Category: News

{{The co-founder of the umbrella of all women associations in Rwanda Suzanne Ruboneka has urged women to respect their husbands despite the needed gender equality in Rwanda.}}

Ruboneka was speaking at the Rwanda Television and Radio joint show dubbed Kubaza Bitera Kumenya(asking is knowing) at Telecom House, Kacyiru on Sunday.

She said that some women have used gender equality as an escape route to exercise their wickedness yet it does not take away the values of an African woman or a house wife.

“Gender equality means that a woman is no longer kept inside doors, or pushed into limitations of having freedom as human being and not allowed to access the culturally denounced culture like working or public speaking but that does not give her a right to disrespect her husband, a man will always be the head of the family,” Ruboneka said in a show hosted in preparation of the international women’s day to take place March 8, 2012.

The radio show was attended by women leaders from National Women Council, Avega-Agahozo,Parliament and from the ministry of Gender and Family promotion.

A lot of questions that were asked by the audience in a call-in session and the participants at the show reflected the equality between girls and boys and violence between men and women.

They highlighted that even boys have been denied or have faced barriers in life making it hard for them access their basic rights or deny them their basic needs.

Similarly, men were also said to have faced enormous domestic violence, where they panel jointly agreed and said there is a lot being done to fight such violence.

The panel also tackled on mistreatment of girls who conceive unwanted, planed and premature pregnancies from their respective homes or by their said spouses.

Rwanda will celebrate International Women’s Day with the rest of the world on March 8th 2012. This year, International Women’s Day will also be the beginning of Rwanda Women and Girls’ Month.

This year’s International Theme is ‘Connecting Girls, Inspiring Futures’ while the national theme has been adopted as ‘Empower Women and Girls to Sustain Families’
Rwanda Women and Girls’ Month will be focusing on the activities across the country fighting Malnutrition with ‘Eat Healthy, Live Healthy slogan.

Other include promoting Economic Empowerment of Women, promoting Girls’ Education and women and Good Governance.

As mothers, home makers and care takers, women play a vital part and are well placed to end malnutrition if properly educated and equipped with resources, knowledge and the skills they need to prepare nutritious meals for their families and ensure that the children under their care are well fed and healthy.

The Ministry of Health (MINISANTE) and the Ministry of Agriculture (MINAGRI) will lead activities on this focus.

MINISANTE will engage in creating public awareness of the health sector services available in this initiative in collaboration with various stakeholders and community members.

Activities at the community level will include but are not limited to agricultural demonstrations on how to establish a good kitchen garden, what composes and how to plan and prepare nutritious meals.

Gender equality has been a government policy in Rwanda for many years now and the positive political will and various strategies have gone a long way in achieving a status for women that is above many other countries.

{{ENDS}}

{{President Paul Kagame has vowed to take Rwanda to another level of progress by fighting poverty and securing extra independence of the citizens.}}

“It’s not correct to live on generosity of others. It is demeaning. Our struggle is to improve the lives of Rwandans, get rid of poverty, to be more independent. And we want it fast,” Kagame told the 9th leadership Retreat.

Kagame explained that Leaders are supposed to guide citizens out of poverty and dependence, “Fighting poverty starts in the mind. It is even more pathetic when this attitude is prevalent among the intellectual class that feels they have arrived”.

“Donors want Africans to imitate them and stay in poverty. Good debates that change people’s lives must be emphasized. Debates are important but endless debates about development are useless,” he said.

“We know exactly what our challenges are. They are malnutrition, insufficient electricity etc. No more seminars are required,” Kagame noted.

He added Rwandans need electricity and not stories and seminars about electricity. They need electricity now, not in 30 years.”

“What lessons do you still have to learn from others that we haven’t learned from losing one million people?”

He added that fighting poverty is a real fight, not of weapons, but of ideas and changing minds to improve lives. It’s not about how many seminars we attend but using our knowledge and resources efficiently, “I am going to do whatever it takes to make this happen.”

Hinting on Aid dependence, President Kagame said, “We shouldn’t be living off other taxpayers but pay our own taxes. We cannot have endless debates about our predicament -that is why Africa is where it is. We need tangible results,” he said.

The president noted, “Africa’s political class is selfish. They are de-touched from the people they lead.”

{{A reliable source from Congo Brazzaville has revealed that atleast 200 people are reported to have been killed. Hospital sources say the death toll is likely to rise.}}

“We count at least 150 dead in the military hospitals and around 1,500 injured, some of them seriously.”

An official in the president’s office quoted by foreign press put the death toll at about 200, citing hospital sources.

The four strong explosions were also heard several kilometers away across into neighbouring Kinshasa the capital of Democratic Republic of Congo.

Residents of east Brazzaville fled when the blasts began.

The cause of the explosions has not yet been established but sources say it has been an accident at a munitions dump.

