Umubano Industries Ltd won the auction beating seven other bidders in an auction that took place in Kigali City Centre at the four-star hotel.
Ubumwe Grande Hotel was sold on auction in a bid to pay US$18 million loan that was owed to Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) it had failed to service.
The auction was presided over by Lawyer Joseph Ngabonziza with Umubano Industries Ltd represented by Hassan Gasana who issued a cheque of US$34,053,888.9.
Speaking to journalists after the auction, Hassan Gasana said Umubano Industries Ltd which he represented aims at offering quality hospitality services, promising better services to customers.
“We are happy the auction went well and transparent. This hotel will continue to work as usual. Not many changes will happen because we focus on Rwandan culture to offer good hospitality services to people. I urge the current staff and employees of the Hotel to keep working with utmost commitment because their jobs are secure,” Gasana said.
On rebranding the hotel, Gasana said this will be looked at later.
KCB Bank Rwanda had recently announced that the former owners of Ubumwe Grande Hotel owed it a loan worth US$18 million, about Rwf15 billion.
Formerly, Ubumwe Grande Hotel went by the name of Zinc Hotel valued at about $40 million and was co-owned by CG Corp Global (owners of Zinc Hotel brand), and the Mukwano Group, who owned a combined 80 per cent stake; and Rwandan Robert Bapfakurera, current Chairman of Private Sector Federation, who owned a 20 per cent stake.
The facility, which has 153 rooms, 134 guest rooms and 19 apartments opened in September 2016.
Organized by Kaizene, an organization based in Abidjan, Ivory Cost and London, the two days conference will bring together experts in civil engineering, economy, transport and other aspects of life who will convene at Kigali Convention Center to discuss governance policies, the public-private partnerships to boost green housing, Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) development and smart and resilient cities.
Kaizene defines itself as a catalyst enabling public and private companies to improve their services and their quality approach and, above all, to use the potential of their human capital with the mission to ensure the full success of companies by effectively training their staff.
International Organizations such as the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PDIA) developed by the African Union Commission (AUC), the NEPAD Agency, the African Development Bank (AFDB), and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), all agree that infrastructure is Africa’s top priority.
Programs and projects of its agencies are expected to lead to an integrated continent, foster international trade, job creation, and sustainable economic growth.
The PDIA is a solution by and for Africans that was endorsed by the Heads of State and Government at their 18th Summit in January 2012 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Kaizene believes that industrial development induced by infrastructure and construction will enable Africa to solve its major economic and socio-political problems, but also to reduce the global poverty that fuels violence, terrorism, massive migration of unskilled labor and unemployment.
According to the African Development Bank, to alleviate its concerns, Africa will need nearly $100billion a year, while less than half of this amount is available to date hence the imperative needs of investing in Infrastructures.
According to the organizers, Rwanda was chosen to host the conference because it “leads by example.
“To lay the foundations for sustainable development, Rwanda has managed to rise to the challenge of national reconciliation and territorial reconstruction and to this day benefits from very modern infrastructures, good governance, and cleanliness superior to several European cities and has a road network more than 90% asphalted and maintained,” Kaizene says.
Rwanda is the first place in terms of Human Development Progress over the last 20 years, according to the latest report (14th December 2015) of the UN and 7th best-managed country globally according to the World Economic Forum, in its latest report on global good governance released in January 2016.
Several innovative solutions piloted over the last 10 years, providing concrete use cases for understanding the barriers ahead for developing competitive and tailored infrastructures.
He said it is necessary to design and implement programs to ensure food security, adequate access to clean water supply, sanitation and hygiene.
Dr. Ngirente made the remarks in his note address at the Global Event on “Accelerating the End of Hunger and Malnutrition at Bangkok, Thailand on 28th November this year.
The three-day conference was organized by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in partnership with World Food Programme (FAO).
According to the 2018 report on the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, the number of hungry people in the world increased to 821 million in the year 2017.
In Africa, Dr. Ngirente said, “the same report indicates that the prevalence of undernourishment affects more than 256 million people, equivalent to 21% of the population,” adding that “These findings are not different from the 2017 FAO report that shows that about 27.4% of Africans were considered severely food insecure, which is considerably higher compared to other regions of the world.”
Currently, stunting and malnutrition rates at 35% among children as Dr. Ngirente highlighted.
Dr. Edouard Ngirente shared some initiatives that Rwanda has put in place as he spoke of Rwanda’s experience in its commitment towards ending hunger and under-nutrition by 2025, and all forms of malnutrition by 2030.
