Author: Wycliffe Nyamasege

The decision, announced in a public notice issued on July 21, follows an investigation that found the hotel operating without a valid Tourism Operating License (TOL), a legal requirement under Rwanda’s tourism law.

According to RDB, the hotel is required to cease operations effective July 22, 2025.

“Reopening will only be considered upon successful completion of the Tourism Operating License application process and full compliance with applicable regulatory requirements,” the notice states.

Warning other facilities against violating existing laws, RDB stated: “All tourism and hospitality operators are reminded that holding a valid Tourism Operating License is a legal obligation. The license serves as a guarantee of minimum safety, service, and operational standards necessary to protect both visitors and the industry at large.”

Hotel Chateau Le Marara’s closure comes amid growing controversy following the high-profile wedding of Hajj Shadadi Musemakweri and Uwera Bonnette on July 14, which sparked guest complaints about poor service, unhygienic food, and power outages.

Among the guests was Miss Rwanda 2020, Nishimwe Naomie, who joined others in raising concerns on social media. The event has since drawn national attention and raised questions about service standards at the five-star, European-style hotel located on the shores of Lake Kivu.

Guests reported being served spoiled milk and fruit, facing constant power disruptions, and experiencing neglect by hotel staff. The guests alleged that they had to rent an emergency generator to continue wedding preparations. Others accused the hotel of overcharging, including for attendees at events that were allegedly not part of the original agreement.

Chateau Le Marara has denied the allegations, calling them “99% lies” intended to damage its reputation. The hotel has instead filed a complaint with the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB), accusing the couple behind the wedding of defamation and non-payment of over Frw 5 million in outstanding bills.

In response to the growing uproar, RDB confirmed it had launched a formal investigation into the service complaints. RDB CEO Jean-Guy Afrika said the board is reviewing the matter thoroughly as part of its mandate to ensure professionalism and consumer protection in the tourism sector.

The ceremony marked the graduation of OSO’s 4th cohort of fashion design students and the 2nd cohort specialising in soap and detergent production.

Most of the beneficiaries are girls and young women from vulnerable backgrounds, including school dropouts, teenage mothers, orphans, and those living with disabilities.

Founded in 2019, OSO offers year-long training that equips participants with hands-on entrepreneurial skills in fashion, agribusiness, and manufacturing. The organisation also provides post-graduation support, including business startup capital and mentorship.

“We take them in for a full year, train them, and help them build income-generating projects when they return to their communities,” said Delphine Uwamahoro, OSO’s founder and executive director. “They become self-reliant, creative, and financially empowered.”

This year’s graduates bring the total number of OSO alumni to over 400, with 80 percent of previous participants having launched their own ventures.

Each of the new graduates received a Frw 200,000 startup grant, while the top three business plans were awarded an additional Frw 500,000.

The initiative has attracted growing support from development partners, and the latest milestone drew government officials and donors alike. Northern Province Governor Maurice Mugabowagahunde praised the graduates for taking steps toward transforming their lives and communities.

“These projects are not to be shelved—they must now become reality,” the governor said. “We expect you to be change agents who will help eradicate poverty and promote inclusive development.”

Gakenke District Mayor Mukandayisenga Vestine reminded the graduates of government funding opportunities, urging them to apply for youth-targeted financing schemes.

“The country has resources. What matters now is your commitment to create jobs and solve problems,” she said.

Alongside the graduation, OSO officially opened a new dormitory with capacity for 87 students. Built in collaboration with the U.S.-based GO Campaign, the facility positions OSO to begin hosting learners from across East Africa and operate as a regional boarding school.

“Our vision is not limited to Rwanda,” said Uwamahoro. “We want to welcome girls from Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania—because poverty and gender-based violence don’t stop at the border. Neither should opportunity.”

Key supporters present at the event included representatives from GO Campaign, Segal Family Foundation, Lemonaid ChariTea Foundation, Kvinna Till Kvinna, and World Connect.

OSO’s model targets girls and women aged 13 to 25, especially those from rural areas or facing extreme hardship. As it expands, the organisation hopes to become one of Africa’s leading incubators of female-led entrepreneurship and grassroots job creation.

The arrest took place on Sunday, July 20, 2025, following reports that Burikantu had locked up a group of girls who had gone to his home in Kinyinya to discuss potential collaborations on social media content creation.

Sources told IGIHE that the incident began when Burikantu allegedly invited one of the girls into a separate room to discuss how he could support her online presence. When she declined, he reportedly got upset and locked the group inside his house. He then demanded they pay him back for the transport fare and sodas he had provided before he would allow them to leave.