A diplomatic source in Brazzaville said the blasts came from a munitions depot in the east of the city.

Dark thick smoke was seen rising from Kinshasa, which lies over the river from Brazzaville. The first explosion was heard around 8:00 am, a second one about 20 minutes later, followed by two others around 8:45 am.

Several other detonations, much weaker, have been heard since.

{{Charles Ntakirutinka 62, an opposition policitian has vowed to remain critical of government after he was released from jail at the end of a 10-year prison sentence.}}

He was arrested in April 2002 shortly after forming the Democratic Party for Renewal party. Ntakirutinka was a former minister in the defunct Habyarimana regime.

He was charged with inciting civil disobedience and association with criminal elements.

“We thought it was time for Rwanda to have some political opposition so we formed a political party. But they said our party was based on ‘divisionism,’ which was not true. They just didn’t want any opposition,” said Ntakirutinka.

However, when asked if he would remain critical, Ntakirutinka was defiant. “I have to speak the truth. If that means I’ll go back to prison, then I’m ready. Just take me back”.

Ntakirutinka helped launch a new political party, the Democratic Party for Renewal (PDR-Ubuyanja), Parti Démocratique de Renouveau in May 2001 with the former President Pasteur Bizimungu and six others.

{{Johannes Zutt the World Bank representative in Rwanda, Kenya, Eritrea and Somalia announced that the Global financial institution is willing to continue supporting Rwanda’s Energy Policy and completely tame the country’s Energy challenges.}}

Mr. Zutt was meeting Rwanda’s Prime minister to whom he presented a report on the recommendations of the 29th February Meeting that involved the World Bank, EWSA, RDB and Infrastructure Ministry.

The meeting was aimed at encouraging Investors to consider investing in the country’s energy sector.

The Minister of Infrastructure Hon. Nsengiyumva Albert told IGIHE.com that the lack of enough electricity in the country deeply affects the level of Investment in the country.

Zutt pledged support from World Bank to help Rwanda increase the electricity generation from the current 100 Mega Watts to a higher output that would be required and also to tap more from the Methane gas project at lake Kivu both of which would increase Energy output to propel investment in the country.

Earlier Prime Minister Pierre Damien Habumuremyi told participants at a 29th February meeting that Rwanda’s investment policy is conducive to entrepreneurs.

He said investment in the energy sector would curtail scarcity and high cost of electricity facing the local industries.

{{Rwanda Development Board in partnership with an agency responsible for compensations will in the period of two weeks extend compensation to 133 families that were victims of attacks by wild animals from the national Park.}}

The announcement was made when Ricca Rwigamba in charge of tourism at RDB presented to Bernardin Ndashimye the head of the compensation agency, documents containing those eligible for compensation.

The 133 families to be compensated are from Rwimbogo Sector of Kayonza district. However, officials didn’t reveal how much in monetary term will be compensated to the 133 families affected.

Last year Elephants invaded over hundred families of Kayonza district, Eastern province destroying more than 80 hectares of crops. Intervention of a noisy military helicopter scared the beasts away.

Statistics indicate that of the 110 elephants, about half are outside the park roaming into the villages, raiding crops and sometimes injuring residents.

Records indicate that the attacks started as far back as late 1990’s. In 2010 alone, sixteen people were reported seriously injured, mainly by buffalos and hippos while five people got killed.

Vandalised agricultural fields and other property of citizens in affected areas is valued in billions.

{{Bomber jacket is way of looking good one of these wet and cold days. It’s been hot for the last three weeks and since its unpredictable now days; the weather should not be your reason for not looking good. }}

Its inconviniencing during rainy season when one fails to decide on outfits for the day. However, the Bomber Jacket is the way to go. its trendy and keeps you warm.

Bombers are a type of jackets made to fit and settle around the waist and this credits them to be so convenient with an element of fashion and style.

In addition to those other things that should not miss in your handbag a bomber jacket is a must. These are made out of light material and you can carry – or hold it around your arm or across your bag and feel like you’re not carrying anything.

They are not discriminative one can wear them to any place. You just need to know what fits where and how to wear it and you will stay warm and smart all day long.

Ladies these days have taken on this trend; this is because of their comfort and classy look. They are switching their style to something better and cool. Sandra Ankunda a lawyer says in life she loves something that really expresses her style and bomber is something that is simultaneous to how she is meant to dress for work in the law firm.

She says she cannot wear a suit like her workmates but bombers are similar to the colleagues’ dress code. She goes in for the long sleeved for work and spares the short sleeves for weekends.

They are designed in various ways that gives them style and beauty- some have buttons, some zips, others have bling, pockets as a way of embellishing them. Rihannah a musician fancies them and wears them in almost her music videos, and she is into the crazy styles- ones with shape shoulder pads, stiff arms among others.

