Author: Wycliffe Nyamasege

Health Minister Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana revealed the findings during a press briefing in Kigali on Sunday, October 20, 2024, stating that the index case was a 27-year-old man who contracted the virus through contact with bats in a local cave.

Dr. Nsanzimana explained that extensive research, including genomic sequencing, epidemiological investigations, and environmental testing, pointed to a zoonotic origin, meaning the virus jumped from an animal to a human.

“The index case we presented today is a 27-year-old male,” he said, adding that the case shows a close evolutionary relationship to a strain observed during the 2014 outbreak in the region.

“Through our contact tracing, beginning from the hospital, we combined all five elements, which led us, with high precision, to determine that this was of zoonotic origin. This man had been exposed in a particular area of a cave with a specific species of bat that has been sequenced before in the region, confirming the link to the outbreak we are currently dealing with.”

The Marburg virus is a highly contagious disease that causes severe hemorrhagic fever. While outbreaks are rare, they often result in high mortality rates and present serious public health challenges.

According to the Ministry of Health, the outbreak in Rwanda was first identified after the index case was hospitalized at King Faisal Hospital, where he was treated in the intensive care unit. Healthcare workers attending to him soon exhibited symptoms, triggering an investigation into the source of the virus.

“Identifying the index case has been the result of several efforts. We are very happy to have reached this point because in many outbreaks, it is extremely difficult to do so,” the minister added.

With efforts continuing, the Ministry of Health remains focused on controlling the outbreak and ensuring that Rwanda is prepared for future health crises.

“We continue to expand our understanding of these dynamics within a One Health context. We will be providing more details about this index case and how we can prepare for preventing future outbreaks,” Dr. Nsanzimana emphasized.

Since the first-ever outbreak was declared in Rwanda on September 27, 2024, a total of 62 cases, 14 deaths, and 45 recoveries have been recorded. The fatality rate stands at 24%, significantly lower compared to the 88% observed in past outbreaks globally.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who was present at the joint media briefing in Kigali, acknowledged Rwanda’s positive trend in managing the health emergency, as there have been no new cases or deaths in the past week.

The WHO chief highlighted that Rwanda was the first country in Africa to successfully intubate and later extubate patients suffering from the Marburg virus, a significant medical breakthrough.

He attributed the achievements to strategic measures and effective health interventions.

“We believe this is the first time patients with Marburg virus have been extubated in Africa. These patients would have died in previous outbreaks,” Dr. Tedros said, citing a recent incident where two patients successfully recovered.

“This reflects the work Rwanda has done over the years to strengthen the health system, to develop capacity in critical care and life support that can be deployed both in regular hospital care and emergencies,” he added.

The embassy will reopen its doors to the public starting Monday, October 21, 2024, for all services that had been suspended, including American citizen services and visa interviews.

“Starting Monday, October 21, 2024, the U.S. Embassy will reopen to the public for all in-person services, including assistance for American citizens and visa services and interviews,” the embassy said in a notice published on its official website.

The embassy had earlier stated that the decision to suspend all in-person services at its offices following the announcement of the Marburg outbreak in Rwanda on September 27, 2024, was made out of an abundance of caution as the government assessed the severity of the MVD outbreak.

During the period, embassy staff were authorized to work remotely.

The reopening of the embassy to the public comes after Rwanda’s Health Minister, Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, termed the country’s progress in managing the Marburg virus outbreak as positive. He attributed the trend to heightened contact tracing and ongoing vaccination trials.

Speaking during a recent press conference, the minister said Rwanda hopes to report no new cases or deaths for several days. No new cases have been reported for about a week now.

“We believe that this ring vaccination [for the close contacts of confirmed cases] has played a big role. And also, we believe that the intensive work being done on the ground is helping to capture all the cases and their contacts,” Dr. Nsanzimana told members of the press on October 17, 2024.

“So briefly, I just wanted to share this good news that the trend is positive, and that we’re going to hopefully soon—or as soon as possible—have zero cases for several days and zero deaths for several days,” he said.

According to the minister, since the outbreak, all new confirmed cases have been within the hospital cluster in Kigali and their contacts, all of whom are under isolation and treatment. There is no evidence of community transmission in Rwanda.

Rwanda has so far confirmed 62 cases, 15 deaths, and 44 recoveries. Cumulative tests stand at more than 4,700.

The Marburg virus, which causes hemorrhagic fever, spreads from person to person through direct contact with the blood, secretions, organs, or other bodily fluids of infected individuals. It can also be transmitted by touching contaminated surfaces or materials, such as bedding and clothing. This transmission can occur through broken skin or mucous membranes, such as those found in the eyes, nose, or mouth.

Preventive measures include avoiding contact with infected individuals, practicing good hygiene, wearing protective clothing when caring for someone infected or working in a high-risk environment, and avoiding contact with infected animals, especially fruit bats and non-human primates. Humans are also advised to avoid touching or consuming bushmeat.

