IGIHE

Category: News

  • Kagame Hails Carnegie Mellon University

    {{President Paul Kagame who is on state visit to USA has applauded management of the Carnegie Mellon University for partnership with his government to state a new campus calling it “A sign of friendship that was initiated a few years ago”.}}

    The Head of State made the remarks August 16 at the university campus where he was hosted by the university president Dr. Jared L. Cohon together with the Board of trustees.

    “I do believe this is evidence of a changing tide in global partnership- one that I am happy to personally associate with.

    “We know that despite decades of partnerships between developed and developing nations, the world remains largely imbalanced in terms of social and economic progress” the president said

    He further pointed out that on one hand, some nations have overtime acquired many skills and technological capabilities to better the lives of their people while on the other hand there are societies that are still trapped in poverty and dealing with the most basic development issues.

    “Often the quick fix to this imbalance has been aid follows from rich nations. In many areas, this aid has not been properly put to use or well targeted” he pointed out but hastened to add: “In actual fact, there are no quick fixes, sustainable development requires that nations take ownership of their own agenda charting their own way forward and working with those who wish to support them along this path.

    Kagame stressed that Countries that possess the skills and technological equipment required for rapid social economic transformation can work with those who do not so that these skills are transferred in a sustainable and meaningful manner.

    This new model of partnership the President emphasized will require a shift in global development and cooperation practice, where developing nations including those in Africa will have to review how they conduct their business and by so doing, the developed countries will recognize that given the interconnected nature of the world prosperity that is only significant if it has a broader spectrum. “

    For this to happen, there has to be engagement based on mutual respect and interests that ultimately meet everyone’s aspirations” the president observed.

    He assured the audience that in terms of sustainable development, Rwanda has among other things established a solid foundation of scientific and technological knowledge as a priority and that his government’s development agenda is focused on investing in human capacity as the major and indispensable source needed for transforming society into knowledge-based one.

    “We have put in place policies and strategies that support public and private institutions both local and foreign to provide a wide range of skills to our people.

    “We have invested in communications infrastructure such as high capacity broad band networks that connect our education centers, healthcare facilities and government facilities to each other and the rest of the world” the president explained adding that with these technologies, the institutions are able to tap into a global pool of knowledge and build innovative capabilities.

    In his conclusion, the president said that the advantages of in-country training are most obvious because it will allow a greater number of students to afford and access a higher level of knowledge and skills and the retention of well trained professionals where they are needed most in the developing parts of the world.

  • SENATE ASPIRANTS HIT THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

    {{The event chaired by the president of the Rwanda Electoral Commission Prof. KARANGWA Chrisologue reminded the candidates about the merits they should observe while in the campaign process.}}

    Ten munites were given to each candidate to present his agenda to the electing committee detailing what he/she has for the people of Nyarugenge once elected to the senate.

    Kigali city will be represented by one senator in the coming elections due 26th and 27thSeptember 2011.

    The electing committee shall be made up of the sector councilors and the district councilors from Kigali city.

    The electoral commission chairman urged the electoral committee in Kigali city to turn up and vote early and in large numbers reminding them that the process will start once 2/3 of the electorates are present.

    He further explained that in accordance to the law governing elections in Rwanda, the official time for the electing process is from 6:00 am till 15:00.

    He said that counting of votes will be done there and then and called upon the public willing to come and witness the process since it is a free and fair process.

  • Rwandan Students Enrol At Ugandan University For English

    {{Over 100 students from Rwanda enrolled at Uganda Christian University-Bishop Barham University College this academic year due to desire to get equipped with the English language.}}

    Rwandan Students at Uganda Christian University take a group photo at their newly opened liason office photo by igihe.com

    The University that is under the patronage of Anglican Church of Uganda is situated at one of the hills in Kabale District that shares boundaries with Rwanda via Gatuna border post.

    Rwanda joined commonwealth countries and has made English one of her official language as mode of communication.

    “You know Rwanda has introduced English language as a mode of communication, so we went to the University to have that richer English language speaking from a country that has used it since her existence,” Aline kwizera one of the Rwandan students who turned up in Kigali where the University opened its liason office at Anglican Provincial offices near Amahoro National Stadium.

    “There are also a number of other benefits we get though Rwandan Universities seems to be relatively cheaper,” kwizera added.

    Hundreds of Rwandan students have flocked Ugandan Universities like Kabare University, Kampala International University, and Makerere University in search for English language, or courses that take shorter time also allowing them to do field studies two-three times.

    An estimation of 200 Rwandan students have graduated in Diploma, Bachelors’ Degree and Masters degree programmes since the University begun in 2000.

