Author: Wycliffe Nyamasege

According to the ministry, some of these churches are located in areas that make them unfit for holding prayer activities.

This was established during a recent nationwide inspection that led to the closure of more than 9,000 places of worship due to non-compliance with various regulations.

The Minister of Local Government, Jean Claude Musabyimana, revealed during an interview on RBA’s *Imboni* program that around 600 churches were found to be unfit for reopening, including those that must be demolished because they pose a threat to public safety.

He stated, “There are buildings with serious issues. Among them, 336 are unsuitable for any activity; they are in locations where they should not be, and even their owners acknowledge this. We are not doing this in secret; their owners have discussed it with us and admitted that the best solution is to abandon or demolish these buildings and wait until they can carry out a proper construction project.”

He emphasized that if a church is built in an area where people cannot live, “you cannot expect to renovate it and resume activities there the next day; it’s just not possible.”

Minister Musabyimana also pointed out that some churches will remain closed because they were found to be mere front organizations with no permanent locations. “You cannot claim to have a church with no permanent location, carrying its papers around, and then rent a space meant for other purposes,” he added.

Minister Musabyimana clarified that closing a church does not equate to closing a religion, as a single denomination may have multiple places of worship, allowing for the closure of one while others continue to operate.

The Rwanda Governance Board (RGB) recently announced that in December 2023, it met with representatives of faith-based organizations at the district level, reminding them that the grace period given by the law for those who lacked the required qualifications ended in September 2023. This law provided a five-year window to meet other requirements, including obtaining necessary academic qualifications, as there was a need for time to study and fulfill these obligations, which concluded in September 2023.

In May 2024, RGB also sent a letter to all religious leaders requesting documentation on the locations of their branches, information on those in charge, and their educational qualifications, but not all were able to provide the required documents.

**110 ‘Wilderness’ Sites Permanently Closed**

Minister Musabyimana noted that during the church inspections, they found over 110 locations where people were worshipping in mountains, caves, water springs, pits, and other dangerous places, with some even struck by lightning.

“You are aware that many Rwandans were worshipping in various remote locations, such as mountains with water springs, caves, and what we referred to as wilderness sites, often without any form of safety. We heard of incidents where lightning struck and killed people in trees, only to find out that these were people who had gone to pray in such hazardous places,” he explained.

“We agreed to close those sites because there is no reason for people to conduct prayer activities in such dangerous locations. There are no buildings there; it’s just places where people gather, like pits.”

The 2022 national census revealed that at least 390,000 Rwandans do not adhere to any religion. Catholics constitute over 5 million, accounting for 40% of the population, while ADEPR has 21%, Protestants 15%, Adventists 12%, Muslims 2%, and those practicing traditional beliefs less than 1%.

Odinga stated that the introduction of an AU visa would significantly enhance the free movement of people and goods across the continent, thereby promoting intra-Africa trade.

He lamented that traders and businesspeople in Africa are required to obtain numerous visas to travel across the continent, while their foreign counterparts can do so freely.

“My friend Aliko Dangote says that to travel across the continent, he needs 35 visas. His French competitor does not need a visa to travel with a French visa in Africa. What a shame. In Europe, you only need a Schengen visa to travel across the entire continent without a problem,” Odinga said.

He pledged to introduce the AU visa to remove the bottlenecks that have hindered free movement for decades.

“We will also ensure that we reach a stage where we can issue an AU visa and allow people to travel across the continent without much difficulty,” Odinga stated.

Odinga was speaking during the official launch of his campaign for the top continental role at State House Nairobi. The ceremony was attended by five heads of state and high-ranking dignitaries from various countries.

If elected AU Commissioner Chair, Odinga also promised to pursue a Continental Air Control System to streamline air travel by reducing bureaucratic hurdles, improving efficiency, and enhancing coordination between countries.

“Air transport is a major challenge in Africa. Today, travelling across the continent is too expensive. You have to obtain permits to fly over countries, which delays movement. Flying over Europe is much easier than in Africa. We need to have a Continental Air Control System within the continent so that people can travel from East to West and North to South without a problem,” Odinga said during the launch.

“I will make the African Union more people-centered to align with the vision of Your Excellencies if elected to this position,” he added.

He also emphasized the need to address constraints in infrastructure development across the continent to facilitate trade between African countries, stating that greater efforts should be dedicated to building highways that link the continent.

The launch of Odinga’s AUC bid was presided over by Kenya’s President William Ruto, who expressed confidence in his ability to lead the AUC due to his illustrious leadership career.

“I present to you a visionary Pan-African, a bold and wise leader, a professional and technocrat, as well as a towering statesman and veteran mobilizer for positive change. I am confident that he will give his utmost and do all it takes to make Africa proud and powerful,” President Ruto said.

