Category: News

{{MTN Foundation has today inaugurated another ‘ICT School Connect Project’ in Gihundwe, Rusizi district, Western Province.}}

Gihundwe high school was facilitated today with a fully connected ICT laboratory of 36 computers under the MTN Rwanda ‘ICT School Connect Project’ a brainchild of MTN Foundation, the company’s corporate social responsibility program.

The ‘ICT School Connect Project’ has already facilitated seven Rwandan schools across the country. So far over 200 computers have been given out under this projects.

A delegation of MTN Foundation officials including Alphonse Byusa, the Chairman of the board and Zulfat Mukarubega, a board member of the foundation visited GS Gigundwe, a high school where they officially opened the lab.

Alphonse Byusa, the Chairman of MTN Foundation said the inauguration is a continued process intended to support education and ICT as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility.

“Within education this project termed as ‘ICT Schools Connect Project’, is designed to enable teachers and pupils in secondary schools gain practical skills on the usage and understanding of ICT and how it can add value to their lives,” Byusa said.

“This project was inaugurated in 2010. With it students can have access to Internet in their own locality and premises. This is a way of MTN Rwanda empowering young people so that in the future they can become of economic relevance to the country,” he added.

Already 6 high schools from different provinces have benefited from the project. They include Essa High School in Musanze, Ste Bernadette in Huye, Kabarondo High School, Kanombe High School, Rusumo High School and ESG Rubavu.

Overall MTN Foundation has donated over 200 computers in these schools, across the country with more 5,500 students and 300 teachers benefiting from the project to leverage ICT in education in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC).

During the year 2010/11 about Rwf150 million has been spent on ‘ICT Connect School’ projects. In 2012 two more schools are scheduled to benefit from the same project.

{{Rwanda Peace Academy in collaboration with the United Nations Integrated Training Service and the Government of Australia will conduct a United Nations Senior Mission Leaders Course at the Lemigo Hotel, Kigali City from 21 May to 1 June 2012.}}

The Senior Mission Leaders (SML) course is the highest UN course and aims at developing candidates for UN mission leadership.

The aim of the SML course is to prepare participants for Senior Leadership assignments in multidimensional peacekeeping operations.

Forty five participants are expected to attend the course from across the world. Some United Nations senior staff members have also been selected to attend the course.

The course will be officially opened on 21 May 2012 at Lemigo Hotel and the Media is invited during the opening and closing ceremonies.

{{Between April 27 and May 16, more than 8000 refugees fled from North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, across Rwanda’s northwest border, fleeing fighting in Eastern Congo.}}

To assist with immediate refugee relief efforts, the U.S. Embassy in Rwanda has provided a $50,000 donation from USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) to UNICEF/Rwanda.

These funds will be used to finance improvements in the sanitary conditions of the Nkamira Transit Center through the construction of additional drainage ditches, garbage disposal pits, latrines, and showers.

The funds were handed over to UNICEF/Rwanda’s Country Director Noala Skinner today by U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda Donald Koran.

In addition, on Friday, May 11, the U.S. Embassy donated medical supplies and
blankets to UNHCR.

{{Certified Public Accountants (CPA) and the Certified Accounting Technicians of Rwanda (CAT) have been for the first time in history officially launched in Rwanda.}}

They have been introduced by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Rwanda (ICPAR) and launch was held late last week by the Rwanda Local Government Minister, James Musoni.

Speaking at the launch, Peter Rutaremara, ICPAR president; “It is a great day as the ICPAR Rwanda president to see that both CPA and CAT exams will be organized and done in Rwanda.”

“Our country will now have the capacity to produce accounting professionals that will compete with international standards,” he added.

Rutaremara added that CPA students in Rwanda have been doing exams set from abroad. This made it expensive through examination and registration fees. Now the exams will be cost effective as students will pay in Rwandan currency.

CPA and CAT syllabuses were benchmarked and given credits by regional and international professionals in the field as they match with other related programs in other countries.

These have been prepared working alongside twinning partners from a well established Institute of Certified Public Accountants in Ireland (CPAI), formed in 1943, a founding member of IFAC in 1977 and a body with over 5,000 members and students.

Minister Musoni, in his remarks said that earlier government wanted to launch the program but there were delays. He applauded ICPAR to take up the developmental initiative.

CAT where the institution targets to put much emphasis will be done by students who finished high school but with at least 13 points. CPA on the other side; students will be required to have finished high school with at least 32 points up to the Bachelors degree level.

The number of qualified accountants is expected to increase and also enhance proper financial reporting standards among Small and Medium Enterprises.

According to ICPAR, there are currently 214 registered professional accountants in the country, of whom only 55 are Rwandans. But during the inception of the institution, they were targeting to have reached up to 500 professionals by this year.

{{Security between Rwanda and Uganda will remain excellent to maintain crossborder trade between the two countries. This was emphasised by Maj. Gen. Alexis Kagame the head of RDF 2nd Division based in the Northern Province.}}

The comments followed a meeting of military officials in the Northern Province together with their Ugandan counterparts. The meeting held at Byumba Town in Gicumbi District was aimed at assessing the security situation at the border between the two countries.

