Author: Wycliffe Nyamasege

Mboweni passed away on Saturday, October 13, 2024, at the age of 65, after a short illness, according to a statement from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government.

In his message of condolences on Sunday, Kagame praised Mboweni’s contributions to reforming the African Union (AU), stating that his legacy will transcend generations.

“Tito Mboweni was a giant voice for Africa and a champion of continental integration. His counsel was invaluable in the effort to reform the African Union, and in recent years, he dedicated his energy to implementing those reforms as chair of the AU Peace Fund. His legacy will live on for generations to come,” Kagame said in his message to Mboweni’s family, friends, and the people of South Africa.

Mboweni served as South Africa’s Minister of Finance under Ramaphosa from 2018 to 2021. He was an anti-apartheid activist in his youth and served as Minister of Labour from 1994 to 1999 under President Nelson Mandela.

Mboweni also made history as the first Black Governor of the South African Reserve Bank, serving from 1999 to 2009.

A frequent visitor to Kigali and an early member of the team tasked with reforming the African Union, Mboweni was a close ally of Rwanda. His work on the AU Reforms Steering Committee, led by President Kagame, focused on addressing the urgent need for institutional reforms to better position the AU for achieving its Agenda 2063 vision of inclusive economic growth and development across Africa.

Mboweni’s role extended to serving on the Board of Trustees for the African Union Peace Fund, which was key to financing peace support operations, mediation, and preventive diplomacy efforts. His involvement was instrumental in ensuring strategic governance of the Peace Fund, enhancing the AU’s capacity to manage conflicts and promote peace on the continent.

Ramaphosa earlier expressed shock over Mboweni’s passing, noting that he distinguished himself in strategic roles and was a flag bearer for South Africa’s economy on the global stage.

“We have lost a leader and compatriot who has served our nation as an activist, economic policy innovator, and champion of labor rights,” Ramaphosa said, emphasizing Mboweni’s significant role in shaping South Africa’s future, particularly during the final days of apartheid.

The accident occurred around 10 PM, as the minibuses were returning from a wedding at Sainte Famille and heading towards Muhanga.

Confirming the accident, SP Kayigi Emmanuel, a spokesperson for the Traffic Police, said the rear minibus collided with a front minibus, causing the latter to veer off the road and crash into barriers.

The officer attributed the crash to excessive speeding by the driver of the rear minibus, particularly as they approached a downhill area.

At the time of the incident, both vehicles were carrying around 40 passengers. While three passengers were killed instantly, 37 others sustained injuries, with six reported to be in serious condition.

The injured were taken to various hospitals, with some sent to facilities in Kigali and others to Kabgayi Hospital. The bodies of the deceased were moved to the Kacyiru Hospital mortuary.

Following the tragedy, SP Kayigi urged drivers to exercise caution on the roads and emphasized the importance of passengers speaking up when drivers make unsafe choices. He expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased and reassured the public that the injured were receiving the necessary medical care.

The resolutions were signed on Saturday, October 13, 2024, during the Fifth Meeting held in Luanda, Angola, a country tasked with mediating and easing the tensions that have persisted between Rwanda and the DRC.

The ministers signed off on a plan that had been proposed by security experts from the three countries involved, who met at the end of August and the beginning of September this year.

The plan outlined the methods to be used in eliminating the FDLR, a group that has long collaborated with the DRC’s military and has been disrupting Rwanda’s security.

A ministerial meeting was held on September 14, 2024, to ratify the plan, but the DRC refused to sign following directives Minister Kayikwamba allegedly received from President Felix Tshisekedi in Kinshasa, instructing her not to sign.

As a result, another meeting that was supposed to bring together security experts in early October 2024, which was meant to finalize the methods and timeline for dismantling the FDLR, was postponed.

Rwanda has stated that if the plan to eliminate the FDLR is finalized and implemented, it will revise its defense strategies accordingly.

