Author: Wycliffe Nyamasege

Kenya police tear-gas protesters seeking to access national airport

In a new wave of protests, the angry citizens took to the streets alleging that the Kenyan government planned to sell the country’s main airport to foreign investors.

Despite a police warning issued on Monday evening, the youth made an effort to enter the national airport on Tuesday morning to protest using the slogan ‘OccupyJKIA’.

The youths erected barricades along the road leading to the airport in Embakasi, paralyzing transport.

Police were forced to lob tear gas canisters into the air to disperse the demonstrators and clear the road leading to the busy international airport.

Due to the anticipated protests, the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) and national carrier Kenya Airways had advised passengers to arrive at JKIA at least four hours before their flights because of enhanced security checks.

The protests come a day after Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi denied plans to sell JKIA.

Mudavadi told the National Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committee that the sale of such a high-value asset can only be done after public memoranda and approval by parliament.

“The airport is not on sale. This is a public asset, a strategic asset. If it was going to be sold, you can only do it after a full public process that parliament endorses,” Mudavadi told MPs on Monday.

Mudavadi, however, noted that there are plans to expand the airport and build a new terminal.

“The Kenya Airport Authority (KAA) must look at its investment programme very carefully, make sure that everything is transparent. So that during the expansion process of the second terminal, let it be done through the legal process so that everybody knows what is going on,” he added.

The anti-government protests began last month with calls for President William Ruto to withdraw a bill that sought to introduce additional taxes on Kenyans. However, despite the withdrawal of the bill and even the dissolution of his Cabinet, the protesters changed course and are now demanding the President’s resignation.

Over the weekend, the Kenyan Head of State vowed to crack down on the youthful protesters, saying “enough is enough”.

President Ruto said on Sunday that going forward he will ”protect the nation” saying he had already given everybody a chance to air their views.

“I dropped the Finance Bill, I called them to come to the table and talk to me, they refused and asked me to go to X, I went there but they ran away,” Ruto said.

“I have called them for talks but they have refused saying they are faceless and formless.”

According to the Kenya National Human Rights Commission (KNHRC), the protests have so far claimed 50 lives. At least 20 of the victims were shot dead when angry protesters stormed Parliament buildings in Nairobi shortly after the passing of the Finance Bill on June 25 2024.

July 23, 2024
Rwandan students develop automation system for key features in modern houses (Video)

Unique to the Rwandan audience, a group of Mount Kigali University (MKU) students has taken innovation to a whole new level. They have developed a system to automate key features and appliances in modern houses, aiming to add their mark to the history books of technology.

The idea to build the system, dubbed ‘Smart Homes,’ was conceptualised in December 2023, by six students who are pursuing a degree program in Business and Communication Technology.

They are Mugisha Emmanuel Junior and Eric Ruzima Nzigiye (civil and electronics engineers, respectively); Felix Prince Mubera and Jessica Kavira (back-end developers); and Urbain Ukwishaka and Pascal Herve Gumiriza (both front-end developers responsible for designing the user interface of the mobile application).

All the students are in their final year, except for Mugisha, who is in his third year.

This technology involves the use of a specially designed mobile application that interprets voice commands to open or close windows and doors, turn lights on or off, control the Air conditioners and many other home appliances.

Since the system heavily relies on Internet of Things (IoT) technology, the students decided to merge knowledge in electrical, civil and software engineering. Mugisha says that after completing his first bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, he enrolled in an IT program at MKU, where he later teamed up with his colleagues.

Once the full team was established, the actual development of the project began in January 2024.

During a recent visit to MKU Main Campus in Kicukiro district, Mugisha revealed that the plan is to extend the project further to include control of all possible home appliances, such as fridges and other electronics.

This, Mugisha said, helps to conserve energy when the items are not in use and this is unique compared to similar systems developed in other parts of the world.

“We had seen many developed countries living in a world where houses can be controlled from anywhere. We thought, why don’t we do this for our country, Rwanda,” he said.

