IGIHE

Author: Théophile Niyitegeka

  • $200-500 for Transform Africa Summit 2017

    {The Minister of Youth and ICT, Jean Philbert Nsengimana has said that ‘Transform Africa Summit 2017’to be held in Rwanda next month will require interested participants to pay earlier between USD 200 and 500.}

    In a press briefing held yesterday , Nsengimana reiterated that Transform Africa Summit 2017 is being organized by the government of Rwanda in collaboration with Smart Africa Secretariat .It will be held for the third time and is slated between 10 -12 May to be attended by 3000 participants .

    Participants include heads of state, government officials, private investors and youth from various countries to discuss on developing smart cities, use of technology in service delivery, security maintenance, making follow up of activities and enhance development of Africans.

    “That is why we organized dyadic payments. There is a common platform where a person pays USD 200 (Rwf167 000) to attend all usual discussions. However, those in need of support to be connected with partners will pay USD 500(Rwf419 000),”he added.

    Minister Nsengimana explained that it is another platform of promoting national economy.

    “Hosting a meeting or organizing it the way we did is something in which we have to get benefits and making much easier for private investors and Smart Africa organization based in Rwanda benefit from it,” he said.

    Rwanda has committed to building institutional capacities that enable key players to earn from Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events (MICE) where it’s expected to earn USD 55 million.

    Under Transform Africa Summit 2017, exhibitions and professional and inspirational talks, women summit on technology and the association Smart Africa cities’ leaders will be held.

    Youth with will exhibit technology innovations, arts, and host African competition of girls advanced in technology presenting their works along with offering Miss Geek Africa awards.

    President Paul Kagame is expected to be the first head of state among 17 countries constituting Smart Africa to present a report of achievements and provide guidelines on possible improvements in other countries in Transform Africa 2017.

    The Minister of Youth and ICT, Jean Philbert Nsengimana with the Minister of Sports and Culture in a press conference yesterday.

  • Bugarama genocide survivor, attacked, stabbed, survives

    {A survivor of the 1994 genocide against Tutsi identified as Uwizeye Bernadette was yesterday stabbed with a knife in the head and injured by an unidentified person. }

    IGIHE has learnt that the mother, resident of Rusizi district, Bugarama sector, Pera cell, was going to tend her garden in Ryankanka cell in Bugarama sector, Rusizi district when she was stabbed.

    Talking to IGIHE journalist based in Rusizi district, Uwizeye has said: “I was going to my gardens in Ryankana cell when I saw a person approaching me. He had a list of people killed in genocide. He asked me names of relatives whereupon I told him that they were dead. He immediately pushed me down and stabbed me with a knife in the head,” she said.

    “I immediately cried and the person attacking me fled as a woman cultivating around came for intervention,” she added.

    Uwizeye has been taken at Islamic Bugarama health center where she is getting treatment.

    The information was confirmed by Military Chief in Rusizi district, Brig General Gatama Vincent as he attended the meeting bringing together Rusizi district officials held yesterday.

    It is not for the first time Uwizeye has been stabbed by unidentified people.

  • Rwanda peacekeepers under UNAMID commemorate 23rd anniversary of the Genocide against the Tutsi

    {Rwanda peacekeepers deployed under United Nations African Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) together with the Rwandan community in the Republic of Sudan organized the 23rd Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The commemoration was conducted on Sunday 9 April 2017 in El Fasher–Darfur.}

    The commemoration commenced with a walk to remember where all the invited guests assembled at Rwanda Battalion Camp, EL-Fasher Super camp, before heading to ARC TOWN HALL Conference Hall, where the rest of the programmed activities took place.

    The commemoration was also marked by candle lighting, a symbolic way to remember those who were brutally killed. A one minute silence was also observed by all present to honor the victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi.

    Addressing the audience, the Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of Rwanda in the Republic of Sudan, Mr Shyaka Ismael, noted that “We are gathered here today to remember our loved ones who lost their lives during 1994 Genocide against Tutsi. It is an annual occasion for honoring them and restoring their dignity as well as performing other activities intended to address genocide consequences while ensuring that it never happens again”.

    He recalled that the Genocide against the Tutsi was planned and executed by Rwandans and it was stopped by Rwandans after the failure of the whole World to act despite the principle of responsibility to protect. “The Genocide against Tutsi had roots from other countries and it’s due to their influence in the international community that the United Nations did not act”, he emphasized.