Minister Nduhungirehe announced that the signing of the Fifth Meeting’s resolutions marks a positive step toward peace and security in the region.

It is expected that security experts will meet again to refine the plan to get rid of the FDLR, and their conclusions will be reviewed at the next ministerial meeting.

Mpox broke out in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in May 2022, with several cases reported in neighbouring countries, including Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, the Central African Republic, and Rwanda in recent months. Rwanda also reported its first-ever Marburg outbreak late last month.

In a statement on Friday, October 11, 2024, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted that the organization had assessed the current Mpox and Marburg outbreaks and determined that no travel or trade restrictions are necessary.

According to WHO, priority should be given to public health measures and collaborative efforts to contain the outbreaks.

“Based on the current Mpox and Marburg outbreak risk assessments, WHO advises that no travel and trade restrictions are needed,” the organization stated.

WHO’s statement follows a condemnation from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) regarding a travel advisory issued by the United States government against Rwanda.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a national public health agency in the United States, issued a Level 3 travel advisory on Monday, October 7, 2024, urging its citizens to reconsider nonessential travel to Rwanda due to the Marburg outbreak.

During a virtual meeting attended by the Rwandan Health Minister and journalists on Thursday, October 10, 2024, Africa CDC Director General Dr. Jean Kaseya termed the advisory unfair. He emphasized that decisions during the ongoing outbreak must be guided by scientific facts to avoid causing panic.

“The decision taken by the US government was not fair, and we believe this is not the treatment that Rwanda and Africa deserve,” he stated.

“By issuing a Level 3 advisory, we are creating unnecessary panic—in Rwanda, in neighboring countries, and even globally,” he protested.

Dr. Kaseya noted that US authorities had committed to consulting the Africa CDC before making such decisions in the future.

“We think this is disrespectful to us. I conveyed this clear message to US senior officials. More importantly, we agreed on a way forward, and I believe I received their commitment that in the future, they will not make such decisions again without consulting us,” he added.

The Africa CDC Director praised the measures implemented by the Rwandan government, stating that the outbreak is under control and there is nearly zero risk of Rwanda spreading the disease to other countries.

“It’s almost zero risk. I say ‘almost’ because we cannot say 100% for sure, but I can say that there is a 95% certainty that there is zero risk for Rwanda spreading the disease out of Rwanda. The mechanisms they have put in place to monitor contacts mean no contact can fly out of Rwanda. This is remarkable because they are monitoring these contacts on a daily basis,” he stated.

Rwanda has so far confirmed 58 Marburg cases, 13 deaths, and 15 recoveries.

Rwanda’s Health Minister, Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, made the remarks during a virtual session with journalists attended by the Director-General of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Dr. Jean Kaseya, on Thursday, October 10, 2024.

During the briefing, Minister Nsanzimana was asked about reports suggesting that Rwanda had initially concealed the discovery of individuals infected with the virus in the country. In response, the minister stated that the claims were unfounded.

“I would like to clarify that the information suggesting these tests were done earlier and not communicated is not true. The truth is that the tests were conducted on September 26, confirmed the same night, and announced publicly on the 27th. Everything happened within 24 hours, and the process followed international protocol guidelines. So, this is the fact and the truth, just as was done in previous outbreaks,” the minister explained.

He added that Rwanda is currently investigating the source of Rwanda’s first-ever Marburg outbreak which was confirmed on September 27, 2024.

“The process of tracing the origins of the first patient and the virus is still ongoing. In the next few days, we will complete this investigation, along with additional testing such as ELISA and serology. We are combining multiple efforts, including collaboration between One Health teams, epidemiologists, and veterinarians,” he said.

The minister also highlighted Rwanda’s significant progress in vaccination efforts and monitoring to prevent the further spread of the outbreak.

“So far, we’ve already vaccinated more than 200 people, and more are being vaccinated. We initially received 700 doses for the most at-risk groups. We expect this to protect those in treatment centers, as well as healthcare workers in the affected hospital departments, and contacts of confirmed positive cases, in a strategy known as ring vaccination,” he stated.