Rwanda is a rapidly developing country and having automated houses is a good step in the right direction of contributing to an even smarter Rwanda.

“Our goal is conserving energy. You will be using only the appliances that are needed, and when they are not in use, they will be turned off to save energy,” Mugisha explained.

Since security is key in any technology development today, the system has been designed to uniquely identify voice commands and prevent unauthorized access to homes by intruders.

The students are open to partnering with other like-minded innovators and investors to incorporate more features and take the project to a whole new level.

“This is a big project, and we really need funds from anyone who would want to partner with us. We would be pleased and happy to have them on our team and be part of our initiative to make Rwanda smart,” Mugisha concluded.

Eric Nyasani, an IoT and Electronics lecturer at MKU, said he is very proud of the students and encouraged them to incorporate more features.

The lecturer emphasized the need to support such brilliant students in bringing their ideas to life.

“Our learners have brilliant ideas, but partly because they lack funding and some of these things require a lot of resources, they strain a lot to source for funds to make these things work. Therefore, if we can have some element of funding to support such innovative ideas, we can push the country to the next level,” Nyasani stated.

July 23, 2024
NEC announces Kagame winner of presidential poll with 99.18% of the vote

The final results show that Kagame won with 99.18% of the vote, receiving 8,822,794 votes from Rwandans. Dr. Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda came in second with 44,479 votes (0.50%), while Philippe Mpayimana finished third with 28,466 votes (0.32%).

The election, held on July 14 and 15, 2024, was characterized by peace and transparency, as confirmed by various observers, including those from the African Union in partnership with Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF), and the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF).

Kagame will be the first to lead Rwanda for a five-year term following the 2015 constitutional amendment that reduced the presidential term from seven years to five.

On Sunday, while receiving some of the people who played a role in the successful campaign, Paul Kagame stated that the focus now is on fulfilling the promises made to the citizens during the campaign.

Following the announcement of the final election results, the swearing-in ceremony of the President-elect must take place within 30 days.

July 22, 2024
Building health sector capacity will transform Rwanda into healthcare hub – Kagame

Speaking during the ground-breaking ceremony for the King Faisal Hospital (KFH) expansion on Monday, July 22, President Kagame noted that the expansion of health facilities will contribute to ongoing efforts to build more healthcare capacity in the country, ensuring that Rwandans won’t need to travel abroad to seek treatment.

The Head of State emphasized that the government will continue to partner with relevant institutions to improve its capacity in this key sector to even benefit healthcare demands in the region.

In the latest partnership between the Ministry of Health, the King Faisal Hospital Rwanda Foundation, and Shelter Group Africa, KFH says it will expand its bed capacity from 157 to 400, thereby increasing access to its services.

The expansion of KFH will add approximately 88,000 square meters to the existing infrastructure, accommodating advanced treatments for complex ailments, including heart surgery, joint replacements, and cancer therapy.

President Kagame lauded the institutions behind the expansion works, expressing his confidence that they will deliver. He revealed that he had broken his own vow of only presiding over completed projects to attend the ground-breaking ceremony because he trusts the partners involved.

“I had reduced my attendance at ground-breaking ceremonies to almost zero and preferred to attend ceremonies where something was already completed. However, due to the importance of this project and the great trust I have in those who invited me, I had to come. I broke my own rules because of that trust,” he stated.

At the same time, the President emphasized that training medical officers remains a priority in the healthcare transformation agenda, despite the frustrations that are often encountered. He urged that beneficiaries of international programs should apply the knowledge gained to advance local systems to higher levels.

“You send people to train abroad, they come back, but you continue sending patients for treatment outside. It doesn’t add up. We want this to translate into growth in capacity here in our country, in as many fields as we can, so that our people and others from the region can get the services they need from us, right here,” he added.

July 22, 2024
Uncertainty in Kenya’s opposition as Odinga rejects Ruto resignation drive

Odinga re-affirmed his position on the sustained pressure demanding for Ruto’s resignation during a meeting with Members of Parliament from his ODM Party on Wednesday, July 17, 2024.