Among them, the Crop Intensification Program has helped Rwanda attain a growing trend in food crop production at 8% annual average in 2017, accounting for 20% share of total agriculture sector contribution to GDP.
Dr. Ngirente also said that more than one million hectares of land has been consolidated and agriculture inputs subsidized to increase affordability and uptake while “today, over 900,000 hectares of progressive terraces and more than 100,000 hectares of radical terraces were developed.”
{{Strategies}}
Strategies Rwanda has adopted to tackle malnutrition, as Prime Minister Ngirente said include a joint venture between the Government of Rwanda and Africa Improved Foods Ltd (AIF), in producing baby nutritional foods babies between six and 24 months as well as pregnant and lactating mothers from poor households.
“These Fortified Blended Foods are currently supplied over 14,000 women and more than 100,000 children in vulnerable categories,” he said.
Over 58,000 voluntary community health workers were deployed in all villages to closely follow-up malnutrition cases and conduct awareness campaigns on improved maternal, infant and young child feeding practices.
Since 2006, Rwanda established and supported One Cow per Poor Family Program known as Gira Inka Munyarwanda which has seen more than 300,000 cows distributed to poor families with the target being to ensure every poor household owns a cow to produce milk for home consumption, generate family revenues for extra milk sold and produce manure that supports food production for the family.
Besides, Rwanda’s Government introduced One Cup of Milk Program in which so far, over 70,000 school children in poor areas are enrolled. “Milk supply in school has not only improved the nutritional status but also increased school attendance,” Ngirente said.
“To completely eliminate hunger and food insecurity, in Africa Agenda 2063, our continent committed to make nutrition a priority. This will be achieved by consolidating the modernization of our agriculture and agro-business through scaled-up value addition and productivity.” Prime Minister Ngirente said.
He is Alexandre Sebagisha. He is 73. He has been using one arm to fend for himself and his family for almost fifty years.
He lost his right arm at eighteen, in a battle as they tried to return to his home country.
A resident of Musaza Cell in Musaza Sector of Kirehe District, Sebagisha lives alone after becoming a widower a year ago when his wife passed away as the first woman he married lives in Tanzania.
{{How Sebagisha lost his arm
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Born in 1945, he was 14 years old in 1959 when Tutsis were chased away from Rwanda as some were massacred, with their houses burnt to ashes and their property confiscated. He and his family fled to Tanzania in 1960 from where, he with other men, used to attack Rwanda in small battles known as ‘Inyenzi’ battles.
“I lost my arm when I was 18 as we tried to get back to Rwanda. We had been forced out of our motherland because we were born Tutsi. My right arm was shot in 1963 in a battle and it was lost like that,” Sebagisha recounts pointing a finger at his right shoulder.
He started putting his remaining left arm to all works including digging. The land to where they sought refuge was fertile and he could not just sit there in elegiac lamentation.
“I used my single arm to take care of my family. I grew crops and I got a lot of yields. I later married,” he says.
After the Rwanda Patriotic Army stopped the genocide in 1994 and liberated the country, Sebagisha repatriated to Rwanda like many other Rwandans who had fled to foreign countries.
Back to Rwanda, Sebagisha kept his farming work using one arm. Today, he has aged and frail, grouped in Ubudehe Group Category 2 though he wishes to be grouped in the first category as to receive the Vision Umurenge Program (VUP) funds reserved for poor old people.
“I request local leaders to put me in the category that would help me receive the VUP funds because it can help me in my daily life. I am now becoming old and I am no longer strong to do farm work My body is becoming weak due to an advanced age,” Sebagisha says with a tinge of sadness flashing over his gray-beard laden chin.
{{He refused a prosthesis
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Sebagisha says he was recommended the arm prosthesis by medics but he refused it as he thought it could serve him nothing.
“I ask the doctors if the prosthesis would help me do farming with a hoe to which they replied no. They told me it was just for helping me wear a suit and look well dressed. I recalled the 50 years spent farming with a single arm with no arm replacement and I took their proposal for a joke,” he says.
With his single arm, oldie Sebagisha only does subsistence agriculture which gets him only food. He can’t produce crops to the market to be able to buy other stuff he needs in his daily life.
As he now lives alone, Sebagisha says it gets difficult for him to get his clothes washed. All those he asks to do it for him ask for money from him.
The call was made by the Minister of Sports and Culture, Espérance Nyirasafari as she launched Kigali Audiovisual Forum, a three-day conference that has brought members of the cinema industry including film players and producers, investors and all other stakeholders in the audiovisual technology industry including media practitioners.