Dr. Nsanzimana further mentioned that, despite the outbreak, various activities, including meetings, will not be disrupted.

“There are ongoing meetings; for instance, yesterday, I was with the Director-General of Africa CDC at a major conference called Biashara Africa, as well as several other meetings. We are monitoring the outbreak as people come to Rwanda for these gatherings. Measures have been put in place to monitor individuals infected with the disease who are in two hospitals. We see no reason to avoid travel or suspend meetings,” he said.

Rwanda has so far confirmed 58 cases of Marburg, with 13 deaths and 12 recoveries.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a national public health agency of the United States, issued a Level 3 travel advisory on Monday, October 7, 2024, urging its citizens to reconsider nonessential travel to Rwanda due to the Marburg outbreak.

Speaking during a virtual meeting attended by the Rwandan Health Minister and journalists on Thursday, October 10, 2024, Dr. Kaseya said that decisions during the ongoing outbreak must be guided by scientific facts to avoid spreading panic.

“The decision taken by the US government was not fair, and we believe this is not the treatment that Rwanda and Africa deserve,” he stated, adding that Rwanda had implemented satisfactory measures to contain the spread of the disease.

“By issuing a Level 3 advisory, we are creating panic—an unnecessary panic—in Rwanda, in other regions, in neighbouring countries, and even globally,” he protested.

Dr. Kaseya noted that US authorities had committed to consulting the Africa CDC before taking such steps in the future.

“We think this is disrespectful to us. I conveyed this clear message to US senior officials. But more importantly, we agreed on a way forward. I believe I received their clear commitment that in the future they will not make such decisions again without consulting us,” he added.

Besides the Level 3 travel advisory, the US government also recently suspended in-person services at its embassy offices in Kigali, allowing its staff to work from home following the confirmation of Marburg cases in Rwanda. The suspended services include American Citizen Services and visa interviews.

In the Thursday briefing, Minister Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana stated that Rwanda is making significant progress in vaccination efforts and monitoring to prevent the further spread of the outbreak.

“So far, we’ve already vaccinated more than 200 people. Others are still being vaccinated. We initially received 700 doses for the most at-risk groups. We expect this to protect those in treatment centers, as well as departments in the hospitals most affected, particularly healthcare workers and contacts of confirmed positive cases, which is known as ring vaccination,” the minister stated.

As of Thursday, October 10, 2024, Rwanda has confirmed 58 cases, 13 deaths, and 12 recoveries.

Speaking during a virtual meeting attended by the Rwandan Health Minister and journalists on Thursday, October 10, 2024, Dr. Kaseya lauded the measures put in place by the government, stating that there is nearly zero risk of Rwanda spreading the disease to another country.

“It’s almost zero risk. I say ‘almost’ because we cannot say 100% for sure, but I can say that there is a 95% certainty that there is zero risk for Rwanda spreading the disease out of Rwanda. The mechanisms they have put in place to monitor contacts mean no contact can fly out of Rwanda. This is amazing because they are monitoring these contacts on a daily basis,” the Africa CDC boss stated.

Dr. Kaseya said recent reports showing zero new cases and fatalities were encouraging, even as the fatality rate remains low at 22% compared to previous outbreaks in other countries.

“I have to say that the outbreak in Rwanda is controlled. Yesterday, I was amazed to receive a report indicating that there were zero new cases and zero deaths. It means we are expecting to see Rwanda out of this outbreak very soon,” Dr. Kaseya noted.

“The case fatality rate is 22%. Let me remind you that in 2023, during the outbreaks we experienced, the case fatality rate was more than 65%. If we go back to 2022, the case fatality rate was more than 80%,” the Africa CDC boss explained.

“You can compare that and confidently state that Rwanda is putting in place all necessary mechanisms.”