The Ugandan delegation was led by Brig.Gen Patrick Kankiriho accompanied by Col. Bitumbika and Maj. Bernard Tugume.

The Rwandan side was led by Maj. Gen. Alexis Kagame accompanied by Col. John Gashayija, Col. Evariste Murenzi, Col. Karegeya and Lt.Col. James Burabyo.

Maj. Gen. Kagame noted that the meeting was aimed at finding ways that would further strengthen the crossborder secutiry to enable trade between the two sides. “we have foundout that some citizens on both sides still use illegal ways to cross the border. We intend to work together to solve this problem”.

Brig. Gen. Kankiriho said that the cooperation between Uganda and Rwanda is very excellent compared to other East African Neighbours.

The Military officials later visited a Genocide memorial site at Gisozi to pay tribute to victims of the 1994 genocide against ethnic Tutsi.

{{Police in Gicumbi district is holding a woman identified as Uwamariya Christine for allegedly stealing a new born baby from Byumba Hospital. Uwamariya is a resident of Kaniga Sector, Gicumbi District.}}

The incidence happened on the evening of Saturday. While the mother of the baby was bathing Uwamariya sneaked and whisked away the baby.

Mukantibenda Diane the mother of the stolen baby was quoted by the public broadcaster saying, “Uwamariya had been loitering around the place for some time. She came where I was sitting and asked me to help with the baby so that I could bathe. I gave her the baby and went to bathe. After only 20minutes, I came back and found the baby and the woman missing, it was there that I suspected that my baby had been stolen”.

Mukantibenda and her mother, immediately rushed to the Police and reported the matter, to which to the Police responded with urgent action, launching a hunting operation to recover the baby.

After only one day, Uwamariya Christine was found in possession with the baby and consequently arrested.

Uwamariya admitted to National Radio that she is barren and admitted to stealing the baby, but defended her action, saying she did it out of desperation for a baby.

Uwamariya said that she had lied to her husband that she was pregnant. The Husband was very excited and was anxious to the forthcoming baby.

Uwamariya said that at the elapse of nine months, she went to the hospital and started looking for where she could steal a baby to present to her husband.

{{The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) will hold its Annual Meetings this year (28May-1June) in Arusha, Tanzania.}}

The theme of the 2012 meetings will be ‘Africa and the emerging global landscape: challenges and opportunities’.The meetings will be a gathering of numerous high-level participants from the AfDB’s member countries.

Participants will come from both the AfDB’s African regional member countries and its non-regional member countries outside Africa, representing the worlds of finance, banking, government, economics, donors, the media, civil society, development and academia.

This year’s theme gives the opportunity for delegates to debate Africa’s changing role in the world as its economies continue to grow at faster rates than the rest of the world, and the AfDB’s role in promoting this growth and development through its projects, operations and investments around the continent.

Delegates will take part in a wide-ranging series of discussions, high-level seminars and workshops on the future of Africa.

Also, the AfDB will be welcoming contributions towards the formulation of its new ten-year Long Term Strategy for 2013 to 2022.

The AfDB has already begun consultations both internally and externally on the creation of this Long Term Strategy, which will replace the current five-year Medium Term Strategy for 2008 to 2012.

The AfDB is Africa’s premier development finance institution, established in 1964 to mobilise resources to the economic and social development of its regional countries by promoting sustainable and inclusive growth as well as poverty reduction.

The AfDB pursues its goals of growth and cutting poverty through a strategy of concentrating its operational investments in the areas of infrastructure, the private sector, governance and education.

The 2012 meetings will mark the 47th meeting of the African Development Bank, and the 38th meeting of the African Development Fund, the Group’s concessional or ‘soft loan’ arm.

{{The International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor’s office has filed (Monday) at the Pre-Trial Chamber a request for new international arrest warrant against Gen. Jean Bosco Ntaganda.}}

A statement from the prosecutor of the ICC, Fatou Bensuda indicates that the prosecution will request the addition of charges against Gen. Ntaganda for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed between September 2002 and September 2003.

Gen. Ntaganda is already under an arrest warrant issued by the ICC in 2006 for crimes of recruiting, conscripting and using children under 15 years for them to participate actively in hostilities.

According to the prosecutor, this application is running to the verdict and evidence presented at trial against Thomas Lubanga, who was convicted by the ICC to have recruited children into its forces and using them to participate in combat.

The crimes that Gen. Ntaganda is accused were committed in Ituri in Orientale Province during the war inter-ethnic Hema and Lendu militias by the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC), which he was one of the commanders.

He resisted arrest for “his contributions to the signing of the peace agreement between the government and armed groups from the East in 2009” and its transfer to the ICC.

The Congolese government said early May that Gen. Ntaganda should be arrested, accusing him of being responsible for the defections recorded within the Congolese army and destabilization in the Masisi and Walikale in North Kivu.

But authorities believe that the general should be judged by Congolese courts.
For the prosecutor of the ICC, “the price of this impunity is very large.”
“When there is impunity, it is the people on the ground who suffer,” she wrote in a statement, calling for the arrest of Gen. Ntaganda.