The forum that kicked off yesterday to end on November 23rd this year focuses on Africa’s ability to use technology in storytelling, the development, and professionalization of audio-visual structures and industries as well as the development of professional skills in production and distribution.
Minister Nyirasafari said that the audiovisual industry is fast growing and provides a lot of jobs mostly among the youth which makes the need for its enhanced professionalism urgent in the era when Rwanda aspires to become a knowledge-based economy.
“We not only want Rwanda to become a must-visit destination in Africa but also an audiovisual opportunity country,” she said.
Organized by Rwanda Development Board (RDB), the first ever annual Kigali Audiovisual Forum was sponsored by Germany International Development Agency (GIZ) and the European among other partners.
The Head of the European Union Delegation to Rwanda, Ambassador, Mr. Nicola Bellomo said: “We consider art and culture in the creative industry not only as a tool for dialogue but as a driver for social and economic development.”
“Culture has always been an important element in the partnership between the EU and Africa. We have 80 films that have been produced in the continent thanks to the support of the European Union,” Ambassador Bellomo added revealing that the audiovisual sector the third biggest employing industry in Europe.
The Germany Ambassador to Rwanda, Dr. Peter Woeste said there is a huge market for the audiovisual industry worldwide and “it is difficult to imagine how big it is.”
He said in Europe are people with technical skills that can be used in Africa’s audiovisual long-term investments for the job creation as Africa’s modern audiovisual industry also has potential.
Ambassador Woeste said Rwanda is a small and landlocked but a beautiful nation which attracts investment opportunities in its audiovisual sector that will grow as time comes.
“We are not bringing Hollywood here because Africa has to build its own audiovisual industry. Creativity is only what is needed. Be realistic and don’t expect to become Hollywood in one day. Professionalism will be enhanced through experience,” Dr. Peter Woeste said as he advised Rwandan members of the audiovisual sector.
According to letter of resignation released on APR FC website on Sunday, the 71-year-old Serbian Petrovic will no longer act as the trainer of Rwanda’s Army affiliated football club due to heart problems and impaired health.
“I am contacting the Management of the Club to inform that due to my heart problems and impaired health, I can no longer conduct the trainer’s job,” reads a letter dated November 15th, 2018.
“After a detailed examination, to my great sadness, the doctor told me that if I want to continue with normal life, I should never be dealing with a trainer’s call. This is the most difficult moment of my life because I am forbidden to do what I love most,” sadly says Dr. Petrovic in the letter.
Ljubo Petrovic, winner of the European Cup-turned-UEFA Champions league as head coach of Red Star Belgrade as Serbia, his native country in 1991, won, with AP FC, the last Azam Rwanda premier League cup which saw Rwanda’s national football cup 17-time winners qualify for the 2018/19 TOTAL CAF Champions league, Africa’s major interclub football competition.
“I am so sorry to stop working for FC. APR, now when we are on our way to achieving all the wishes of the club especially of entering the Champions League,” the letter keeps reading.
{{Former Rayon Sports coach said to replace Petrovic?
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Trusted news reaching IGIHE is that after resigning from his job as APR FC, Dr. Ljupko Petrovic may be replaced by Luc Eymael, a Belgian Coach who once served as APR FC’s bitterest rivals, Rayon Sports’ coach.
“Petrovic has resigned at a time when CAF competitions are near. Some coaches are being considered to replace him. Among them, the most known is Luc Eymael, former Rayon Sports’ coach. He is a good coach who is also experienced in African football,” said an official in APR FC who talked to IGIHE on conditions of anonymity.
Kagame made the remarks as he spoke at the G20 Investment Summit alongside other African Heads of State and Government.
Twelve African Heads of State and leaders of German businesses with projects in Africa participated in the G20 “Compact with Africa” initiative initiated by Germany last year in a bid to promote private investment in Africa, including in infrastructure.
The Summit is held under the patronage of German Federal Chancellor, Dr. Angela Merkel.
Kagame who is the Chairperson of the African Union said that since the last summit last year, there have been major developments at the African Union including the signing of the agreements on Free Movement of Persons and the Continental Free Trade Area Agreement which is making Africa a single trade bloc.
The President of Rwanda said that the G20 Compact with Africa, therefore, comes at the right time to reinforce Africa’s enterprise-based development consensus as he explained that the initiative builds on the strong relationships ‘’we enjoy with Germany, the European Union, and other G20 partners, as well as similar programs with the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank.’’
Kagame urged the participants to challenge themselves to go beyond the usual routines as “pouring new wine into old bottles is not a winning formula.”