The former Prime Minister said that hounding President Ruto out of office would be useless as it would mean Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua assuming power and continue with the same policies.

Odinga reasoned that forcing Ruto out would even possibly worsen the situation, plunging the country into turmoil if the military was for example allowed to take over, a replica of what befell Egypt a few years ago.

“It’s at times of crisis like this that a country needs to talk. We are not doing it to save Ruto. We are doing it to save Kenya. Generals don’t have teargas. They don’t have water cannons. They have bullets,” he pointed out.

Odinga’s firm stance on the ongoing protests demanding Ruto’s resignation comes amid reports of growing rift among high-ranking officials in his coalition including former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and former Justice Minister Martha Karua.

Musyoka and Karua appear to harbour a hard-line position on increasing calls for President Ruto to exit office, insisting that the Head of State had failed to address the plight of Kenyans including the high cost of living that has pushed the prices of basic commodities through the roof.

The rift in the opposition coalition became apparent when rowdy youths forced Musyoka to cut short his speech during the ODM Parliamentary group meeting on Wednesday.

Musyoka’s address was disrupted shortly after he began reading a statement deemed to contradict Odinga’s position on the ongoing protests. Odinga had excused himself to attend to other engagements.

Later senior members of Odinga’s ODM party accused Musyoka of trying to paint Odinga as a traitor while simultaneously collaborating with Ruto’s deputy to undermine the Head of State.

“We must identify what works for us as ODM. We are the bigger party in Azimio and we cannot be bullied,” Hassan Joho, a former governor and high-ranking official in the ODM party stated.

John Mbadi, the national chairperson of the Odinga party, also fired at Kalonzo, saying some of the opposition coalition partners were being dishonest.

“This country must talk. Our partners in Azimio are dishonest. We have children and we have a country to save for them,” Mbadi said.

Odinga, who commands a huge following in Kenyan politics, is gunning for the position of chairperson of the African Union Commission after five unsuccessful attempts at the presidency.

His calls for dialogue to resolve the standoff between the young people and the government are seen by critics as self-centred, given his hard stance against Ruto’s administration in the past.

The Kenyan government has already endorsed Odinga’s attempt for the continental job at AU and is expected to lobby support for him ahead of elections scheduled for February 2025.

{{Deadly protests
}}

There are growing concerns over the youth-led protests in Kenya, which turned violent in recent weeks, with the government insisting that what were otherwise peaceful demonstrations were infiltrated by goons keen to cause mayhem.

According to the Kenya National Human Rights Commission (KNHRC), the protests have so far claimed 50 lives. At least 20 of the victims were shot dead when angry protesters stormed Parliament buildings in Nairobi shortly after the passing of the Finance Bill on June 25 2024.

The protests forced President Ruto to make several changes in his modus operandi including the withdrawal of the controversial bill and recently firing his entire Cabinet.

President Ruto also scrapped the operational budgets for the Office of the First Lady and that of the Deputy President’s wife.

However, despite these changes, Kenyans returned to the streets on Tuesday, demanding for the President’s resignation.

July 18, 2024
Provisional results: Kagame in the lead as RPF retains majority in parliament

His closest rival, Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, managed only 0.50 per cent of the vote, and independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana trailed with 0.32 per cent.

While releasing the results on Thursday, July 18, NEC Chairperson Oda Gasinzigwa said that RPF and its coalition allies secured majority votes (68.83 per cent) in the July 15 parliamentary general elections.

The Liberal Party (PL) secured 8.66 per cent of the votes, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) got 8.62 per cent while the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda got 4.56 per cent of the total votes.

The Ideal Democratic Party (PDI) and PS-Imberakuri secured 4.61 per cent 4.51 per cent respectively.

Janvier Nsengimana, the only contestant who ran as an independent got only 0.21 per cent of the total votes.

The national constitution specifies that a candidate or political party which fails to get at least 5 per cent of the vote is not eligible to get a seat in the Chamber of Deputies.

