Author: Samson Iradukunda

RPF Inkotanyi saw no interest in killing President Habyarimana- Gen Kabarebe

Gen. James Kabarebe who now serves as President Paul Kagame’s Advisor on Security Matters has held several positions in the Rwandan army where he served as Rwanda’s Minister of Defence and Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) Chief of Defense Staff among other duties.

During the liberation struggle by the Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA) that later changed name to current Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), Kabarebe served as the Private Secretary of Maj. Gen Paul Kagame who was Head of RPF military wing (RPA) and later became the Commander of the High Command Unit at Mulindi.

In October 1990, RPF Inkotanyi launched an armed war to liberate Rwanda after several peaceful attempts to let Rwandan refugees repatriate that had ended in vain.

RPF Inkotanyi has been at different times accused of having carried out the attack on a plane that carried President Juvenal Habyarimana on April 6, 1994, a plane crash that was followed by the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi that left over a million lives lost.

Speaking to 500 youths who gathered at Kimisagara Youth Development Centre on a theme entitled ‘Rubyiruko Menya Amateka yawe loosely translating as “Youth, Know your history’’, Kabarebe said RPA soldiers were very much disciplined and had a great and genuine reason to fight which helped them win the struggle.

“RPF Inkotanyi armed forces were so disciplined that you would not imagine they were a rebel movement. You would have thought FAR [Rwanda Armed Force) which was the national army of Rwanda until 1994] was instead a rebel group due to its indiscipline and disorganization,” General Kabarebe said.

Kabarebe explained that RPF recognized the enemy of the country as the bad, corrupt and exclusive governance while Habyarimana’s regime said Rwanda’s enemy was all Tutsi.

“You can’t win a war against a force that fights to liberate Rwandans and develop the country while you fight to kill part of its citizens. Whatever ammunition you may have, whatever knowledge your army may have, you can’t win that struggle,” Kabarebe emphasized.

“RPF never fought to seize power. Some people say we won the war just because Habyarimana had died. This is false because if we wanted to take power first, we would have conquered the nation and take Habyarimana by hands. We were so strong that FAR could not stand our way,” he said.

{{Habyarimana was not a threat to RPF}}

Gen James Kabarebe told the youth RPF saw no interest in killing President Habyarimana as he was not a threat to their struggle.

“Habyarimana would come in CND [Parliamentary premises] where many RPF soldiers lived but they never shot at him despite the fact that he was guarded by his junior guards. If RPF soldiers had wanted to kill him, they would have done it at CND,” Kabarebe explained.

Kabarebe urged the youths to keep a watchful eye and fight any kind of divisionism that can take Rwanda back to dark moments it went through.

Despite allegations that the plane that carried President Habyarimana was shot down by RPF, the French intelligence document recently revealed that Colonel Theoneste Bagosora, who was Chief in Defence Ministry and Laurent Serubuga, a former Chief of Staff of the Rwandan Armed Forces were instigators of the April 1994 plane attack.

February 9, 2019
Kagame receives Sudan’s Vice President Osman Mohamed

Osman Mohammed was acompanied by Sudan’s Minister of Information Bushara Juma’a Arur and the Deputy Secretary General in Sudan Presidency office, Ambassador Jamal El-Sheikh.

President Paul Kagame commended Sudan’s efforts to bring peace to Southern Sudan, and the agreement signed between the conflicting parties in Central African Republic, which was recently hosted by Khartoum, stressing his follow-up on all current events on the continent.

Sudan News Agency (SUNA) reports that Kagame described Rwanda’s relations with Sudan as deep and historical, expressing his country’s desire to develop it to serve the interests of both countries and people.

Rwanda holds good bilateral relations based mostly on peace keeping.

Official figures as of November 2018 indicate that Rwanda is the country with the highest number of peacekeepers in Sudan under the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) with 1629 peacekeepers followed by Pakistan with 1159, Ethiopia with 1092 while Tanzania has 805 peacekeepers as the fourth country with most UN peacekeepers in Sudan.

February 9, 2019
LT Global Ltd completes affordable residential houses in Nyarutarama

The eye-catching houses are located in Kibiraro I Village, Nyarutarama cell, Remera Sector of Gasabo District in Kigali City.