    Mr Shyaka Ismael noted that Rwandans are committed to spend the rest of their lives fighting the genocide ideology and reflect on the country’s journey of unity and reconciliation. Good governance being a main pillar of continued and sustainable growth.

    Speaking on behalf of the Joint Special Representative of the United Nation in the Republic of Sudan, the Guest of honor, Lt Gen Frank K Mushyo, the UNAMID Force Commander thanked Rwandans in El- Fasher for organizing the event. He also expressed deep gratitude to all UNAMID staffs and other invited guests for their support to the Rwandan community on the occasion and their participation in the subsequent commemoration activities planned over the week.

    The commemoration ceremony was attended by other dignitaries including, the North Darfur Wali representative, Mr Mohammed Ibrahim Azat, Mission Chief of Staff, Mr Karen, the Director of Mission Support Mr Ebrima Ceesay, Police Commissioner Mrs Prscilla Makotose, and the Head Office of Sector North, Ambassador Hassan Gibrill, among others.

    The commemoration commenced with a walk to remember where all the invited guests assembled at Rwanda Battalion Camp, EL-Fasher Super camp, before heading to ARC TOWN HALL Conference Hall, where the rest of the programmed activities took place.

    Source:Minadef

  • JKUAT and KU campuses in Kigali face closure

    {Campuses of two Kenyan public universities are facing closure after Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i instructed Commission for University Education (CUE) to asses their viability. }

    Dr Matiang’i also instructed the university councils of Kenyatta University and Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology (JKUAT) to act on the matter.

    CUE chairperson Prof Chacha Nyaigotti Chacha Monday said his office has received an official communication from the ministry concerning the two campuses.

    “We wish not to disclose how we are going on with the matter at this stage and so kindly leave it at that,” said Prof Chacha. Sources, however, revealed to The Standard that the fate of the campuses is already sealed and they are set for closure.

    Speaking yesterday during an induction workshop for newly-appointed public university council members, Matiang’i said one of the universities fraudulently lost Sh400 million.

    “I am aware that, as a result of mismanagement of finances, one of our public universities lost a substantial amount of money while establishing a campus outside the country,” said the CS.

    “When a Vice Chancellor goes to Rwanda and deposits Sh400 million, appoints a coordinator who cleans the account and disappears to Sweden, what is that? There is a level of recklessness that we cannot live with. And this must come to an end,” Matiang’i said.

    He said senior ministry staff were shocked to learn that the council of the said university was not aware of their approval on setting up the Kigali campus. “We were shocked when they confessed they were not aware. Councils operating campuses outside Kenya must now review them with CUE to ascertain whether there is a case for continuation,” said Matiang’i.

    [JKUAT and KU campuses in Kigali face closure->https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2001235860/jkuat-and-ku-campuses-in-kigali-face-closure]

    Chairman Commission of University Education Prof Nyaigoti Chacha Nyaigoti.

    Source:The Standard Digital

  • Turning down the brain to erase fearful memories

    {Weakening communication between two parts of the brain in mice reduced their fear levels}

    Erasing unwanted memories is still the stuff of science fiction, but Weizmann Institute scientists have now managed to erase one type of memory in mice. In a study reported in Nature Neuroscience, they succeeded in shutting down a neuronal mechanism by which memories of fear are formed in the mouse brain. After the procedure, the mice resumed their earlier fearless behavior, “forgetting” they had previously been frightened.

    This research may one day help extinguish traumatic memories in humans — for example, in people with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. “The brain is good at creating new memories when these are associated with strong emotional experiences, such as intense pleasure or fear,” says team leader Dr. Ofer Yizhar. “That’s why it’s easier to remember things you care about, be they good or bad; but it’s also the reason that memories of traumatic experiences are often extremely long-lasting, predisposing people to PTSD.”

    In the study, postdoctoral fellows Dr. Oded Klavir (now an investigator at the University of Haifa) and Dr. Matthias Prigge, both from Yizhar’s lab in the Neurobiology Department, together with departmental colleague Prof. Rony Paz and graduate student Ayelet Sarel, examined the communication between two brain regions: the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. The amygdala plays a central role in controlling emotions, whereas the prefrontal cortex is mostly responsible for cognitive functions and storing long-term memories. Previous studies had suggested that the interactions between these two brain regions contribute to the formation and storage of aversive memories, and that these interactions are compromised in PTSD; but the exact mechanisms behind these processes were unknown.