Also present were Presidents Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Salva Kiir of South Sudan, Samia Suluhu of Tanzania, and former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria and Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania.

The heads of state vowed to support Odinga’s bid during the polls scheduled for February 2025, saying he was the best fit.

Rwanda’s Minister of State in charge of Regional Cooperation, James Kabarebe, represented President Paul Kagame at the event.

A statement released by the justice ministry on Monday indicated that police were among a group of individuals who raided the site in an attempt to “oust” a French diplomat.

Diplomatic sources told the media that during the scuffle, an embassy cultural cooperation diplomat was struck and held for nearly three hours, while two other diplomats were “shoved around but not wounded.”

The justice ministry stated that police officers and officials from the prosecutor’s office involved in the assault on Saturday, August 24, 2024, have been apprehended.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Therese Wagner Kayikwamba expressed “deep regret” over the incident, which she said “violated international conventions.”

Meanwhile, France’s ambassador, Bruno Aubert, reportedly met with President Felix Tshisekedi on Monday to discuss the matter.

“We discussed this situation and the measures that will be taken, some already, by the Congolese authorities to ensure such an incident does not happen again,” Aubert was quoted as saying in a statement released by Kayikwamba’s office.

The ownership of the site where the incident occurred has been contested for many years. The French embassy has occupied the site since 1972, and last year, a court ruled in favor of France in the dispute.

The event, presided over by Kenyan President William Ruto, will mark the official launch of Odinga’s campaign for the seat.

The East African Community (EAC) chairperson and President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, arrived in the Kenyan capital for the event on Monday evening.

President Samia Suluhu of Tanzania arrived this morning and is expected to be joined by two other heads of state, including Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, and Somalia’s Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

Rwanda’s Minister of State in charge of Regional Cooperation, James Kabarebe, will represent President Paul Kagame at the event, while Burundi’s Head of State, Évariste Ndayishimiye, will be represented by Prime Minister Gervais Ndirakobuca.

IGIHE understands that all eight heads of state from the region, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), were invited to attend the event.

Also expected to grace the occasion is former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who endorsed Odinga’s AUC bid earlier this year.

Odinga is seeking to succeed Chad’s Moussa Faki in elections slated for February 2025.

The former Kenyan Prime Minister and opposition leader received a major boost in March after the African Union Executive Council unanimously resolved that candidates for the position of the next chairperson of the AU Commission would be nominated by the Eastern African regional States.

Early this month, Odinga also received another boost after former Somalia Foreign Affairs Minister Fawzia Yusuf Adam withdrew from the race to back the former Kenyan premier.

Odinga will now battle it out with Djibouti candidate Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, former Mauritius Foreign Minister Anil Kumarsingh Gayan and his former Madagascar counterpart Richard James Randrianmandrato.

Manzi, who has been in detention since his arrest on July 30, first appeared before the court on August 19, when his trial was postponed after the defence said they were not ready for trial.

The prosecution presented three charges against him: obtaining something of value by deception, illegal currency exchange, and money laundering. It is alleged that Manzi, together with his wife, founded Billion Traders FX and encouraged people to invest their money with a promise to return their capital along with the profits.

Preliminary information from Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) indicated that at least 500 people had invested up to $10 million in the company.

The prosecution explained that Manzi received large sums of money, some directly to him and others through his wife, but failed to fulfil the promises he made to investors. Frustrated investors eventually turned to the justice system for help.

Under the law, anyone engaged in currency trading must obtain authorization from the National Bank of Rwanda (BNR), which Manzi did not have. It is also alleged that when Manzi registered his company with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), he claimed he would trade currency but instead conducted illegal online currency exchanges not permitted in Rwanda.

The prosecution presented evidence that Manzi promised investors lucrative returns, such as a “double profit package” where a $10,000 investment could yield $20,000 in just five months. Another scheme promised 0.8% monthly returns on a $30,000 investment, with the principal returned after five months.

It is understood that the invested funds are still unaccounted for because the suspect claims that the money was frozen abroad.

In November 2022, the Capital Markets Authority alerted RIB that Manzi was operating without a license, posing a risk to investors. The prosecution further explained that inspections conducted on January 2, 2024, and December 28, 2023, found that neither Manzi’s nor his wife’s accounts had any funds, suggesting money laundering by transferring the money elsewhere.

Given these serious submissions, the prosecution requested the court to order his detention while the case is under preparation for trial arguing that his detention would prevent him from evading justice fleeing.

In response, the suspect denied all charges, stating that the prosecution’s claims differed from the operations of his company, which he launched in 2020. He explained that before starting the company, he sought authorization from BNR and was told there was no existing law permitting such a business but was allowed to operate as regulations were being developed.

He claimed that in 2022, BNR and Capital Markets staff visited his company and praised its operations, but shortly after, they issued a public notice on television, warning people against investing in it.