July 18, 2024
American NGO denies funding Kenyan protests

The Foundation was forced into the raging debate about governance issues in Kenya early this week after President William Ruto claimed that proceeds from the foundation were being used to sponsor the protests.

Ruto had earlier challenged the Ford Foundation to explain the purpose of the money the foundation was giving to Kenyans threatening to throw them out of the country if nothing changed.

In a twist of events, the Foundation has strongly denied Ruto’s claims, stating that the organisation does not condone violence.

“While we acknowledge the right of Kenyans to peacefully advocate for a just and equitable country, we repudiate any actions or speeches that are hateful or advocate for violence against any institution, individual, or community. We did not fund or sponsor the recent protests against the finance bill and have a strictly non-partisan policy for all of our grant making,” the Ford Foundation said in a statement.

The Foundation has a long history of supporting social justice initiatives globally, including in Kenya, a mission it is vehemently committed to.

“As we noted during the Kenyan state visit to the United States this past May, we are committed to building on the legacy of the Ford Foundation’s more than 60 years in the region so that Kenyans can unlock opportunities that extend to all,” the organisation added.

{{Deadly protests
}}

The protests in Kenya have so far claimed 50 lives according to the Kenya National Human Rights Commission (KNHRC). At least 20 of the victims were shot dead when angry protesters stormed Parliament buildings in Nairobi shortly after the passing of the Finance Bill 2024 on June 25.

The protests forced Ruto to make several concessions including the withdrawal of the controversial bill and recently firing his entire Cabinet.

President Ruto, in a surprise move, also scrapped operations budgets for the Office of the First Lady and that of the wife to the Deputy President.

However, despite the changes, Kenyans returned to the streets on Tuesday, demanding the President’s resignation.

July 17, 2024
This is the best organised electoral process – CJ Maraga on Rwanda’s election

Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, Maraga described Rwanda’s polls as one of the most organized electoral processes he has ever witnessed.

“The electoral process was very orderly and peaceful. In fact, one of the best-organized I have ever seen. The organization was superb unlike in some places where elections are chaotic, rowdy, and noisy, even at the polling stations on polling day,” Maraga stated.

“My people gave me information from all the polling stations that there was no dancing, no noise in general, and it was very good,” he added.

Maraga’s delegation comprised 55 observers dispatched to different parts of the country on election day.

Apart from the EAC, other observer groups present during the elections included the African Union (AU), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).

Others were from the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) and the electoral mission of the International Organisation of the Francophonie (OIF).

In a joint statement, the observers affirmed that the electoral, political, and security environment in Rwanda before, during, and immediately after the elections was calm and peaceful.

“The National Electoral Commission and other institutions responsible for managing the electoral process have so far discharged their duty diligently in accordance with the electoral calendar,” reads the statement.

The observers commended the government for the successful election and also congratulated the people of Rwanda for exercising their democratic right.

Partial results announced by the National Electoral Commission (NEC) on Monday July 15, 2024 put President Paul Kagame in the lead with 99.15% followed Dr. Frank Habineza and Philippe Mpayimana with 0.53% and 0.32% respectively.

July 17, 2024
Ruto, Museveni condemn Trump assassination attempt

Museveni was the first to condemn the gun attack that resulted in the Republican Party presidential candidate being rushed to hospital after being injured by a bullet in the upper part of his right ear.

Authorities confirmed that one person was killed and two others left in critical condition after the incident on Saturday, July 13, 2024.

“I condemn this despicable and cowardly assassination attempt that put his life and that of his supporters at risk. Such political violence undermines democracy ” Museveni said in a social media post 3 days after the shooting.

He also extended his condolences to the family that lost a loved one and to those injured in the barrage of gunfire.

“I wish His Excellency and all those injured a speedy recovery. Our thoughts and prayers are with them,” Museveni added.

Similarly, Kenya’s Ruto termed Saturday’s incident as “a shocking and heinous act”.