    In the new study, the researchers first used a genetically-engineered virus to mark those amygdala neurons that communicate with the prefrontal cortex. Next, using another virus, they inserted a gene encoding a light-sensitive protein into these neurons. When they shone a light on the brain, only the neurons containing the light-sensitive proteins became activated. These manipulations, belonging to optogenetics — a technique extensively studied in Yizhar’s lab — enabled the researchers to activate only those amygdala neurons that interact with the cortex, and then to map out the cortical neurons that receive input from these light-sensitive neurons.

    Once they had achieved this precise control over the cellular interactions in the brain, they turned to exploring behavior: Mice that are less fearful are more likely to venture farther than others. They found that when the mice were exposed to fear-inducing stimuli, a powerful line of communication was activated between the amygdala and the cortex. The mice whose brains displayed such communication were more likely to retain a memory of the fear, acting frightened every time they heard the sound that had previously been accompanied by the fear-inducing stimuli. Finally, to clarify how this line of communication contributes to the formation and stability of memory, the scientists developed an innovative optogenetic technique for weakening the connection between the amygdala and the cortex, using a series of repeated light pulses. Indeed, once the connection was weakened, the mice no longer displayed fear upon hearing the sound. Evidently, “tuning down” the input from the amygdala to the cortex had destabilized or perhaps even destroyed their memory of fear.

    Says Yizhar: “Our research has focused on a fundamental question in neuroscience: How does the brain integrate emotion into memory? But one day our findings may help develop better therapies targeting the connections between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex, in order to alleviate the symptoms of fear and anxiety disorders.”

    An entire mouse brain viewed from above: Neuronal extensions connect the two amygdalas (brightest green spots on both sides of the brain) with the prefrontal cortex (top).

    Source:Science Daily

  • Kwibuka 23: Minister Uwacu addresses RNP on Rwanda’s achievements after Genocide

    {The Minister of Sport and Culture, Julienne Uwacu, yesterday, delivered a lecture to over 500 police officers and spoke at length about the achievement that Rwanda has registered over the last 23 years, largely due to favourable security.}

    The Minister’s lecture to officers at the Rwanda National Police (RNP) General Headquarters in Kacyiru, was inline with the 23rd Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

    “We have achieved a lot as a country because we decided to make security our main pillar in whatever we do; as law enforcers, your contribution to sustainable development is paramount,” she said.

    The Minister went on to detail Rwanda’s pre-colonial, colonial and after independence history that systematically culminated into the genocide that left over a million Tutsis massacred in a period of 100 days.

    “Rwanda was reborn; for the country to be where it is today is because some people sacrificed a lot bring it to this level. We can’t afford to waste a single second of our time…what we want to achieve is still a lot more,” she said.

    The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Emmanuel K. Gasana said that the transformation and policing agenda of RNP is built along the lines and dreams of the country, and in the best interests of Rwandans.

    “Although Genocide ideology cases are few, we can’t afford to have even a single one. RNP strives for a society-free from Genocide ideology,” IGP Gasana said.

    The commemoration week started on April 7 continues with discussions in and across borders including in peacekeeping missions where Rwandan peacekeepers are deployed, as the country continues to “remember, unit and renew.”

    Source:Police

  • Gene analysis adds layers to understanding how our livers function

    {Tracking gene expression patterns for 20,000 gene in 1,500 cells revealed a mosaic of activities}

    If you get up in the morning feeling energetic and clearheaded, you can thank your liver for manufacturing glucose before breakfast time. Among a host of other vital functions, it also clears our body of toxins and produces most of the carrier proteins in our blood. In a study reported recently in Nature, Weizmann Institute of Science researchers showed that the liver’s amazing multitasking capacity is due at least in part to a clever division of labor among its cells.

    Each of the liver’s microscopic, hexagonal lobules consists of onion-like concentric layers. By mapping gene activity in all the cells of a liver lobule, Dr. Shalev Itzkovitz of Weizmann’s Molecular Cell Biology Department and his research team have revealed that these layers each perform different functions. Itzkovitz says: “We’ve found that liver cells can be divided into at least nine different types, each specializing in its own tasks.”