“After all,” Kagame said, “the best way to speed up business climate reform is to attract more global firms to Africa. This produces a demonstration effect, which in turn generates even more productive investment. In other words, a virtuous cycle.”
He said the Volkswagen “Moving Rwanda” venture is a good example of what is possible in attracting global firms in Africa and highlighted the importance of the regional approach and continental integration in this journey.
“The supply chain involves multiple countries in East and Southern Africa, in a “hub-and-spoke” system. A regional approach is key to achieving economies of scale in Africa. Continental integration is also making this an increasingly viable strategy,” he explained.
Kagame said “Africa can be a global innovation laboratory. East Africa is a young market for new car sales. But we have a great need for mobility solutions, which raise the productivity of the wider regional economy.”
“Volkswagen is not only assembling vehicles in Rwanda, but it is also pioneering next-generation business models for shared, environmentally-friendly transport. Volkswagen’s approach has attracted other major players that might not otherwise be in Rwanda, notably Siemens. But it would not work without local talent’” he noted.
“Volkswagen Rwanda already employs dozens of Rwandans and East Africans. The senior management team includes several Rwandan graduates of German universities. And a youthful Rwandan start-up company is developing the ride-sharing software,” he said.
“There is a tremendous amount that we can accomplish together if we focus on funding and de-risking creative investments led by the private sector, such as the ones we will learn about today,” Kagame said as he concluded his remarks.
The impact of the G20 “Compact with Africa” can already be felt on the continent, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said.
“The point wasn’t just talking about Africa, but with it,” Merkel said as she addressed the conference. “The Compact with Africa follows a different, a new approach – it is about an equal footing type of partnership, aiming to be long-lasting and benefit all equally.”
“Apart from strengthening Africa as a location for investment it is also important to establish fair trade relations between Europe and Africa,” Merkel said, as quoted by DW.
In a video posted on his official Twitter account following the Global Conference on Primary Health Care held in Astana, Kazakhstan on October 25-26 this year, he says; “the results in Rwanda show how a strong primary healthcare programme can reap to improve healthcare outcomes.”
The conference had as a theme “to renew a commitment to primary health care to achieve universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals.’’
“Rwanda’s health system has become a model for other nations to follow. The country’s example should inspire all leaders to renew their commitments to primary health care,’’ Bill Gates said in a tweet.
According to Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s video reserved for the Global Conference on Primary Health Care, in 1994, there were only 96 doctors to serve a population of six million, meaning one doctor for every 63,000 people.’’
As the country emerged from the genocide, the Rwandan Government prioritized rebuilding its health system and after two decades since, it made remarkable progress.
Between 1995 and 2005, the number of community health workers increased from 12,000 to 45,000 in 2015.
Official numbers as per 2017 show that between 2010 and 2017, there were 45,516 community health workers who can treat 80% of sicknesses and treated over 900,000 sick people from 2010 2017.
In 2018, three community health workers including one dedicated to maternal health provide medical in every Rwandan village. These workers also provide database used at the national level to identify emerging problems, develop policies and ensure funds are used effectively.
Rwanda reduced its under 5 mortality rate from 195/1000 live births in 2000 to 39 /1000 in 2016 and 98% of children are receiving their basic vaccinations and every child is diagnosed and provided with vaccinations for pneumonia and malaria.
In 2015, Rwanda achieved the fifth among the Millennium Development Goals (MDG 5) which had two targets; to reduce by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio and to achieve, by 2015, universal access to reproductive health.
Rwanda is one of only nine countries to have achieved this goal of reducing their maternal mortality rates by at least 75% by 2015.
Bill Gates supports different health services programmes in Rwanda through his Foundation ‘Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’.
First Lady who is also the Chairperson of Unity Club, Intwararumuri, an association that brings together current and former members of cabinet and their spouses, made the remarks on Friday as she concluded the 11th Unity Club Forum at Intare Conference Arena.
She said: “If we had gone everyone alone, we would have been divided into parts that would outnumber us. Due to our choice, we can sit down together and set a vision for our country, looking in each other’s face with no fear and open wide eyes to face our continent and the world in general.’’
Mrs Kagame said the elders should first heal wounds caused by Rwanda’s history and then be able to help the youth heal. Different from this “wounds will be transmitted from generations to generations,’’ she said.
The First Lady said that Rwanda establishes good politics and leaders teach it to younger generations but one way that will help the nation achieve that is “to strive to preserve our history and stand firm on it, teach it to younger people who will also convey it to their descendants.’’