Manzi stated that in November 2022, RIB froze the company’s bank accounts, blocking over $990,000 and causing significant losses. He asked the public to file complaints to address emerging issues related to the frozen funds.

He later communicated with RIB to return the frozen funds to the rightful owners, which he said was done. Manzi insisted that his business was neither fraudulent nor deceptive, as it had been running for ten years, and asked for justice so that he could return the money owed to Rwandans.

He mentioned that he worked with a company called Ice Markets in Australia, which also froze over $2.5 million of his funds after the investigation began.

“The Rwandans’ money is available, and we know where it is. I ask for a chance to recover and return it to the rightful owners,” he said.

Manzi argued that if released, he could continue to recover his frozen funds and pay back those he owes. He indicated that by December 2023, he had already repaid over 70% of the capital received from the public.

Manzi explained that promising seemingly exaggerated profits was based on what he believed was possible. “This business is not widely understood; people often misinterpret it. I saw it as feasible, and I still believe it is. I made a profit, and so did the Rwandans. If this is properly understood in Rwanda, it could benefit the country,” he said.

He revealed that he had 559 clients at the time. Manzi argued that continued detention would not benefit anyone, as the Australian company holding his funds would only release them once his legal issues in Rwanda were resolved.

His lawyer, Me Zawadi Sylvere, emphasized that Manzi would not flee justice and requested the court to allow him to be followed up while out of detention.

The court’s decision will be announced on August 28, 2024.

This follows a meeting between Gen (Rtd) James Kabarebe, Rwanda’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in Charge of Regional Cooperation, and his Japanese counterpart, Tsuji Kiyoto, on Sunday, August 25, 2024.

Kabarebe is in Japan to attend the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) Ministerial Meeting, ahead of TICAD 9, which will be held in Yokohama from August 20 to 22, 2025. TICAD was launched in 1993 to promote Africa’s development, peace and security, through the strengthening of relations in multilateral cooperation and partnership.

During the meeting, State Minister Tsuji congratulated President Paul Kagame on his re-election and paid tribute to Rwanda’s efforts toward national reconciliation, reconstruction, and stability over the 30 years since the Genocide against the Tutsi.

In turn, Kabarebe expressed his appreciation for Japan’s assistance and his hope to further strengthen the already strong bilateral relations between the two countries.

State Minister Tsuji, while referring to his recent visit to Rwanda in May this year, welcomed the momentum of Japanese companies developing new business in Rwanda. The two parties agreed to work together to increase investment from Japan to Rwanda by improving the business environment for Japanese companies.

“They confirmed the further development of Japan-Rwanda relations towards TICAD 9 next year,” Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “They also exchanged views regarding cooperation in the international arena, including regional situations.”

Japan’s development cooperation in Rwanda currently includes loans, grants, and technical assistance, with a focus on enhancing infrastructure, agricultural development and education among others.

In March, the Government of Rwanda and Japan signed a long-term financing agreement worth 14 billion Japanese Yen (approximately Rwf118 billion to support transformation of the education sector.

Rwanda said the agreement in form of a concessional loan marked a pivotal step towards driving digital transformation within education, enhancing operational efficiency across primary and secondary levels, and fostering an enriched learning environment within technical colleges. The overarching objective is to ensure equitable access to quality education for all.

The DRC is the epicenter of the current resurgence of Mpox, with South Kivu and Equateur provinces being the hardest hit by the outbreak.

Out of more than 16,000 Mpox cases reported in the DRC in 2024, South Kivu leads with approximately 4,600 suspected and confirmed cases. According to local authorities, the province is currently seeing 350 new cases per week.

Dr. Vincent Sanvura, who coordinates the One Health zoonoses prevention project for VSF in the Kahuzi-Biega park region, describes the situation as “increasingly worrying.”

Dr. Sanvura noted that due to the challenges faced by the health system, hospitals do not provide food or “caretakers”; it is the patient’s family that handles this, raising the risk of contamination and infection even within hospitals.

“When children are ill, they are accompanied by their parents, who all spend the night in the same room, making it easy for the child to infect the mother or relatives who bring food,” Sanvura said.

The doctor revealed that this lack of food in hospitals has even led some patients in quarantine at health centers in Kamituga to escape in search of food.

“This has contributed to spreading the disease elsewhere,” Dr. Sanvura observed.

Mpox is a viral disease that spreads from animals to humans but can also be transmitted through close physical contact. The disease causes fever, muscle pain, and skin lesions. The clade 1 strain responsible for the current outbreak in Africa has a fatality rate of 3.6% and is particularly dangerous for children, according to the Word Health Organisation.

Denis Ripoche, who visited in July to assess the Mpox crisis and the actions of his NGO, VSF, noted that the severe impact on South Kivu is not accidental, given the insecurity in the area, which has resulted in a lot of movement.