    The scientists found, for instance, that the synthesis of glucose, blood-clotting factors and various other materials takes place in the outer layers of the liver lobule. “These layers are rich in the oxygen needed to fuel these costly synthesis processes,” explains Itzkovitz.

    The inner layers of the liver lobules revealed themselves to be the sites where toxins and other substances are broken down. The middle layers also proved to have their own functions, rather than serving as mere transition zones: The researchers found, for example, that cells in these layers manufacture the hormone hepcidin, which regulates iron levels in the blood.

    The scientists also discovered that certain processes, such as the manufacture of bile, proceed across several different layers, in something like a production line.

    These discoveries emerged when the researchers created a spatial atlas of gene expression for all liver cells, the first of its kind for this organ. In collaboration with Prof. Ido Amit of Weizmann’s Immunology Department, they analyzed the genomes of 1,500 individual liver cells, establishing patterns of expression for about 20,000 genes in each cell. In parallel they visualized intact liver tissue, locating individual messenger RNA molecules under a fluorescence microscope, using a method developed by Itzkovitz and his colleagues. Special algorithms then enabled the researchers to establish both the gene expression in each cell and the location of these cells in the liver lobule. They found that more than half of the 7,000 genes expressed in the liver vary in activity from one layer to another, a number that is about ten times greater than previous estimates.

    Such an in-depth analysis of gene expression may help clarify the course and origin of common liver disorders, including liver cancer and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which affects about a fifth of the population in developed countries. In addition the approach developed in the new study may now be applied to map gene expression elsewhere in the body.

    This is a cross section of a mouse liver lobule under a fluorescence microscope. The middle layer reveals an abundance of messenger RNA molecules (white dots) for the gene encoding hepcidin, the iron-regulating hormone.

    Source:Science Daily

  • Rwandan peacekeepers in Malakal, Bria mark 23rd Commemoration of Genocide against the Tutsi

    {The Rwandan contingents including Military peacekeepers, Police and Correction Service Components and staff officers working under UNMISS in Malakal (Sector North)were joined by the UN Family and the Secretary General of Central Upper Nile State representing the government of South Sudan to mark the 23rd Commemoration of 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.}

    The commemoration took place on 7 April 2017 at the UNMISS Rwanbatt2 Camp main Hall, Malakal. The commemoration was marked by lighting candles of hope, watching documentary films about the Genocide against the Tutsi and remarks from key officials.

    The Head of Field Office in Sector North, who was the guest of honor, led other Participants in lighting candles of hope. In her remarks, the Guest of Honour, Madam Hazel DeWet, Head of Field Office in Sector North, congratulated Rwandans for refusing to be held back by the tragedy and commended them for all achievements after brutal killings of innocent people that led Rwanda into 1994 Genocide against Tutsi. She hailed Rwanda for having stepped forward in peace and stability and in supporting other countries in peace keeping/ building.

    The Rwanbatt2 Commanding Officer, Lt Col Joseph MWESIGYE reminded those present of the importance of the day to Rwanda and Rwandans “It is a time to reflect on Rwanda’s story and journey of reconciliation and nation building, and look onto the future with hope, optimism and renewed commitment to dignity, self-reliance and shared human values”.

    A similar ceremony was held on 7 April 2017, in Bria/ Central Africa Republic, where Rwanda Level II Hospital peacekeepers (RWAMEDII) serving under the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Central African Republic (MINUSCA) were joined by local authorities and MINUSCA officials to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of Genocide against the Tutsi. The commemoration took place at RWAMED II headquarters in Bria town, Hautte-Kotto Province, East of Central Africa Republic.

    The Governor of Hautte-Kotto Province, Mr. Serge Ivon LESSEN who represented CAR authorities at the commemoration said he was very saddened by what happened during 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. He said that the fact that the genocide was stopped by Rwandans give lesson to Central Africans that they can also solve their own problems.

    In his remarks, the Commanding Officer, Col Dr John BYIMANA reminded those present how the Genocide against the Tutsi was prepared and executed and how it was stopped by the Rwanda Patriotic Army, today Rwanda Defence Force. He said that Rwanda refused to be held back by the bad history and has rebuilt from ashes of Genocide against Tutsi and currently contributes peacekeepers to build peace in other countries.