At the same time, Dr. Kaseya condemned a recent travel advisory issued by the United States, insisting that any decisions taken must be guided by scientific facts to avoid spreading panic.

“The decision taken by the US government was not fair, and we believe this is not the treatment that Rwanda and Africa deserve,” he stated, adding that Rwanda had implemented satisfactory measures to contain the spread of the disease.

“Today, by issuing a Level 3 advisory, we are creating a panic mode—an unnecessary panic mode—in Rwanda, in other regions, in other countries in the region, and also in the world,” he protested.

He noted that the US authorities had committed to consulting the Africa CDC before taking such steps in the future.

“We think this is so disrespectful for us. I conveyed this clear message to the US senior officials. But more importantly, we agreed on a way to move forward. I believe I received their clear commitment that in the future they will not make such decisions again without consulting us,” he added.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had Monday, October 8, issued a level 3 travel notice for the country and said next week it would begin screening travellers who have recently been in Rwanda.

In the briefing, Minister Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana stated that Rwanda is making significant progress in vaccination efforts and monitoring to prevent the further spread of the outbreak.

“So far, we’ve already vaccinated more than 200 people. There are others being vaccinated. We initially received 700 doses for the most at-risk groups. We expect this to protect those in treatment centres, as well as in the departments of these hospitals that have been most affected for healthcare workers, and the contacts of confirmed positive cases, which is known as ring vaccination,” the minister stated.

As of Thursday, October 10, 2024, Rwanda has confirmed 58 cases, 13 deaths, and 12 recoveries.

Initial symptoms of Marburg virus disease include high fever, severe headache, muscle and joint pain, and fatigue, followed by gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. As the disease progresses, it can lead to severe haemorrhaging, organ failure, and shock.

To prevent infection, health experts recommend strict hygiene practices, such as frequent handwashing and avoiding contact with personal items or bodily fluids of individuals showing symptoms of Marburg virus disease.

The airline confirmed the incident in a statement on Wednesday morning, identifying the deceased pilot as 59-year-old Ilcehin Pehlivan.

Airline spokesperson Yahya Ustun stated that Pehlivan fainted, prompting the crew of the TK204 flight to decide on an emergency landing while attempting to revive him.

Unfortunately, Pehlivan died before the plane could land in New York City. The cause of death is yet to be revealed.

Pehlivan had worked with Turkish Airlines since 2007. The spokesperson explained that the pilot passed a medical examination in March indicating he had no health issues.

“A periodic health examination was carried out on March 8, 2024, at the Aviation Medical Center authorized by the General Directorate of Civil Aviation, and no health problem was detected that would prevent him from working,” the spokesperson wrote in a post on X.

He added, “As the Turkish Airlines family, we wish God’s mercy upon our captain and patience to his grieving family, all his colleagues, and loved ones.”

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.

The motion to impeach Gachagua was tabled in the National Assembly last week, having garnered a total of 291 signatures.

The sponsor of the motion, Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse, sought Gachagua’s removal on 11 grounds, including gross violation of the Constitution, undermining President William Ruto and the Cabinet, undermining devolution, and compromising judicial independence by publicly attacking a judge.

Other charges included making inciteful statements, committing economic crimes, spreading false, malicious, divisive, and inciteful remarks and bullying state and public officers.

Appearing in the House on Tuesday evening, Gachagua dismissed the charges as “outrageous and baseless propaganda” aimed at tarnishing his reputation and unfairly hounding him out of office.

He dedicated significant time to responding to allegations of corruption. He denied the claim that he had amassed Ksh5 billion worth of wealth within two years through corrupt means, insisting that the listed property belonged to his late brother, who had named him as one of the administrators of his vast estate.

With the National Assembly having pronounced itself on the matter, the motion now moves to the Senate for consideration. For the motion to pass in the Senate, it must garner support from two-thirds of the senators.

If the Senate upholds any of the charges against Gachagua, he will become the first Deputy President to be removed from office through an impeachment process in Kenya.