Category: News

Frank Habineza the leader of a political pressure group called Green party arrived in Rwanda where he said he is back to conduct politics of Peace.

“We have come to engage in positive politics that is aimed at finding solutions”, He told Journalists who incquired whether issues that caused him flee the country had been solved.

The politician said that his priority is to register his group as a legal political party to start engaging in democratic politics.

Habineza was recieved by his family and members of the Rwandan political opposition.

{{Habineza Posts on Facebook}}

Finally back in Rwanda

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am pleased to inform you that I have finally returned back to Rwanda after having been away for two years in Sweden.

We will participate in nation building by promoting a vibrant democracy, peace, non-violence, sustainable development, green economy and all civil liberties.

Our main priority will be to get the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda registered and then participate in the September 2013 parliamentary elections.

Best Regards

Frank Habineza

{{Police is holding a Congolese pastor, Juvenal Kimanuka for accused of propagating divisive evangelism and defaming the government of Rwanda which he alleged is working with Evil.}}

Pastor Kimanuka is currently at Kamembe Police station helping the Police carry out investigations.

His arrest followed a tip off from residents that had gathered to listen to his evangelical message—the pastor later uttered statements that caused discomfort among the congregation.

Members of the congregation later alerted police which came and arrested him for further investigations.

Kimanuka told IGIHE that he came to Rwanda to sell his music and also engage in evangelism.

However, Kimanuka was not affiliated to any church in the area and was conducting his evangelical work just on the roadsides.

Asked about why he left his country Congo to preach in Rwanda, Kimanuka said he is a man of God who has no borders. He said he has been doing the same for a long time.

{{Brig. Gen. Joseph Nzabamwita, Rwanda’s Military and Defense Spokesperson has urged Rwandans to exhibit hope because the region is already finding solutions to the current armed rebellion in DRC.}}

He said, “The truth is gradually being noticed both in the region and other countries have begun seeing the truth about the situation in DRC.”

Brig.Gen. Nzabamwita made the remarks in an interview with the state owned Radio.

He said defense ministers and army chiefs from member countries in the region are currently meeting in Uganda capital Kampala under the auspices of International conference of the Great lakes Region ICGLR.

The delegates are trying to find solutions that will totally bring an end to insurgencies in the Eastern part of Congo and thus establish lasting peace in the region.

The meeting is also expected to determine the implementation of establishment and deployment of a neutral force along the DRC-Rwanda border.

{{Thirty-one joint officers from Rwanda National Police (RNP) and Rwanda Defense Forces (RDF) completed a five-month Marine training course in Rubavu District in Western Province on Wednesday, September 5, 2012.}}

The officers were equipped with theoretical and practical lessons such as boat handling and maintenance, navigation, basic electricity and engineering as well as fire fighting.

Officiating at the graduation ceremony, Major General Frank Mushyo Kamanzi, the Army Chief of Staff lauded course participants for their determination and enthusiasm portrayed to learn skills and knowledge in water-related issues.

Kamanzi urged officers to put into practice all the skills and knowledge acquired during the five-months training to help address maritime crimes particularly smuggling and prevent water accidents.

He further asked the graduating officers to exercise discipline in their daily activities explaining that, skills and knowledge have to be accompanied with discipline in order to achieve set objectives.

The closing ceremony was also graced by the Assistant Commissioner of Police who also acts as the Acting Commissioner for logistics and Engineering, Bruce Munyambo as well as other high profile Police and Army senior officers.

{{Two Dead bodies have been found floating on river Rusizi on September 5.

They were discovered by farmers tilling near the banks of the river.}}

The identity of the bodies hasnt been established. The countries of origin of the bodies hasn’t been known.

Habyarimana Déogratias a local official in Gashora Sector suspected the bodies had been in the river for about a week saying they are unrecognizable.

He said, it was impossible to determine whether the bodies originated from DRCongo or of Rwandan origin.

Area authorities said its not the first time such an incidence has happened, in June 2012, a body of a Congolese woman was found floating on the same river.

Residents have been urged to stay away from the river saying they could be washed away.

{{In a validation meeting, water resources managers and experts have highlighted a need for Rwanda to establish an efficient and equitable water allocation and utilization framework where Rain Water Harvesting system is taken into consideration.}}

Water managers revealed that public buildings and private houses equipped with Rain Water Harvesting facilities are still few while the demand and use of water resources are increasing.

In his presentation, Lakew Desta, an Ethiopian Consultant in water sector noted that Rwanda remains a water-scarce country where the per capita fresh water availability is less than 1000 m3 which is about a quarter of Africa’s average of 4,000 m3.

Experts said that insufficient knowledge and skills in rain water harvesting and Integrated Water Resources Management among partner institutions and stakeholders are among the causes for Rwanda to remain a water scarcity country.

He however, added that implementing the present strategy will help in reducing the gap.

Vincent de Paul Kabalisa, the Deputy Director General in charge of Water Resources in Rwanda Natural Resources Authority said that adoption of rain water harvesting facilities and techniques would help to minimize the scarcity of water in Rwanda.

He added that people might be aware of the significant role of rain water in their daily life.

Kabalisa pointed out that harvesting rain water will not only helping to access water but also it will play significant role in other sectors including fight against floods and soil erosion.

Gaston Ndayisaba is the current coordinator in charge of Rain water harvesting pilot project known us French acronym “ CUEP” ( Collecte et Utilisation des Eaux de Pluie) .