    The commemoration event was also marked by lighting a memorial flame and laying wreaths in honor of the victims, as well as testimonies from those who survived the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

    Governor Serge Ivon Lessen (left) and MINUSCA official laying wreath

    Source:Minadef

  • New approach makes cells resistant to HIV

    {Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have found a way to tether HIV-fighting antibodies to immune cells, creating a cell population resistant to the virus. Their experiments under lab conditions show that these resistant cells can quickly replace diseased cells, potentially curing the disease in a person with HIV.}

    “This protection would be long term,” said Jia Xie, senior staff scientist at TSRI and first author of the study published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

    The researchers, led by study senior author Richard Lerner, M.D., Lita Annenberg Hazen Professor of Immunochemistry at TSRI, plan to collaborate with investigators at City of Hope’s Center for Gene Therapy to evaluate this new therapy in efficacy and safety tests, as required by federal regulations, prior to testing in patients.

    “City of Hope currently has active clinical trials of gene therapy for AIDS using blood stem cell transplantation, and this experience will be applied to the task of bringing this discovery to the clinic,” said John A. Zaia, M.D., director of the Center for Gene Therapy in the Hematological Malignancy and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute at City of Hope. “The ultimate goal will be the control of HIV in patients with AIDS without the need for other medications.”

    “We at TSRI are honored to be able to collaborate with physicians and scientists at City of Hope, whose expertise in transplantation in HIV patients should hopefully allow this therapy to be used in people,” added Lerner.

    The new TSRI technique offers a significant advantage over therapies where antibodies float freely in the bloodstream at a relatively low concentration. Instead, antibodies in the new study hang on to a cell’s surface, blocking HIV from accessing a crucial cell receptor and spreading infection.

    Xie called it the “neighbor effect.” An antibody stuck nearby is more effective than having many antibodies floating throughout the bloodstream. “You don’t need to have so many molecules on one cell to be effective,” he said.

    Before testing their system against HIV, the scientists used rhinovirus (responsible for many cases of the common cold) as a model. They used a vector called lentivirus to deliver a new gene to cultured human cells. This gene instructed cells to synthesize antibodies that bind with the human cell receptor (ICAM-1) that rhinovirus needs. With the antibodies monopolizing that site, the virus cannot enter the cell to spread infection.

    “This is really a form of cellular vaccination,” said Lerner.

    Because the delivery system can’t reach exactly 100 percent of cells, the finished product was a mix of engineered and unengineered cells. The researchers then added rhinovirus to these cell populations and waited to see what would happen.

    The vast majority of cells died in about two days. In dishes with only unengineered cells, the population never recovered. There was an initial die-off in the mixed engineered/unengineered populations, too, but their numbers quickly bounced back. After 125 hours, these cell populations were back up to around the same levels as cells in an undiseased control group.

    In essence, the researchers had forced the cells to compete in Darwinian, “survival-of-the-fittest” selection in a lab dish. Cells without antibody protection died off, leaving protected cells to survive and multiply, passing on the protective gene to new cells.

    This success led the researchers to test the same technique against HIV. To infect a person, all strains of HIV need to bind with a cell surface receptor called CD4. So the scientists tested antibodies that could potentially protect this receptor on the very immune cells normally killed by HIV. “This research is possible because of the ability to select specialized antibodies from combinatorial antibody libraries,” said Lerner.

    Again, their technique worked. After introducing cells to the virus, the researchers ended up with an HIV-resistant population. The antibodies recognized the CD4 binding site, blocking HIV from getting to the receptor.

    The scientists further confirmed that these tethered antibodies blocked HIV more effectively than free-floating, soluble antibodies in experiments led by study co-authors Devin Sok of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI) and TSRI Professor Dennis R. Burton, who is also scientific director of the IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center and of the National Institutes of Health’s Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology and Immunogen Discovery (CHAVI-ID) at TSRI.

    Joseph Alvarnas, M.D., director of Value-Based Analytics at City of Hope, explained how the TSRI technique could help patients, who–despite treatment with anti-retroviral drugs–still suffer from higher rates of diseases, such as cancers. “HIV is treatable but not curable–this remains a disease that causes a lot of suffering. That makes the case for why these technologies are so important,” he said.

    In addition to potentially collaborating with City of Hope, Xie said the next step in this research is to try engineering antibodies to protect a different receptor on the cell surface.