“His recent desertion from the FARDC only demonstrates once again that you can not trust him and that the exercise of power through violence can only lead to more violence,” said the prosecutor in his statement.

Fatou Bensuda has also initiated a second arrest warrant against Mudacumura Sylvester, supreme commander of the FDLR-FOCA, charged with five counts of crimes against humanity and nine counts war crimes.

The alleged crimes were committed by the armed group between 20 January 2009 and August 31, 2010, in the provinces of North and South Kivu.

{{After six successful editions, Growing SMEs will be held on 17-18 May 2012 in Kigali, Rwanda. This premium marketplace will highlight successful strategies and businesses to explore and activate small businesses development in East Africa and beyond.}}

If you can’t make it to Kigali, catch the best sessions from Growing SMEs live from the comfort of your computer.

‘Growing SMEs seeks to identify a new generation of entrepreneurs and get them growing a business that creates jobs and supports emerging market economies’ says Thierry Sanders, Founder of BiD Network Foundation.

This year, BiD Network and partners will recognize and reward these leaders in Kigali, Rwanda.

Day one is a unique combination of presentations, focus sessions, workshops and panel discussions. The Forum will bring together renowned experts, entrepreneurs and financiers to share knowledge, ideas and latest trends in small businesses growth and finance.

The Forum speakers include, among others: Gert van Veldhuisen, Founder of Investors Club Netherlands, William Davis, President of Gate Impact, and Wanjohi Ndagu, Partner, Pearl Capital.

On day two, 21 high growth entrepreneurs will showcase their emerging market businesses at the Marketplace and will pitch to 110 prospective financiers. Entrepreneurs from 12 countries undergo rigorous selection, expert guidance and training sessions.

This year, the finalists include an expert IT company from Burundi that creates and installs medical softwares, a community-oriented lighting solution from Rwanda for rural Africa and an affordable solar lantern through innovative distribution from Kenya.

Investors will be introduced to viable market opportunities, will network with regional and international peers and will join a closed session on angel investing in East Africa.

Most of us will not be able to head to Kigali for Growing SMEs. Thanks to the igihe.com team, you can watch the Growing SMEs accelerator event live via igihe.com and bidnetwork.org. See live audience as well as focus sessions discussing finance options of small businesses in emerging markets, the conference keynotes and more. Livestream begins on Thursday, May 17 at 8.30 EAT.

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Since its creation in 2005, Growing SMEs gave exposure to 190 entrepreneurs, and welcomed 2700 participants in the Netherlands and in Colombia.

Thanks to our partners JCI Rwanda, Rwanda Development Board, Enterprise Development Network, and Bernard Van Leer Foundation for making Growing SMEs happen.

For more information about Growing SMEs, click here: http://rwanda-2012.growingsmes.org/

Follow us on Twitter: @bidnet, #GrowingSMEs

{{Turkish Airlines the national flag carrier of Turkey is set to begin regular flights to Rwanda’s International Airport. Flights will depart from its Istanbul hub, Atatürk Airport, directly to Kigali.}}

The Airlne has expanded operations in Africa with the launch of second destination this year on the Continent.

Joining the airline’s aggressively expanding route map, Kigali is the second destination launched by the carrier and latest so far this year to the African continent after Mogadishu, Somalia.

Operating Istanbul-Kigali direct, Kigali becomes Turkish Airlines’ 18th route in Africa, joining its ever-growing global network that currently spans 190 destinations. The airline flies to the most destinations nonstop from a single airport, the hub being Istanbul.

Turkish Airlines already has a successful operation to neighbouring capital cities of Entebbe, and Nairobi.

The arrival today of Turkish airline, a few minutes past 8 AM to Rwanda’s capital city of Kigali carrying a high profile delegation of Turkish officials met by local dignitaries was welcomed by a dramatic water salute soon after touchdown at Kigali International Airport.

The exposure of Rwanda to the world through the airline’s global network will enable the country to attract more tourists, with several attractions focusing on wildlife and natural scenic beauty.

“We know that Rwanda is a very important place. It is on the heart of Africa and we see this place as a hub,” Mr. Kotil , Turkish Airline boss said during his courtesy call to H.E. President Paul Kagame in mid-2011.

Turkish Airlines currently operates a modern fleet to key business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and the Americas.

“ We are going to connect Kigali not only to Istanbul but also 72 other cities in Europe, including Russia, the Far East and many other parts of the world.” Kotil said.

Rwanda is actively working to grow its tourism sector in as sustainable a way as possible and the efforts are succeeding; new flights and airlines are coming

The Minister of Infrastructure Albert Nsengiyumva said that Turkey is one of the world’s emerging markets and the opening of the route would benefit the country’s business community.

“The coming of Turkish Airlines to Rwanda will not only benefit the business community but also our young and growing airline, RwandAir which will learn from its much bigger partner in different ways,” Nsengiyumva said.

The airline’s expansion to Kigali is part of the bilateral pact between Turkey and Rwanda that would see the two countries cooperate in different areas.

Turkish Airlines targets to become the world’s leading airline, with an ambitious investment plan of over US$7.5bn this year alone.

Turkish Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance, which includes Lufthansa and United Airlines.