You can make a combo of a bomber and a skirt, address and pants. For pants and skirts you are required to wear a vest inside to look more organized and for a dress that is strapped a bomber makes it official.

{{Twenty Nigerian investors were last evening hosted to a dinner at Kigali Serena by officials of the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and Private Sector Federation (PSF).}}

The dinner served as a welcome ceremony for the Nigerian delegation which arrived on February 29th and will leave the country on March 5th. During their stay in Rwanda, they will be toured round the country while being shown investment opportunities.

Rwanda’s Envoy to Nigeria Joseph Habineza, brought the Delegation who are part of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG). The aim was to encourage investments between both countries.

“I have always encouraged Nigerians to visit Rwanda and explore opportunities in here and recently I was impressed when I checked our embassy’s record and I realized that for the past six months we had issued visas to more than 1000 Nigerians,” he said.

He encouraged that Nigerians would do better in the country’s hospitality sector known to be lagging behind, the methane power plant was another area the ambassador recommended for investments.

Philips Foluso the chairman of NESG, commended Rwanda’s progress especially in doing business, a fact he says has given comfort to investors who want to open business in the country.

“On the other hand there is need for joint effort that’s why we need to interact more, visit each other, exchange ideas and become great business partners,” he advised.

Macdonald James Obi, the managing director of SONARWA insurance company, advised that Rwanda has potential businesses and it is time for Nigerians to exploit the chance , since the country landlocked for instance.

“let me give you a good example, if you import a cabin of a lorry from Nigeria it would cost Frw 35 million yet the ones sold in Rwanda cost more than Frw 50 million, you see the difference is big that’s why we should open business in Rwanda and sell big.”

{{Prisoners that have successfully completed their sentences must be released without fail otherwise such prison authorities shall be prosecuted. }}

This was mentioned by the Internal Security Minister Sheih Moussa Fazil Harerimana.

The Minister also warned Prison authorities against imprisoning anybody without court directives.

This was announced during a Thursday national meeting which involved officials of Rwanda Correctional Service (RCS) and chaired by Minister Sheih Harerimana.

RCS was hailed for the achievements made since it was established in July last year. The minister urged the prisons authorities to observe the laws.

Rwanda Correctional Services RCS is a merger of the National Prisons Service and Travaux pour d’Interets Generale, (TIG) – Community work carried out by convicts of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

{{Today morning at Kacyiru, a woman discovered a young boy she had denied shelter three days ago hidden in the kitchen store of their home.

The housemaid of the residence was secretly hiding him in the store till he could save up enough cash to take the boy to his home at gisozi where the boy would live with him and his wife.}}

The boy indentified as Mukahirwa Janvier was found in the storeroom of a family home early this morning.

Nizeyimana Celestin the housemaid who secretly hid Mukahirwa in the kitchen store for three days, had forgotten to lock the store room when the house owner entered the store to pick something only to find the boy sleeping on the floor.

Mukahirwa was recognised by the master as the boy she recently denied shelter. She presumed he was a thief and threatened to call the police.

However, Nizeyimana defended himself explaining why he had hidden the boy, after begging the woman for forgiveness he promised to take the boy to his home today after he has finished his daily chores.

Nizeyimana claims to have found Mukahirwa crying outside a resident’s house where he had spent the previous evening begging the owners to give him shelter.

The housemaid Nizeyimana who was sheltering the boy said he found the boy sleeping outside the gate as he was exiting the house to go buy groceries and found the boy crying and shivering.

Mukahirwa 11 is an orphan who recently lost his parents and has never been to school.

His father was a seamstress at the local market in the Kacyiru district and his mother was a vendor whom worked in various districts, he’s parents had been sick for quite a while until he found his mother dead and his father dead only a week later.

Mukahirwa had been told by the landlord to go to the police where they will tell him where to go but refused him to stay, the landlord took all the belonging telling Mukahirwa that was what they would use as payment for the rent money his parents had not paid for over the last two months.

Muhirwa told Nizeimana that he had walked around the whole of Kacyiru asking for help from the people his father knew but everyone turned him away and he started begging from local residents until he ended up on Nizeimana’s door step.

Nizeimana said the reason he had taken pity on the boy is because he had experienced a similar situation when he was a boy and he knew he had to help this boy. When Muhirwa told Nizeimana that his bosses had refused to let him in, Nizeimana decided to sneak the boy in while his bosses were sleeping.

He created a small bed of blankets where Muhirwa would sleep on at night and lock him in till morning after the bosses left. while he saved up the money to send the boy to his wife in Gismos where the boy would be adopted by him and his wife whom have no children of their own.

Nizeimana says he will take the boy tonight where he knows his wife will welcome the boy with open arms; the boy will be treated as though he was their own flesh and blood.