The situation escalated when the girls couldn’t meet his demands. After one left, the others contacted the police for help. Officers from Rwanda National Police responded promptly and freed them, leading to Burikantu’s arrest shortly after.

RIB spokesperson Dr. Thierry B. Murangira confirmed the incident took place in Kinyinya Sector, Murama Cell, Binunga Village, where the influencer resides.

Burikantu is now being held at the RIB Kinyinya station as investigations continue. His case file is being prepared for submission to the Prosecution in accordance with the law.

The offence he is being investigated for is punishable under Article 151 of Rwanda’s penal code, which addresses unlawful confinement. If convicted, he could face between five to seven years in prison.

Speaking on the matter, Dr. Murangira said: “RIB reminds the public that no one has the right to take advantage of others or hold them against their will. Such actions are illegal and will not be tolerated.”

Data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Thursday revealed that the country’s unemployment rate for people aged 16 and over stood at 4.7 percent during the March-May period of 2025. This marks a notable increase both year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter, pushing the rate to its highest level in nearly four years.

The ONS figures also showed job vacancies climbing to new highs, indicating that despite a growing number of unemployed individuals, businesses are still struggling to fill positions.

“The government’s tax rises, a higher minimum wage and the U.S. trade war are hitting the jobs market,” Financial Times reported.

David Bharier, head of research at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), told Xinhua that steep increases in national insurance contributions and the national living wage weigh heavily on the latest employment data.

“BCC research shows that recruitment remains challenging, and businesses cite labor costs as the biggest pressure,” Bharier said. “This mounting financial pressure, alongside pervasive skills shortages, remains a massive challenge for business, presenting big risks to investment and productivity.”

According to Bharier, the BCC’s most recent economic forecast suggests hiring will remain subdued and the unemployment rate is expected to stay largely static. “We currently forecast a rate of 4.6 percent at the end of 2027,” he said.

Tina McKenzie, policy chair of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), stressed that the latest trends paint a worrying picture for Britain’s small business sector.

“New FSB research has found that twice as many small businesses shed staff in the second quarter of 2025-20 percent-than increased their employee numbers,” she said.

For the first time in the 15-year history of the FSB’s quarterly Small Business Index, more small businesses expect to shrink or close over the next 12 months than those that expect to expand.

“That’s more than alarming for the economy and for communities across Britain where these hard-working businesses operate,” she said, noting that small businesses currently provide more than 16 million jobs in Britain-over half of all private sector employment.

Experts also believe the ongoing threat of U.S. tariffs is contributing to the negative data and will continue to influence Britain’s job market and economy in the long term, despite the existence of a trade agreement.

William Bain, head of policy at the BCC, said their April survey revealed that 62 percent of firms exporting to the U.S. had been affected by rising costs and order book pressures caused by higher U.S. tariffs, a sentiment that aligns with the rising unemployment figures reported by the ONS.

David Bailey, professor of business economics at the University of Birmingham, noted that U.S. tariffs are impacting Britain’s export-driven sectors and, in turn, the job market.

“Even though Britain has got this deal with Trump on tariffs, the tariffs are still going up from 2.5 percent to 10 percent. It may not be 25 percent, but it’s still going to affect exports from Britain and therefore hit economic growth,” Bailey said, adding that this uncertainty for British firms, combined with the government’s “mistake” of raising national insurance contributions alongside the higher minimum wage, has contributed to the sluggish employment situation.

Confirming the appointment, AIMS founder and IGB Chair, Professor Neil Turok, hailed Afrika’s leadership and expertise, calling it “invaluable” to the institute’s strategic direction.

Established in 2003 in South Africa and now operating centres in Senegal, Ghana, Cameroon, and Rwanda, AIMS is a pan-African network of Centres of Excellence offering postgraduate training, research, and public engagement in STEM.

The institute continues to play a key role in shaping Africa’s future through its intensive master’s programmes, including the African Master’s in Machine Intelligence (AMMI), its academic-industry partnerships, and initiatives like Quantum Leap Africa and the Next Einstein Forum.

Afrika, a former senior executive at the African Development Bank (AfDB), brings more than 30 years of experience in development economics and regional integration.

At the AfDB, he served in several top positions including Secretary General, Director of Policy and Resource Mobilisation, and Director of NEPAD and Regional Integration.