“In these troubling times, I take this opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the democratic ideals we share with the people of the United States of America. I wish Donald Trump a speedy and full recovery,” he stated, while also extending sympathies to the other victims of the incident.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has since identified Trump’s attacker as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks.

Crooks, who was taken down by Secret Service agents, was a resident of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, about 35 miles south of Butler, where Trump was holding his rally.

The young man shot at Trump from the roof of a shed outside the security cordon around the rally shortly after the former US president had started speaking.

At the time of the attack, the FBI stated that Crooks was not carrying any identification and had to be identified using DNA samples.

The 20-year-old worked as a dietary aide at Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. His job mainly entailed working alongside dietitians, dietary managers, and chefs to help prepare food for the nursing home.

Marcie Grimm, the administrator of the nursing home, said she was “shocked and saddened to learn of his involvement.”

Grimm mentioned that Crooks had no previous criminal record when he was hired.

Law enforcement officers said that the Crooks had requested an off from work on Saturday and had reportedly told colleagues that he had “something to do,” and he would be back at Sunday.

Background checks on Crooks revealed that he was a registered Republican voter. However, on January 20, 2021—two weeks after pro-Trump alt-right supporters stormed the White House—Crooks donated $15 to a grassroots Democratic group.

This year’s presidential election would have been his first voting.

President Joe Biden, who is seeking a second term in the forthcoming polls, has since also condemned the attack, stating that he was grateful Trump was “safe and doing well.”

“Jill and I are grateful to the Secret Service for getting him to safety. There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. We must unite as one nation to condemn it,” Biden said in a statement.

Trump is running for a second, non-consecutive term in the November 5, 2024, general election after losing to Biden in the 2020 edition.

July 17, 2024
Ruto, Suluhu lead African leaders to congratulate Kagame on re-election

East African Community (EAC) Heads of State led by Kenya’s William Ruto and Samia Suluhu of Tanzania joined other African leaders on Wednesday to extend their felicitations to Kagame.

President Ruto said he wishes Kagame success as he continues to steer Rwanda in the “path of peace, stability and posterity”.

“On behalf of the people and Government of Kenya, I have the pleasure to convey warmest congratulations upon your re-election to serve a further term as President of the Republic of Rwanda,” President Ruto stated in a post on X.

“We celebrate with you the sovereign choice of the people of Rwanda and wish you success as you continue steering your country in the path of peace, stability and posterity.”

President Ruto committed to enriching existing ties between Kenya and Rwanda and strengthening regional cooperation.

“I look forward to continuing working with you in regional and Pan-African affairs in strengthening the bonds of solidarity and fraternity between the peoples of Kenya and Rwanda.”

Similarly, President Suluhu has also pledged to continue partnering with Kagame to foster ties between the two countries.

“On behalf of the Government and the People of the United Republic of Tanzania, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to His Excellency Paul Kagame, on being re-elected as the President of the Republic of Rwanda. I look forward to continue working with you in fostering the relations between our two countries and in the pursuit of East Africa’s unity and prosperity,” she stated.

Filipe Nyusi, the President of Mozambique, also extended best wishes to Kagame, saying, “Wishing you the best of luck as you assume the new mandate and responsibility entrusted to you by the People of Rwanda.”

Guinea Bissau’s Umaro Sissoco Embaló wrote, “On behalf of Guinea-Bissau, congratulations President Paul Kagame on your resounding re-election! I wish you a new term filled with peace, prosperity, and progress.”

{{Kagame on course for landslide victory}}

In partial results announced on Monday, 15, 2024, Kagame is leading with 99.15 percent of the votes cast. Dr. Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, so far has 0.53 percent of the votes, while independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana is trailing with 0.32 percent.

At the time of the announcement of the results, Kagame had garnered 7,099,810 votes, Habineza had received 38,301 votes, and Mpayimana had obtained 22,753 votes at the national level.

The total number of votes tallied was 7,160,864, which represents 78.94 percent of the votes cast locally and in the diaspora.

The NEC will announce provisional results by July 20, with final results expected not later than July 27, 2024.

July 17, 2024