    According to Canon Jovan Turyamureba Deputy Principal of the University the students at the University get a unique package because they instill morals, ethics and integrity based on biblical principles.

    “Some people have been so corrupt and have caused some institutions drag their feet in employing graduates even though they would be thirsty of their skills,” Canon Turyamureba said in Kigali.

    “At Uganda Christian University we believe that a person is complete when he/she gets academic feeding the mind, Body and the soul. You cannot be complete if you are piled with academics yet spiritualy empty,” Turyamureba explained.

    He also said that some people have graduated even with PHDs and cannot even manage their own lives or families and become a total disgrace in their respective communities due to lack of instilled morals, ethics and integrity.

    Pastor Emmanuel Mugiraneza who is studying a Masters degree at the university has been chosen as the liason officer representing the University in Rwanda.

    Mugiraneza says there are some courses offered by the University has and not given in Rwandan University like Gender and development studies which would be a very good course to help Rwanda in her efforts Gender equality.

    Other international students come from Burundi, DR Congo, Sudan, Kenya, USA, and UK and offers certificates to Masters Degree in Theology, Economics & Management, entrepreneurs & Project Management, Social Works & Social Administration, Education & Business Administration, Environment studies and Development studies among others.

  • Regional Countries Unite Aganist Epidemics

    {{Rwanda, Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo have agreed to strengthen their collaboration in fighting epidemics in the region.}}

    In a three day retreat involving health practitioners in Gisenyi town, the participants agreed on sharing resources at the same time improving primary health.

    Uzziel Ndagijimana, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of health (MINISANTE) emphasized that a lot of efforts are being put in place to ensure quality healthcare in the rural areas.

    The Belgian Development Cooperation (BTC) through its health projects has been equipping rural hospitals with medical equipments.

    He further revealed that Korean government is about to donate two mobile clinics which will operate like an ambulance but with more sophisticated tools and services.

    “The aim is to deliver better medical services in the rural areas, on top of that we intend to construct more health centers since our target is ensuring that patients walk for less than an hour to receive treatment,” he explained.

    The Permanent secretary further pointed out that ministry of health intends to buy more ambulances, the target being at least five ambulances in every district.

    “We’re not far from achieving this since most districts have four ambulances,” Ndagijimana said.

    Karel Gyselink, the president of Because-Health who was also one of the retreat’s sponsors stressed the need of implementing quality health services at the grass root level.

    Here he meant that, health centers for instance ought to be in a capacity to offer basic medical services like minor surgeries, psychotherapy and other emergency healthcare services.

    He also commended the retreat especially on experience sharing whereby best practices are expected to be integrated.

    “I’m so fascinated with Rwanda’s health insurance mutuelle de santé but I recommend that there should me more counselors in local dispensaries,” he remarked.

    He emphasized that as far as Rwanda is progressing in offering curative and preventive medication literally meaning healing patients physically, mental health on the other part is also important.

    He referred to DRC for instance, where a society meets and discusses openly some of the issues they facing such domestic violence, drug abuse or even economic issues, indeed this has helped improve the mental health of a community and has reduced cases of depression and trauma.

    In terms of collaboration, Dr. Ferrand Katembe from DRC’s Kasai district noted that joint effort was timely, especially now when there’s outbreak of chicken pox disease in minors.

    “This disease is believed to come from Burundi and it has spread through movements at the borders,” said Katembe.

  • Gov’t Pledges Support To Priority Crops

    {{The government through MINAGRI will contribute 50% of the organic fertilizers to the three main crops, Maize, Wheat and Beans to the farmers growing such crops to assist them increase the productivity.}}

    This was announced during a press briefing held in the morning of Sept. 16, at MINAGRI head offices chaired by the Permanent Secretary Ernest Ruzindaza that was intended to announce season ‘A’ annual preparations to the farmers.

    According to Ruzindaza, major factors that will make the season successful include consolidating of land use by farmers, applying productivity inputs to the gardens like fertilizers, and entering into cooperatives in order to work as a team which will increase production.

    Due to the proper usage of organic fertilizers, the Permanent Secretary says one of the priority crops, maize increased from 1 ton per hector due to 6 tons.

    Innocent Musabyimana, the Deputy Director General RAB-Agriculture Extension at the meeting said, “We are giving 50% organic fertilizers and link the farmers of priority crops who are organized into cooperatives with consolidated lands to the market centers.”

    He added that government is also promoting storage facilities to avoid fluctuation of prices to the market and that others are also linked to the schools for supplies.