Since retiring from the bank in 2009, Afrika has continued to be a key figure in Rwanda’s economic and academic development. He is currently the chairman and co-founder of the University of Kigali, where he also heads the Centre for Economic Governance and Leadership.

His extensive boardroom experience includes previous tenures with Cogebanque Rwanda, Access Bank Rwanda, and the West African Development Bank (BOAD).

Afrika joins a high-profile roster on the AIMS board, including Charles Boamah, former Senior Vice President of the AfDB; Prof. Thuli Madonsela, Chair of Law and Social Justice at Stellenbosch University; and Serena Lefort, former Chair of Canada’s Quantum Valley Ideas Lab.

Speaking on his appointment, Afrika said, “It is an honour to contribute to AIMS’ inspiring mission of empowering Africa’s brightest minds through science and education.”

The next AIMS International Governing Board meeting will be held virtually, ahead of an in-person Annual General Meeting scheduled for early 2026 in Kigali.

The event is expected to highlight Rwanda’s growing role in shaping Africa’s scientific and innovation agenda.

The nomination was made during the Pan-African Media Councils Summit, held from July 14 to 16 in Arusha, Tanzania. RMC’s new role places it at the heart of efforts to promote press freedom, professional journalism, and regional cooperation in the face of digital-era media challenges.

Emmanuel Mugisha, Executive Secretary of RMC, said the nomination affirms the growing recognition of Rwanda’s media development efforts and opens doors for stronger regional influence.

“It is an opportunity for RMC to influence media development, advocate for press freedom, and enhance the media sector’s capacity across East Africa,” he told The New Times.

RMC’s position on the NIMCA board comes as the continent grapples with urgent issues such as online misinformation, disinformation, and the ethical implications of artificial intelligence in journalism.

Mugisha noted that one of RMC’s priorities will be working with regional counterparts to harmonise media standards and codes of ethics, particularly around the use of AI tools in news production.

“As a region, we agreed on the need to align AI-related media codes. This will help ensure responsible innovation without compromising journalistic integrity,” he said.

The summit, which also served as NIMCA’s inaugural Annual General Meeting, brought together delegates from across the continent.

Participants emphasised the importance of digital literacy as a frontline defence against harmful online content and fake news, particularly in countries where internet access is growing faster than media literacy.

Calls were made for greater investment in journalist training, stronger collaboration with fact-checking organisations, and greater accountability for social media platforms. Delegates also urged education systems to integrate digital literacy into school curricula to equip young people with critical thinking skills online.

NIMCA’s newly elected leadership includes Kennedy Mambwe of Zambia’s Media Self-Regulation Council as President and Phathiswa Magopeni of South Africa’s Press Council as Chairperson. RMC now joins a select group of regional representatives tasked with driving the network’s agenda across East, West, and Southern Africa.

With its new continental mandate, RMC aims to promote collaboration, share best practices with peer institutions, and ensure that the East African Community (EAC) has a strong, unified voice in continental media discourse.

“Our participation will support knowledge exchange and collective problem-solving as we face the rapidly changing media landscape together,” Mugisha added.

The young royal, then a student at a military college in the British capital, was critically injured in the crash, sustaining severe brain haemorrhaging. He never regained full consciousness.

After initial treatment in the UK, he was transferred to King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh, where he remained under continuous medical care.

Despite recommendations from medical professionals in 2015 to withdraw life support, his father, Prince Khaled bin Talal Al Saud, steadfastly refused, maintaining hope that his son would one day recover.

“Life and death are in God’s hands,” the elder prince often remarked during the long years of uncertainty.

A brief flicker of hope emerged in 2020 when a video circulated on social media showed Prince Al-Waleed moving his fingers and lifting his hand in response to a voice. The moment gave renewed strength to those who had followed his story closely, though no significant recovery followed.

Prince Al-Waleed’s death was announced on social media by his father, prompting a wave of condolences across Saudi Arabia and beyond.

The hashtag #TheSleepingPrince quickly trended on X, as thousands paid tribute to his life and the steadfast devotion of his family.

Born on April 18, 1990, Prince Al-Waleed was the eldest son of Prince Khaled bin Talal and the nephew of billionaire businessman Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal. He was also a great-grandson of King Abdulaziz, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia.

Funeral prayers for the prince are scheduled for Sunday. The men’s prayer was to be held at Imam Turki bin Abdullah Mosque in Riyadh following the Asr prayer, while the women’s service was planned after Dhuhr prayer at King Faisal Specialist Hospital.