Every house has three bedrooms with enough space with a bathroom and toilet with a balcony outside, a sitting room, dining room, and a storeroom. They have a parking lot which can accommodate two or three cars, a big compound with gardens and annexes with a restroom.

Despite the prettiness of the houses, each house only costs $95,000 (about Rwf80 million) which can be paid in installments with an initial deposit of 20% in a ten year period via the Bank of Africa.

The Head LT Global Ltd, Legese Tafese told IGIHE that he did not build the houses of merely aiming at getting the profit but helping Rwandans live in good houses at affordable cost.

“These houses are low-priced and were constructed following international housing standards. They are nice houses every dweller of Kigali City would wish to live,” he said.
Eight houses were built in the first phase and some have been bought.

February 7, 2019
Seven Rwandans arrested in Uganda repatriated

Jean Paul Muhirwa, a father to one child, had been working in business for six years. He was brought back to Rwanda after six days in Kisoro Prison.

“I was arrested on my way back to Rwanda where I had come to renew my official immigration documents which had expired. They told me that they would bring me to court but when I explained to them that I had been living in Uganda and married a Ugandan woman, I was released with the other Rwandans,” Muhirwa said.

Florence Yankurije, one of the four women who were arrested on February 5 in Uganda says she had been living in Uganda for five years married to a Ugandan husband with whom they had two children.

“I was stopped while I was coming back from Rwanda where I had come to visit my family. I had passed at the border with no problem but they arrested me while in Uganda explained Florence accusing me of staying in Uganda illegally,” she said.

Assouma Namahoro, and Annonciata Nyiramahirwe say they had been given temporary residential documents but they were arrested, spent nights in detention and were given even no water to drink.

Nyiramahirwe says she was taken out the car that was taking her to Kampala.
“On our way to Kampala, all the buses were stopped and searched at a place called Nyakabande and some people were taken out and brought to prison. I was released after presenting my cross border legal papers, but I have now lost the Rwf7500 amount that I had paid for transport fare,” she said.

Nyiramahirwe said some other Rwandans stayed in detention and for their release, they are usually asked a Sh2 million bribe (about Rwf500,000).

Since 2017, arrests of Rwandans travelling to Uganda have become rampant, with some raising concerns of illegal detention and abduction.

February 7, 2019
Fire kills two siblings in Rulindo

The two deceased, age one and five, were children to Nicodeme Muhawenimana and Christine Murorunkwere who had left the house early morning for their daily works leaving their three children asleep.

Only one child of the three siblings survived the fire outbreak.

According to a witness who talked to IGIHE, one child died on spot while the other one died in the hospital.

The Executive Secretary of Masoro Sector, Ildephonse Ndahayo said the children were sleeping on a bed made of dry banana leaves which might have caught fire as they slept.

However, a mystery remains how how the fire attacked only the bed not reaching any other part of the house.

Mr. Ndahayo said investigations have started to establish the cause of the fire outbreak.

February 7, 2019
Youth participation key in urbanization process–Minister Gatete

Amb. Gatete made the remarks on Wednesday as he officiated the opening of the 3rd National Urban Forum taking place in Rwanda bringing together over 300 participants from different countries.

Referring to a study conducted by the Government of Rwanda and the World Bank, Minister Gatete said a well-managed urbanization process is one of the key future drivers of growth, human capital development, export dynamism, competitive enterprises, agricultural modernization and capable public institutions.

“Urbanization offers an opportunity to increase off-farm employment and development of cities. Pursuing the urbanization agenda, Rwanda will be in a good position to transform its economy from agriculture-based to a more industrialized and service-based economy,” Minister Gatete said adding that Rwanda has prioritized urbanization as an engine of socio-economic development and sustainable human settlement with a target of reaching 35% of urbanization rate by 2024 from 18.4% in 2017.

Gatete also highlighted the role of the youth in the sustainability of urbanization and the development of cities in Rwanda as the country’s largest population group.

“70% of the Rwandan population is youth and the youths are the strength and the future of this nation. We can’t achieve cities’ development without their participation. We always seek ways to develop their capacity to enable them innovate as they are able to create jobs for the nation’s future,” he said.

The Executive Director of the UN Habitat, Maimunah Mohd Sharif commended Rwanda for the step it has made in developing cities and urbanization through participatory planning that involves the community.

“The Rwandan Government has great strategies guiding sustainable urbanization and the outcomes can be seen on the ground. Having the community involved at all levels gives space for creation of solutions to challenges they are facing,” she said.

