One Member of Parliament, Gloriose Uwanyirigira asked about the state of studies in schools where the internet has not reached yet; concerned that if the issue is not addressed, it would hinder the quality of education.

Another MP John Ruku Rwabyoma said that to optimise returns on investmnet in the internet, every student should be allowed to have a telephone handset at school.

“We should give them that liberty, avoiding those cases of student dismissal because they were found with a phone device, it is a tool to help them not a problem to be fixed,” he urged
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In response, Dr. Ngirente emphasized that denying students the right to possess phone devices and access them whenever they want during school time was decided for their own good, to allow them to concentrate on their studies.

“We know cases of children who get home with homework and fail to do it because they have been watching TV. Their parents have to first turn off those devices so the child is able to do their homework. As a country too, it is our duty to look for these children benefits, just like their parents,” added the premier.

In June last year, the Ministry of Education banned phones for students in nursery, primary and secondary schools.

The president delivered this message yesterday at Kigali Convention Centre at the official opening of the International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA); a conference bringing together participants from about 20 countries.

He was joined by the President of Mozambique Filipe Jacinto Nyusi, Director General of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus; First ladies, Mrs. Jeannette Kagame, Mrs. Antoinette Sassou Nguesso from Congo Brazzaville, Mrs. Hinda Déby Itno from Chad, Mrs. Aïssata Issoufo Mahamadou from Niger, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo from Ghana and Mrs. Neo Jane Masisi from Botswana.
Kagame said that stigma and silence are the real killers when it comes to sexually transmitted infections.

“ICASA exists in order to break down the taboos that impede prevention and early treatment. You are the ones to speak loudly and clearly. We have come too far in this struggle to do otherwise,” Kagame noted.

The President also indicated that AIDS is an epidemic without borders and that much of the success in the campaign to halt the spread of the virus can be credited to global cooperation; calling for support to the organizations that have been championing that agenda and calling for governments to mobilize the necessary financial resources.

President Kagame stated that leaders have a role to play in building a health system that includes all their citizens, young and old.

Rwanda was applauded for its exemplary interventions towards fighting HIV/AIDS epidemic.

“Today, over 90 percent of all people living with HIV in Rwanda know their status and almost all of them are on life-saving treatment. Of those, 90 percent have achieved viral suppression,” Ghebreyesus said.

That, he added, makes Rwanda one of the few countries to achieve the 90-90-90 targets prior to 2020.

Under its fast-track target known as 90-90-90, by 2020 UNAIDS aims to have 90 percent of people with HIV knowing they are HIV-positive, 90 percent of diagnosed people on treatment, and 90 percent of those on treatment able to use the medication to suppress the amount of virus in their bodies to a low level.

According to Diane Gashumba, Rwanda’s Health Minister, Rwanda’s fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic is grounded in the principle that those affected should be at the centre of the response.

“The integration of HIV treatment into maternal and child services has led to more equitable access to prevention and treatment. In collaboration with our dear partners, we have managed to put our people at the centre of each intervention that is being made in the health sector,” she remarked.

Mozambican President commended Rwanda’s progress towards the fight against HIV/AIDS, highlighting his presence was to draw lessons from other countries and learn from the kind of good practices deployed elsewhere to fight the HIV epidemic.

“In addition to drawing experience, we have come to Kigali to reaffirm the determination of our government to combat HIV/AIDS epidemic and proliferation of infectious diseases,” he noted.

Under the command of SSP Fabien Musinguzi, the contingent has a mission of ensuring security of the citizens, UN staff and other NGOs personnel operating in South Sudan. The team is composed of 72 women, making 30 %.

CP Bruce Munyambo, representing the Rwanda National Police management said that the has been prepared well and is ready to fulfill their assigned mission in South Sudan.

CP Munyambo said that this is the fifth contingent deployed and the UN Mission is very pleased with Rwanda’s contribution in peacekeeping missions.

The contingent will stay in the Upper Nile region, the city of Malakal.

Rwanda has more than 1000 police peacekeepers deployed in UN missions in Sudan, Haiti, South Sudan, and the Central Africa Republic which makes Rwanda the second largest police peacekeeping contributing country.