He referred to the drone launch from Lebanon, aimed at his private residence in the northern town of Caesarea earlier in the day.

The drone eventually hit another house in the town, with no casualties, and the prime minister’s office noted that Netanyahu and his wife were not in their private home at the time of the attack.

“This will not deter me and Israel from continuing the war of revival against our enemies to ensure our security for generations,” Netanyahu added in the statement.

“I tell the Iranians and their partners in the axis of evil that anyone who harms the citizens of Israel will pay a heavy price for it. We will continue to eliminate your terrorists, bring back our abductees from Gaza, and return the northern residents to their homes,” the prime minister stated.

Netanyahu concluded, “We will achieve all the war goals we have set and change the security reality in our region for generations.”

This follows a petition filed by Gachagua’s legal team on Friday morning, challenging the entire process that led to his impeachment by the Senate late Thursday night.

In a ruling delivered on Friday afternoon, Justice Chacha Mwita stated that Gachagua’s petition raises monumental constitutional issues concerning the rule of law and human rights.

The judge issued a conservatory order staying the implementation of the impeachment charges, including the appointment of Gachagua’s replacement, until October 24, 2024, when the matter will be mentioned in court.

“Given the significance of the issues raised in the petition and application, I certify this matter as raising substantial questions of law and public interest, and therefore fit to be heard by a bench of an uneven number of judges, to be appointed by the Hon. Chief Justice. The file shall be placed before the Hon. Chief Justice immediately for consideration,” reads part of Justice Mwita’s ruling.

In his petition, Gachagua dismissed the charges and evidence presented before the Senate for his removal as baseless, asking the court to quash the impeachment.

“Unfounded and false allegations have been made against me in the impeachment motion before both houses. It is in the interest of justice that such false information be corrected in line with the provisions of Article 35 of the Constitution,” said Gachagua.

Gachagua argued that the Senate was required by law to act as an impartial arbitrator when determining whether the charges recently approved by the National Assembly had been substantiated.

The court’s decision comes just hours after President William Ruto nominated Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki to replace the impeached deputy. The National Assembly has since approved the nominee for appointment and subsequent swearing-in.

With this ruling, it is expected that President Ruto will halt the official appointment and swearing-in of Kindiki pending the court’s determination.

Gachagua, who is widely reported to have fallen out with President Ruto in recent months, was impeached after Senators upheld five of the 11 charges brought against him.

Fifty-four senators voted to impeach Gachagua on the first count of gross violation of the Constitution, while 13 voted against his removal. The charges under this ground included accusations of dividing Kenyans along ethnic lines. The National Assembly cited several instances where Gachagua compared the government to a company, suggesting that certain regions held more “shares” than others.

In addition to engaging in divisive politics, Gachagua faced other accusations, including economic crimes, money laundering, insubordination, undermining the government and devolution, as well as bullying and intimidating state officers. However, the charges of economic crimes, money laundering, and bullying failed to gain sufficient support.

The Senate proceeded with the impeachment trial despite Gachagua’s lawyers arguing that the Deputy President could not appear in the House as he had been hospitalized.

“IDF soldiers from the Southern Command eliminated Yahya Sinwar… in an operation in the southern Gaza Strip,” the Israeli army said in a statement.

The IDF said that its soldiers killed three militants in the operation, and later, it turned out that one of them was Sinwar, who “was responsible for the murder and abduction of many Israelis.”

According to the statement, Sinwar was killed after hiding over the past year behind the civilian population of Gaza, both above and below ground, in Hamas tunnels in the Gaza Strip.

“The dozens of operations carried out by the IDF and the ISA over the last year, and in recent weeks in the area where he was eliminated, restricted Sinwar’s operational movement as he was pursued by the forces and led to his elimination,” the statement added.

Shortly before the IDF statement, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz confirmed Sinwar’s death in a message to foreign ministers of other countries, saying that “this is a great military and moral achievement for Israel.”

According to the foreign minister, “the elimination of Sinwar creates a possibility for the immediate release of the Israeli abductees and to bring about a change that will lead to a new reality in Gaza, without Hamas nor Iranian control.”

Considered the chief architect of the Hamas attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, Sinwar was appointed as Hamas leader in August following the assassination of former leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

Sinwar was born in October 1962 in the Khan Younis refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip. He had been jailed in Israeli prison multiple times before his final release in 2011.

After his release, Sinwar was elected to Hamas’s political bureau during the movement’s internal elections in 2012, where he took charge of security matters. In 2013, he assumed leadership of Hamas’s military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, coordinating efforts between the political bureau and the brigades’ leadership.

He was elected in 2017 as the head of the movement’s political bureau in Gaza, and in 2021, he was re-elected for a second four-year term during the movement’s internal elections.

The Senate upheld Gachagua’s impeachment by the National Assembly in a historic vote taken late Thursday night.

Senate Speaker Amason Kingi immediately declared the Deputy President’s office vacant in a gazette notice circulated on the same night.