“It is a complex crisis zone with multiple constraints,” Ripoche observed.

VSF is combating the spread of zoonotic epidemics among both animal and human populations in the region. This area experiences significant movement: commercial, natural, and currently driven by security constraints, particularly in Greater North Kivu, where M23 rebel groups have been advancing.

Limited diagnostic capacities in the region have also complicated the situation in South Kivu.

“Laboratory diagnostic capacities to detect Mpox cases are severely lacking,” Sanvura said, adding, “Yet this is the most essential component in controlling diseases, especially zoonoses (animal-origin diseases like Mpox). We are therefore unable to conduct analyses even of contact individuals to isolate the pathogen. Asymptomatic individuals circulate, so the virus also spreads within the population.”

So far, 13 countries on the African continent have confirmed cases of Mpox, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

Data from the public health agency indicate that from the beginning of 2024 to August 23, a total of 21,466 potential cases of Mpox and 591 deaths have been reported from 13 African Union (AU) member states.

The AU members that have reported Mpox cases so far include Rwanda, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Gabon, Liberia, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Uganda.

Some of the interventions Africa CDC has rolled out to address the outbreak include vaccination, which the agency stated earlier this week could begin “in the coming days.”

Additionally, Africa CDC announced the deployment of around 200 epidemiologists and logisticians to all Mpox-affected African countries to support preparedness and response activities.

The upcoming session in Gulu district, scheduled for August 28, 2024, has sparked mixed reactions from both the public and political leaders, highlighting a growing divide in how these sessions are perceived.

Some view them as a vital opportunity for direct engagement with legislators, while others, like the Parliament’s Leader of Opposition in the Museveni Government Joel Ssenyonyi, criticize the initiative as an ineffective and costly endeavour.

Ssenyonyi has been particularly outspoken, labeling the regional sittings as a misuse of public funds and calling on MPs to boycott the events. He argues that the sessions will not address the country’s most urgent issues and accuses the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, of orchestrating a wasteful exercise.

“These sessions are nothing more than a facade, an excuse to squander taxpayers’ money,” Ssenyonyi stated, urging his fellow parliamentarians to reconsider their participation.

In contrast, Bugiri Municipality MP and Justice Forum (JEMA) Party President Asuman Basalirwa has taken a firm stance in support of the sessions.

Dismissing Ssenyonyi’s concerns as mere noise, Basalirwa emphasized that the expenses have been carefully managed by Parliament, with provisions made for transportation and logistics. “This is not about cost; it’s about connecting with the people we serve,” Basalirwa explained, expressing his commitment to attending the Gulu session despite the growing controversy.

As the date approaches, the mixed reactions to the regional parliamentary sessions reflect broader uncertainties in Uganda’s political climate, leaving the public divided on whether these initiatives will bring meaningful change or deepen existing divides.

Data from the public health agency indicate that from the beginning of 2024 to August 23, a total of 21,466 potential cases of mpox and 591 deaths have been reported from 13 African Union (AU) member states.

The AU members that have reported mpox cases so far include Rwanda, Burundi, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Gabon, Liberia, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Uganda.

Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya, in a letter to African health ministers on Friday, warned that the reported mpox cases and deaths are just the tip of the iceberg, given that mpox is mostly a mild condition. He added that limited surveillance, testing, contact tracing, and reporting have also hindered the continent’s response efforts against mpox.

Kaseya also highlighted the high case fatality rate of mpox, which he noted typically ranges from 3 to 4 percent. Additionally, he expressed concern about the disease’s association with HIV, which poses an extra challenge for Africa.

Kaseya noted that several previously unaffected African countries have recently reported their first imported cases of mpox, and there is a high risk that the virus could spread beyond Africa.

“Even as I wrote this letter, Gabon has confirmed its first case, while Sierra Leone and Malawi are now testing their suspected cases,” Kaseya said.

He insisted that a negative test result in the laboratory does not necessarily indicate the absence of a mpox epidemic. He called for a holistic approach that integrates laboratory testing with clinical assessments and epidemiological data.

“Relying solely on laboratory test results for diagnosing mpox is not advisable. We need a comprehensive approach that includes laboratory testing, clinical assessment, and epidemiological data to accurately diagnose and manage mpox,” he said.

Africa CDC declared mpox a public health emergency of continental security on August 13, 2024. The following day, the World Health Organization (WHO) also declared it a public health emergency of international concern.

Some of the interventions Africa CDC has rolled out to address the outbreak include vaccination, which the agency stated earlier this week could begin “in the coming days.”

Additionally, Africa CDC announced the deployment of around 200 epidemiologists and logisticians to all mpox-affected African countries to support preparedness and response activities. This follows the recent deployment of 24 experts to support the response in the DRC—the epicenter of the outbreak—and other highly affected countries.