    According to Musabyimana, for the season ‘A’ to be successful, a lot is required from farmers like consolidating the land at the village, sector and cell levels, with intention to increase production upon the agreed crops to be grown.

    This he explained will make it easy for the government to provide assistance like searching for the market of the crop harvests.

    “We are in the peak period of our season ‘A’ preparation which is the main important annual season that we expect more production in agriculture because it is the season that has enough rain.

    “We are therefore mobilizing our stakeholders (farmers) to pray important role for it(season) to be successful.” said Musabyimana.

    MINAGRI also calls for local government authorities down to the village, cell, sector and district level to get involved in the campaign of consolidating land use by the farmers in order to increase crop production and ensure food security.

    Land use consolidation in this regard mean bringing together of different parcels owned by different people intended to grow and benefit on one crop agreed by these people. The plot therefore, remains in the hands of the owner.

  • Victoire Ingabire Accused Of 1994 Genocide Denial

    {{The High Court hearing of September 13 in the controversial case involving Victoire Ingabire and co-accused delayed focusing on two counts “Conspiracy to undermine Rwanda’s leadership through war and terrorism and genocide ideology.}}

    The prosecution informed the court that they were still waiting for incriminating evidences from Holland that will available by the end of this month and asked the court to consider waiting for the evidences.

    The other evidence presented by prosecutor was a booklet entitled ‘UMURAGE W’AMATEKA’ published in 2000 by the FDU INKINGI represented by Ingabire.

    The prosecution said that the booklet content is full of lies inciting public disobedience and divisionism among Rwandans in the country and abroad.

    “Madame Ingabire in this book negates and denies the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, as she states that it was just mere killings and not genocide that took place in Rwanda,” prosecution told the court.

    The prosecution further said that Ingabire, attributes the genocide to the former FPR Inkotanyi forces accusing them of downing the plane that was carrying the then Rwanda’s President Juvenal Habyarimana, that triggered the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.

    According to the Prosecution, Ingabire wrote in that book that “FPR Inkotanyi party is a small group of Tutsis who have poorly governed the country, and that they have swallowed up all the country’s resources while the population languishes in poverty”.

    This kind of wording is aimed at denying the Rwandan genocide and inciting public disobedience the prosecution told the court.

    Testimonies from Major Vital Uwumuremyi and Lt. Col. Tharcisse Nditurende were used to elaborate on the conspiracy charges against Igabire and the four co-accused in which the four militants admitted to having received US$3,500 from Ingabire to buy military equipments which would be used in the attack on Rwanda.

    The trial continues this Thursday with the Prosecution presenting remaining evidences on the genocide ideology charge and on other new counts against the accused, which include spreading false propagandas aimed at inciting public disobedience and the sowing seeds of divisionism among Rwandans.

  • Driving Permits Provisional Exam Results Puzzling

    {{Thousands of people who did driving permit provisional exams early last month are puzzled by delayed release of results. The national Police website is not accessible as usual.}}

    However, according to the head of the Traffic Police, Chief Supt. Célestin Twahirwa, the results were put on website on Tuesday September 12, and had no problem.

    One candidate only identified as Mihigo who did the exam in Gasabo district told igihe.com that: “When I heard that the results were out, I visited the police website but I didn’t manage to access my results, I am so confused.”

    Another lady who declined her name to be published and did the exam from the district of Kicukiro said: “I did the exam previously, failed and repeated last month but when I visited police website to see my results yesterday evening, I only accessed the previous results not the current one.”

    Some other people who viewed the website last evening found themselves among failures and were not satisfied with the results.

    To verify it this morning this reporter visited the domain of police website where the results are published and found it written as “ Fatal error: Call to a member function scalarVal () on a non-object in /home/policenew/public_html/traffic/OpenErpConnection.php

    When contacted C.Supt. Twahirwa on the issue, he said that the results were published two days ago and that if the public is not able to view them, then it might be the technical problem of which technical team will handle very quickly.

    He added that for the results to delay and exceed a month before the release, is possible because papers have to be clearly marked and well prepared before putting results on the website and that to do it, enough time is required.

    When we asked him on the issue where some candidates were not satisfied with the results, Twahirwa said that it shouldn’t be a general problem and thus victimized people should visit the traffic police offices and make clear inquiries.

  • Report To Establish Role of Gender Equality In Development

    {{An extensive world development report on Gender will be launched during the scheduled World Bank meeting to take place in Washington DC late this month.}}

    The report which will be titled ‘Gender equality and development’ is expected to avail findings on how really Gender equality matters and a key development issue.

    “The data in the forthcoming Gender report is going to boldly ascertain that Gender equality does really matter and a key development issue and what we are trying to do now is to come up with data that would at least put those things that we have all believed.”