To fill the vacancy, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula announced on Friday morning that President Ruto had submitted the name of Prof. Kindiki for approval to replace Gachagua.

The House is expected to hold a special sitting on Friday morning to consider Prof. Kindiki’s nomination.

Kindiki is likely to be approved by MPs as Ruto enjoys a majority in the House.

If Kindiki’s nomination is approved, he will be formally appointed and sworn in as Kenya’s Deputy President.

The 52-year-old is a seasoned lawyer and former senator who represented Tharaka Nithi County between 2013 and 2022. He was also part of a team of lawyers who represented Ruto at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, in the crimes against humanity case related to the 2007-2008 post-election violence. The charges against Ruto were later vacated due to insufficient evidence.

Kindiki was among the top candidates considered as President Ruto’s running mate for his presidential campaign. Ruto, however, settled on Gachagua despite a majority of MPs in Ruto’s party overwhelmingly supporting Kindiki. Instead, Kindiki was appointed to serve as the Interior Minister.

{{Gachagua Ousted}}

Gachagua, who is widely reported to have fallen out with President Ruto in recent months, was impeached after Senators upheld five of the 11 grounds tabled for his removal.

Fifty-four senators voted to impeach Gachagua on the first count of gross violation of the Constitution, while 13 voted against his ouster. The charges under this ground included accusations of dividing Kenyans along ethnic lines. The National Assembly cited several instances where he compared the government to a company, suggesting that certain regions held more shares than others.

Besides engaging in divisive politics, Gachagua faced a host of other accusations, including economic crimes, money laundering, insubordination, undermining the government and devolution, as well as bullying and intimidating state officers. However, the charges of economic crimes, money laundering, and bullying failed to gain sufficient support.

The Kenyan Senate required a two-thirds majority, which equates to at least 45 out of the 67 senators, to successfully impeach the Deputy President on any single charge.

Gachagua is the first Deputy President in Kenya’s history to be removed from office through an impeachment process. The impeachment bars him from ever holding public office.

The Senate proceeded with the impeachment trial despite Deputy President Gachagua falling ill and being hospitalized. He is expected to move to court to challenge the impeachment.

The Senate upheld five out of the 11 grounds in the historic vote taken on Thursday night.

Fifty-four senators voted to impeach Gachagua on the first count of gross violation of the Constitution, while 13 voted against his ouster. The charges under this ground included accusations of dividing Kenyans along ethnic lines. The National Assembly cited several instances where he compared the government to a company, suggesting that certain regions hold more shares than others.

Besides engaging in divisive politics, Gachagua faced a host of other accusations, including economic crimes, money laundering, insubordination, undermining the government and devolution, as well as bullying and intimidating state officers. However, the charges of economic crimes, money laundering, and bullying failed to gain sufficient support.

The Kenyan Senate required a two-thirds majority, which equates to at least 45 out of the 67 senators, to successfully impeach the Deputy President on any single charge.

“Pursuant to Article 145(7) and 151(b)(2) of the Constitution and Standing Order 78(8) of the Senate, the Senate has resolved to remove from office, by impeachment, His Excellency Rigathi Gachagua, the Deputy President of Kenya. Accordingly, His Excellency Rigathi Gachagua ceases to hold office,” Senate Speaker Amason Kingi declared.

Gachagua becomes the first Deputy President in Kenya’s history to be removed from office through an impeachment process. The impeachment bars him from ever holding public office.

The Senate proceeded with the impeachment trial despite Deputy President Gachagua falling ill and being hospitalized, according to his lawyers.

The legal team had requested an adjournment of the trial until at least Tuesday, October 22, 2024, but the Senate voted to continue with the proceedings. In protest, Gachagua’s lawyers walked out of the Senate.

The motion of impeachment was tabled by Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse in the National Assembly on October 1, 2024.

Two hundred and eighty-one lawmakers voted in favour of the motion to remove Gachagua, while 44 opposed it, with only one member of the House abstaining. The motion required support from 233 MPs, representing two-thirds of the total 349 members, to pass through the House.

In a statement, the organization representing the interests of mobile network operators worldwide apologized to participants and stated that the event would be rescheduled for a new date in 2025.

“We recognize the inconvenience this may cause to our participants. A new date in 2025 will be announced,” GSMA said.

“Together with the Rwandan Ministry of ICT & Innovation, we look forward to convening Africa’s most influential connectivity event soon,” the organization added.

GSMA did not disclose the reason for postponing the much-awaited conference.

The postponed event is part of the GSMA’s MWC series, which includes flagship events such as MWC Barcelona, MWC Shanghai, and MWC Las Vegas.

The event aims to showcase the region’s advancements in connectivity and technological innovation, particularly in the context of emerging trends like 5G, fintech, and artificial intelligence.

The 2024 edition was set to explore key growth areas such as mobile money and the evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Last year’s edition welcomed more than 3,400 attendees from over 1,400 companies and featured more than 230 speakers.