He noted that implementing the strategy of rain water harvesting will be a good way to eradicate issues relevant to water scarcity and reducing calamities that might be caused by rain water including regularly occurring floods..

According to building and Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) regulations by MININFRA (2009); there is a need to include Rain Water Harvesting among the strategies for sustainable management of water resources.

Since 2007, MINIRENA with support of African Water Facility (AWF/ADB) and the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) development partners launched a rain water harvesting system.

At the beginning, the project was introduced as a pilot project in Eastern and Southern Provinces of Rwanda in districts of Bugesera, Rwamagana, Kayonza, Gatsibo, Kamonyi and Nyaruguru

Since then, Ndayisaba said “the situation of access to water for agriculture and domestic uses was improved by providing rainwater harvesting facilities for selected schools, communities and individual and vulnerable households”.

Gaston Ndayisaba, the project coordinator, acknowledged that the pilot project impacted positively on governmental programs such as one cow per family known as “ Girinka munyarwanda”, household kitchen gardens “ Akarima k’igikoni, zero grazing, greening schools, and hygiene and sanitation in schools as well.

Pressures of rapidly changing demographic patterns; demands of intensified socio-economic development; environmental degradation; and uncertainties created by climate change, all of these challenges are among the causes to establish National strategy for Rain Water Harvesting and Management.

It is projected that by 2017, 10% of public and private building should be equipped with Rain water harvesting facilities for domestic purposes.

{{The East African Court of Justice will September 7, launch a sub-registry in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.}}

The opening of the Dar es Salaam EACJ Sub-registry follows a decision of the Council of Ministers that the Court opens sub-registries in all Partner States.

The commissioning of the sub-registry, the second in the region, follows the Kigali one which was launched on 10 August. It will be followed by similar launches in Kampala, Nairobi and Bujumbura.

With the opening of these sub-registries, litigants will no longer be required to travel to Arusha to file their claims.

Instead, claims will be filed at an EACJ local sub-registry, which will handle the necessary transmission and communication details.

“The opening of the Dar es Salaam Sub-registry makes the Court’s services more easily accessible and affordable to the vast majority of Tanzania residents,” says the EACJ Judge President Hon. Justice Harold Nsekela.

He adds that the Sub-registry has been equipped to start operations, with a full-time Court clerk recruited to operate it, and further notes that the Court will work closely with Tanzania’s Ministry of East African Cooperation to raise public awareness.

The EACJ sub-registry in Tanzania will be based at the Court of Appeal premises in Dar es Salaam.

The President called upon all stakeholders including the Tanzanian legal fraternity including Bar associations, the business community, academic institutions and other interested persons to make use of the EACJ sub-registry in Dar es Salaam.

{{The Congolese M23 rebels are being accused of forcing citizens back into their homes and vacate refugee they had taken in schools.

The rebels are also acccused of forcefully recruiting villagers into M23 ranks.}}

Local Congolese media reports that about 370 families displaced people in Rutshuru (North Kivu) claim that rebels of M23 Movement are chasing them out of schools where they had sought refuge and forcing them to return their villages.

However, its alleged that those who have returned to their villages of origin including Runyonyi, Bunagana and Jomba complain of undergoing forced labour and other forms of violence subjected upon them by the rebels.

There are claims that the displaced people who have returned to their villages because of pressure from rebels have found their homes either burnt or destroyed by bombs.

Over 1000 families had taken refuge in Rutshuru.

{{New bank notes featuring the face of Nelson Mandela will be in use by the end of 2012 in South Africa.}}

The South African central bank Wednesday, unveiled a new series of bank notes featuring the face of anti-apartheid hero.

The five notes will show a smiling Mandela on the front and South Africa’s big five animals – lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo and elephant – on the back set amid Bushmen paintings and locally used traditional patterns.

“We are pleased to issue this new series of banknotes which reflects South Africa’s pride as a nation and pays tribute to a much-loved world icon,” said Reserve Bank Governor Gill Marcus.

The notes are the latest monument to the 94-year-old Nobel Peace Prize-winner, known as one of the world’s greatest statesmen after becoming president after 27 years in an apartheid jail.

Not seen in public since July 2010, he is living out his retirement in his childhood rural village of Qunu.

“We are very thankful for the recognition of Tata [Mandela] in this manner,” said his former wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, who attended the launch, the Sapa news agency reported.

“We think it is the best birthday present he ever received on his 94th birthday.”

The announcement of the new notes in February – on the 22nd anniversary of Mandela’s prison release – was billed as an “announcement of national importance” with the secrecy sending the rand and stock markets on a downward spike.

AFP

{{Now, on KLM flight from Stockholm to Kigali. Will be back home this evening at 19:30…….}}

This is the statement posted by Frank Habineza on his Facebook page status.

Habineza is the leader of a foreign pressure group known as the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda formed in 2009.
The Group has been politiking on social networking websites.

However, the group leader has decided to return to Rwanda secure a legal status and conduct his political work within the territorial boundaries of Rwanda.

In August, Habineza said that his political pressure group intends to acquire legal status as a full political party in Rwanda.

“The opposition Democratic Green Party will strive to be the alternative voice for Rwandans. If we succeed in getting registered, we will provide alternative policies and compete for political power using peaceful means.”

The pressure group leader further noted that, “Our party believes that in order to have sustainable development, democracy should go hand-in-hand with economic development.”

August 14, while Habineza’s political pressure group was marking its third anniversary, he announced that , “we take on the opportunity to inform all party members, well-wishers and the general public that we have re-committed ourselves to resume political activities inside the country.”