    Additional authors of the study, “Immunochemical Engineering of Cell Surfaces to Generate Virus Resistance,” were Nicholas Wu and Tianqing Zheng of TSRI. The study was supported by Zebra Biologics and the JPB Foundation.

    {{About The Scripps Research Institute}}

    The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) is one of the world’s largest independent, not-for-profit organizations focusing on research in the biomedical sciences. TSRI is internationally recognized for its contributions to science and health, including its role in laying the foundation for new treatments for cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, hemophilia, and other diseases. An institution that evolved from the Scripps Metabolic Clinic founded by philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps in 1924, the institute now employs more than 2,500 people on its campuses in La Jolla, CA, and Jupiter, FL, where its renowned scientists–including two Nobel laureates and 20 members of the National Academies of Science, Engineering or Medicine–work toward their next discoveries. The institute’s graduate program, which awards PhD degrees in biology and chemistry, ranks among the top ten of its kind in the nation. In October 2016, TSRI announced a strategic affiliation with the California Institute for Biomedical Research (Calibr), representing a renewed commitment to the discovery and development of new medicines to address unmet medical needs. For more information, see http://www.scripps.edu.

    {{About City of Hope}}

    City of Hope is an independent research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Designated as one of only 47 comprehensive cancer centers, the highest recognition bestowed by the National Cancer Institute, City of Hope is also a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, with research and treatment protocols that advance care throughout the world. City of Hope is located in Duarte, California, just northeast of Los Angeles, with community clinics throughout Southern California. It is ranked as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” in cancer by U.S. News & World Report. Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a pioneer in the fields of bone marrow transplantation, diabetes and numerous breakthrough cancer drugs based on technology developed at the institution. For more information about City of Hope, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.

    Here, cells protected from rhinovirus by membrane-tethered, receptor-blocking antibodies survive well and form colonies.

    Source:Science Daily

  • One arrested in crackdown on forged traffic documents

    {Ongoing operations and crackdown on people holding or forging road traffic-related documents has led to the arrest of a motorcyclist, who was found with a forged driver’s license.}

    Jean Rusimbukayejo, 50, a medical assistant was arrested Sunday in Gitarama Cell, Nyamabuye Sector of Muhanga District.

    The spokesperson for Traffic and Road Safety department, Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Emmanuel Kabanda, said that “the arrest of Rusimbukayejo and many others so far facing varied jail terms, should signal what awaits anyone that still distributes or uses such forged documents.”

    “We have since identified the person who sold this forged license to Rusimbukayejo at Rwf300, 000, and efforts are still underway to trace his whereabouts to face justice,” said CIP Kabanda.

    “Some people want easy means of getting driver’s license, which is why they are duped by such unscrupulous individuals who claim to work with Traffic Police,” he said, warning that “both the person holding a forged document and who forged it, are treated as suspected criminals.”

    Under article 609 of the Penal Code, any person who forges or alters documents is liable to a term of imprisonment ranging from five to seven years and a fine of Rwf300,000 to Rwf3 million.

    The same penalty applies to anyone, who knowingly uses a counterfeit document.

    “For some time now, we have been carrying out investigations through which we managed to break separate groups involved in forging and selling driver’s permit, with some calling themselves police agents,” he said.

    Between November and December last year, police busted five separate groups involving 16 suspects, who were arrested red-handed with equipment they were using, and with a number of forged permits in different names.

    Between 2014 and 2015, more than one hundred drivers and motorcyclists were also arrested with forged driver’s license.

    “Based on investigations and information we get from people we arrest forging these documents, we have compiled a list of drivers and riders suspected to be operating on these counterfeit documents. Some of these people have voluntarily surrendered them, which is the only advisable option, but those who have not will be arrested,” Kabanda warned.

    He clarified that the traffic and road safety department has no brokers adding that people who as brokers are fraudsters that should be reported to police so that they are arrested.

    “Besides, acquiring a driver’s license is an individual process; it is done by the applicant himself or herself, right from registration to the time of collecting your permit.”

    Meanwhile, CIP Kabanda also said that the introduction of the hi-tech Hand-Held Terminal (HHT) will also ease the process of identifying forged driver’s license.

    The device scans the driver’s license precisely the barcode at the back and automatically synchronise the driver’s details with that recoded in the National Identification Agency (NIDA) database to profile the driver and give the traffic officer authentic information.

    A mismatch, according to Kabanda, indicates that the license is a forgery.

    Source:Police