Mrs Kagame said the there are so many things the youth has seen with childish eyes and they have now become heavy for them while what they didn’t see ere also a heavy load for them.
“Dear Children of ours, you need care and everybody of you needs to be accompanied at every stage he reaches. We assure you to do that. We as elderly will accompany you as you commit to seek answers for questions we ask ourselves,’’ she said.
She urged the youth to “benefit opportunities set up by the leadership of our country and seek what would bring durable peace. That is the richness indeed.’’
During the 11th Unity Forum, some youth shared the experiences on how the history has left them wounds but they later healed.
Iréné Mizero, 33, is a son to the former Deputy ‘Bourgomester’ of Satinsyi Commune, former Gisenyi Prefecture in current Ngororero District. Mizero’s father was sentenced to life imprisonment with his mother sentenced to 30 years imprisonment after both were convicted of genocide related crimes.
Mizero said he was very sad due to crimes his parents committed during the genocide.
In 1994, Mizero with his family fled to Democratic Republic of Congo and when he got back to Rwanda, he used to hide from authorities but he was surprised that the Government paid his school fees and later he got the Government sponsored scholarship, he graduated and got a job while he was never discriminated.
This so much touched Mizero’s heart and he felt liberated as he could not imagine ‘the government that imprisons parents and later help their children.’’
Mizero founded Mizero Care Foundation that cares for the orphans and other children with history led wounds.
Charles Habonimana lost all his siblings during genocide and survived the ‘particular death’ he had to be killed by the Interahamwe militias.
As the President of Rwandan Graduates Genocide Survivors, GEARG revealed that when Ndi Umunyarwanda programme was initiated, he was not happy of what he saw as forgiveness given to mass groups of people but now his aim is to see this programme reach young children.
Mr. Edouard Bamporiki, Chairman of the National Itorero Commission said people should not fall in a trap to say that things were already said and that history is not very much told while there are growing youth who don’t know it.
He asked the intellectuals to write books on the history of Rwanda so that people should share their life experiences.
Besides the youths who shared their history experiences, others who delivered speeches include the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Richard Sezibera, Minister of Local Governance, Prof. Amastase Shyaka and former Minister of Sports and Culture, Julienne Uwacu.
Organized by These Numbers Have Faces (TNHF), a US nonprofit organization, the ‘Accelerate Academy’ saw 150 entrepreneurs receive training and coaching in business management, access to capital funds and other larger financial investments to qualified entrepreneurs who want to take their businesses to the next level.
The Accelerate Summit 2018 attracted entrepreneurs with businesses in agriculture, retail, construction, energy/power generation, financial services, logistics, healthcare, information and communication among other sectors.
Through the 4th summit, the young entrepreneurs met US and Rwandan business experts who mentored them on entrepreneurship personality, creativity, innovation, and some basic management techniques.
After the three days of the summit, the young entrepreneurs were given certificates of appreciation and 50 finalists who pitched best projects were announced.
Out of the 50 finalists, 30 entrepreneurs will be selected to be part of the Accelerate Academy program and they will have opportunities to receive some capital from TNHF and next June they will have an opportunity to pitch their organizations and ideas to receive an investment loan.
The Executive Director of These Numbers Have Faces, Jim Pressnell said that during the summit, “We gave the youth some mentoring about social impact and social innovation.”
“Everyone’s ideas were really powerful, everything from juice making business, to foundations wanting to work with teenage mothers to piggeries and all kinds of opportunities,” he said.
“We talked with young entrepreneurs about making sure that their ideas are sustainable as we talked about different ways to raise and manage the capital and seek investment,” added Jim Presnell.
Celestin Mpagazekubwayo, 26, is the founder and CEO of Z Group Company Ltd, a company that transforms tomatoes into the sauce. He said, “From this meeting, I learned how to improve and market my product but the most important benefit is the network. I met different people I didn’t know and whose businesses are as the same as mine. We interacted and mutually shared the experiences and advice.
Ange Umutoni, a young entrepreneur who is among the 50 finalists said people should get away out of the comfort zone and think out of the box.
On the capital problem that some youth say impedes them from starting own businesses, Umutoni said that ‘’there are opportunities outside. Most people are willing to invest in new companies and businesses, it is up for young entrepreneurs with good business ideas to go look for those people, pitch them their ideas. The capital is no longer the problem because even the government is helping young entrepreneurs.”
These Numbers Have Faces is a nonprofit organization with a vision to build and develop good community leaders by investing in education and entrepreneurs impacting over 10000 people annually.