February 7, 2019
RURA clamps down on drivers not using taximeters

The new technology was introduced in September last year requiring drivers to install taximeters with GPS in their cars, linking with passengers in need of taxi cabs services.

Taxi-meters are installed with a fare measuring device that automatically records and indicates at any time the amount to be paid by passengers in accordance with distances traveled, the speed and the durations of occupation of the vehicle. It has been recently upgraded to contain a GPS.

According to Eng. Emmanuel Asaba Katabarwa, the Head of Transport Department at RURA, 15 taxicabs were netted for not using taxi-meters.

“Today, we have caught 15 taxicabs not using taximeters but the operation will continue. Whoever we find driving the car with a passenger while the taximeter machine is turned off, is immediately caught,” Eng. Katabarwa said.

“This device helps increase driver’s efficiency. It also provides valuable information on taxi-cab activities, such as their daily profit. This can be a helpful tool while applying for a loan, “said Eng. Katabarwa adding that taximeters have been adapted in order to be easily handled for drivers who do not know to read and write.

Jean Baptiste Habimana, a taxi operator told IGIHE, “Sometimes a driver turns it on and he forgets to turn it off after the passenger has left the car. We need more time to adapt to this new technology but also to introduce it to our customers.”

Taxi drivers who do not use their taximeters are liable to a Rwf200,000 in fines.

February 6, 2019
Kagame promotes 16 air force officers

According to a statement released yesterday by the Ministry of Defense, all the 16 officers promoted graduated from the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University in Sri Lanka.

The corporals skipped six ranks while those promoted from the rank of private skipped seven ranks up to the rank of Lieutenant.

The 16 officers promoted to the rank of Lieutenant join other 663 RDF officers whose promotion from the rank of second-Lieutenant to Lieutenant was approved by the cabinet meeting in August 8, last year.

February 6, 2019
Gisagara peat power plant project 1st phase 75% complete

Constructed by Quantum Power, a Turkish company, the $350 million power peat project constructed in Mamba Sector of Gisagara District is expected to be the source of the 80MW when completed in 2020.

The construction works of Gisagara peat power plant started in May 2017 and it is expected to generate power by March 2020 according to Shaun Moore, the project Manager.

“The construction of the power plant is at almost 75%. We have employed 915 workers of whom 800 are residents of this area employed in works, machine operations, car driving and security among other works. The peat power plant is projected to start generating power in March 2020,” he said adding that the number of employees will increase during the second phase of the peat power plant construction.

The first phase of the construction of Gisagara peat power plant will cost $210 million and generate 40Mw.

The Mayor of Gisagara District, Jérôme Rutaburingoga, said the construction of Gisagara peat power plant has changed lives of residents who live near it.

“The company has employed so many people here, it pays house rent for them and it annually pays community health insurance fees for 2,000 people,” Rutaburingoga said adding that excavation craters from where peat was extracted will serve as a fish farming ponds.

February 6, 2019
Ugandan EAC MP rises against illegal detention of Rwandans in Kampala

During a press conference in Kampala, Fred Mukasa Mbidde, who is also the DP Vice President, condemned what he called “inhumane incarceration of innocent Rwandan nationals as retribution for Kigali’s deeds.”

He advised security institutions to have utmost respect for human rights in the course of handling criminal suspects and advised Uganda People’s Defence Force [UPDF] to cease targeting citizens of the East African community, particularly the Rwandan nationals which is against known protocols on human rights including the treaty for the establishment of the East African Community.

Mbidde said the party was aware of at least 13 Rwandan nationals who are languishing in various detention centers across the country.

The detained Rwandans listed by Mbidde include Rene Rutagungira, who was arrested from a bar in Kampala in August 2017, Emmanuel Rwamucyo and Peter Augustin Rutayisire who were arrested last year for alleged espionage.

Mbidde went on to call on the Ugandan government, to iron out its differences with Kigali, whose effects he said could be catastrophic to the regional integration process.

“It is therefore demanded that government explains the general relationship between Rwanda and Uganda in very certain terms. The prisoners, all civilians are released from the court martial and if suspected of offences be charged in civil courts with a possibility of obtaining bail to look after their families”, he is quoted by a Ugandan online media, Chimpreports.

February 6, 2019