    “Development communities have believed that Gender equality matters, we always have the action plans but we never come up with a proof of why really this is important,” . Omomunmi Mimi Lapido, the World Bank Country Manager in Kigali said in interview with Igihe.com.

    Ladipo said that the report is expected to address the kind of assets that women have which can make them productive.

    She said that the report would really avail data which will help governments to create opportunities for women and increasing women’s opportunity in agribusiness, giving them access to technology market information, and make them access to mobile phones.

    The World Bank technocrat also said it was important to help women have access to finance and governments to have laws in place to enable them have rights to inherit lands.

    According to Ladipo, the report will give data which will make governments determine how to reduce female mortality in Africa generally.

    “In the African region and Rwanda in terms of women endowment, the focus should be the need to work on reducing female mortality, there are far too many women still dying at child birth,” she said.

    “We believe by focusing on all those areas, we will see the returns to growth and development. We would like to see how governments adopt the pro-Gender friendly policies and how do they streamline that into their development programmes,” Ladipo emphasized.

  • Rusumo Hydro Electricity Project to cost US$340 Million

    {{The regional Rusumo Hydroelectric Falls and Multipurpose Project is expected to increase power production in Burundi, Rwanda, and Tanzania by developing a common hydropower facility of 90 MW in the Kagera River Basin along with the associated transmission lines.}}

    According reliable information availed to igihe.com, the project will also contribute to the community development near the project area through related social and environmental programs that might include watershed management, and improved access to electricity.

    This was revealed during the 13th Project Implementation Committee (PIC) meeting that ended September 14, here in Kigali. The meeting had attracted experts from the three countries that will benefit in the project.

    The investment costs for both generation plant and transmission lines is estimated to cost about U.S$340 million excluding compensation of families evicted and the project study will run until December this year.

    Subsequent implementation and financing takes effect in 2012 while project implementation will set off in 2013 up to 2016.

    The implementation committee (PIC) was preceded by the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meeting which was held between September 12th -13th.

    The advisory committee (TAC) assists the PIC in advising and supervising the preparation and implementation of the Rusumo project which is in essence, a Transboudary project, cooperatively developed and run by the three member countries within the Nile Basin Initiative framework.

    While at the meeting, the implementation committee (PIC) discussed the progress made on the preparation of the Rusumo project and approved recommendations made by the TAC with regards to the development of project at Intermediate Development Scheme at 1323.5 meters above sea level.

    On the Institutional and Financial arrangements, the PIC approved the strengthening of the project management unit at Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Plan (NELSAP) and gave a go ahead with the finalization of various project-related documentation.

    Project Implementation Committee also announced the rotation in the chairmanship of the PIC and Burundi, which was holding the chairmanship handed over to Rwanda effective September 2011 for one year.

    It is a tradition within NBI to rotate this position on an annual basis among Member States in alphabetical order.

    The power plant that includes the construction of the dam is estimated to consume 1,100 hectares of Burundi’s land, 1,500 hectares on Rwanda, and 600 hectares of land in Tanzania.

    Thousands of people will be evicted from the above chunks of land and will be resettled in other areas.

  • Rwanda To Lead EAPCCO Force

    {{Today in a colored ceremony at hotel Serena the Inspector General of Police Emmanuel Gasana was crowned head of the EAPCCO for a period of one year. }}

    This six day meeting brought together 11 police chiefs from the EAPCCO (East African Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization) region and their commanders is focusing on joint collaboration of regional police forces in the fight against high intensity crimes, terrorism and emerging new cross-border crimes.

    The transfer between the outgoing Lieutenant General Hashim Osman El-Hussein from Sudan and IGP Emmanuel K. Gasana from Rwanda was decorated by the police band.

    Speakers at the ceremony were glad that the previous year ended successfully. A minute of silence was observed for the perished both in Tanzania and Kenya in the recent petrol pipeline that burst and Tanzania ferry accident victims.

    In his speech Lt Gen. Hashim Osman El-Hussein observed that full collaboration among the regional force is the key to fighting against armed groups who have continuously destabilized regional peace and stability.

    Inspector General of Police Emmanuel K. Gasana, thanked the EAPCCO force for choosing the Rwandan National Police to lead EAPCCO this year however acknowledged that the task involves a lot of challenges.

    He assured those present of tight measures in the fight against ICT crimes that are taking lead now. On the side of Gender Based Violence (GBV) the IGP stressed that tight measures to combat the crime are to be implemented soon.

    Members of the EAPCCO include: Djibouti, Burundi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Seychelles and Sudan.