During the 2019 retirement phase, a total of 822 service personnel including 20 Senior Officers (2 Col, 6 Lt Col and 12 Maj) 363 career Officers and Other Ranks retired and 406 military personnel concluded their service contracts with RDF, while 33 others have been discharged on medical grounds.
The retirees were awarded certificates as a recognition for their service rendered to Rwanda Defence Force.
In his speech at the send-off ceremony held on Friday at the RDF Headquarters Senior Officers Mess in Kimihurura, Lt Gen Jean Jacques Mupenzi, RDF Army Chief of Staff (ACOS) applauded the retirees for their personal sacrifices, service rendered and contribution to the country.
“You are part of the RDF family and the doors are always open for you. Therefore, keep contributing to the country’s development as it the part of RDF mandate,” said Lt Gen Mupenzi.
On behalf of the retirees, Retired (Rtd) Col Fabien Musafiri emphasised that they remain ready to serve if recalled on duty. He also thanked the institution for having trained them in different fields.
Ceremonies also took place in different divisions around the country and at the RDF General Headquarters in Kanombe Military Baracks.
The schedule has been announced by Rwanda embassy in German. In a statement released by the embassy, it says: “The embassy is pleased to inform all Rwandans, Rwandan diaspora in German and friends of Rwanda that Rwanda Day will take place on 24th August 2019 in Bonn.”
Rwanda Day has been held since 2010 and serves as a platform for bringing together all Rwandans from the diaspora and their friends to discuss how to further advance the development of the country and get up to speed on the current progress.
The latest Rwanda Day took place 10th August 2017 in Flanders Expo, a multipurpose hall in Ghent town, Belgium.
Rwanda Day presents opportunities for attracting foreign investments and networking.
Participants are given floor to address their questions directly to the Head of State, share ideas and express their wishes as well.
At the occasion, Rwandans get insights of Rwanda’s progress and share ideas on ways forward.
Different officials and heads of missions representing Rwanda abroad continue to encourage Rwandans from all corners of the world to be ready to meet fellows in the gathering scheduled to take place in German.
During the Man City Asia Tour 2019, Man City played against three other Premier League teams, in Nanjing and Shanghai, for the Premier League Asia Trophy. After Nanjing and Shanghai, Man City visited Hong Kong and Yokohama, Japan.
Stephen HA, VP of TRANSSION HOLDINGS and GM of TECNO Mobile said: “TECNO feel much honored that our brand has been with City players all through this Asia tour. We witnessed three victories and 13 goals scored in City’s four games during their two-week Asia tour. Congratulation to City. ”
TECNO has co-operated with Man City for a long time. As early as December 2016, TECNO signed a cooperation agreement with Manchester City Football Club and became the Official Tablet and Handset Partner of Man City, embarking on the journey of “win-win cooperation”.
At the TECNO global partnership summit held in India on July 10, a strategic cooperation signing ceremony was held to announce the renewal of the global partnership between TECNO and Man City.
As the strategic partner of Man City, TECNO is committed to bridging the gap between brand and consumers, and sharing with football fans every touching and exciting moment.
As pioneers in their respective fields, Man City is beloved by football fans all over the world, while the TECNO brand of TRANSSION wins the affection of mobile phone consumers in emerging markets across Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Middle East and South America.
The two parties have numerous in-depth cooperation based on events, products, brand marketing, and many other areas.
A unique consumer experience was made possible by jointly selling Man City’s customized CAMON CX. High-quality themes were jointly created by exploring brand commonalities.
A series of interactive marketing initiatives with “Man City wins the championship” as the topic was selected into Twitter’s global database of successful cases.
The annual TECNO BlueSquad youth training meeting was jointly held to help the cultivation of young football talents through sports resource integration. The three-year in-depth cooperation has proven to be a great success.
The brand image and reputation of TECNO have been greatly improved. Exciting outcomes have been achieved by TECNO in terms of sales and brand influence.
{{Glory and success, the road of going abroad for a technology brand}}
As Man City’s winning spirit is shown in each field to fight match by match without fear for challenges, TECNO is making continuous efforts to forge ahead in the broad emerging markets.
With star products that are highly customized for the needs of local consumers, TECNO Mobile continues to be the top-selling mobile phone brand in Africa. Its brands have been listed in the Top 100 Favorite Brands of African Customers multiple times.
TECNO ranked No.5 in the 2018/2019Top 100 Favorite Brands of African Customers released by the well-known African Business magazine. It’s the best ranking on the list for Chinese brands over the years.
When going abroad as a technology brand, TECNO is dedicated to transforming state-of-art technologies into localized products under the guideline of “Think Globally, Act Locally” and cooperates with powerful partners to enhance communication with consumers, achieve brand upgrading, and win recognition and affection of more consumers around the world.
As TRANSSION total shipments in 2018 approximately achieved 124 Million, it has become a major global smartphone player with sales networks in over 60 countries and regions.
At least five boxes of the non-biodegradable products were also taken from shops in the City of Kigali.
The operations were specially conducted in trading centers where Police and local leaders seized the banned plastic products from shelves.
Scores of people caught either selling or using plastic bags were also fined as the law provides.
The week-long environmental protection campaign is part of the ongoing ‘Police Month’, which is now in its third week.
The first and the second weeks focused on raising awareness against narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, gender-based violence and teenage pregnancy.
Environmental protection activities on Thursday also included collecting littered plastic products; bottles and polythene bags.
Other banned plastic products were seized from traffickers in the countryside as they were being sneaked into the country through illegal border posts, especially in the Northern Province.
“Police are always alert against unscrupulous traders who smuggle polythene bags into the country and other contrabands, we thank residents who inform the Police about people who traffic and sell these products which destroy the environment,” said Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Alexis Rugigana, the Police spokesperson for the Northern region attributing continued presence of plastic bags especially in the districts bordering neighboring countries is facilitated by smuggling.
Polythene bags cause land, air, and water pollution. They are hazardous to the environment since they affect water permeability in the soil.
In 2008, Rwanda banned manufacturing, importation, use, and sale of non-biodegradable plastic products, earning international recognition in environment conservation.
Article 7 of the law relating to the prohibition of manufacturing, importation, use and sale of polythene bags in Rwanda, states that industries which manufacture polythene bags, commercial companies or any person found in possession of prohibited polythene bags without authorization in their stores, manufacturing or using them, shall be punished by an imprisonment of six to twelve months and a fine of Rwf100, 000 to Rwf500, 000 or one of the two penalties.
The same article also states that “any unauthorized person, who sells polythene bags shall be punished by a fine ranging from Rwf10, 000 to Rwf300, 000.
Any unauthorized person who uses polythene bags also faces a fine of Rwf5000 to Rwf100, 000.
Sun Alliance is a coalition of civil society organizations known for scaling up proper nutrition practices.
The commitment was expressed during a consultative meeting that brought together grassroots leaders and district officials, development partners, churches and health institutions.
The secretary of Rubavu district advisory committee, Muruta Bertilde said local authorities reset to intensify nutrition awareness campaigns, mobilizing parents to pay much attention to children’s feeding regimes.
“We are going to strengthen measures against stunting in collaboration with sector officials. Our district is not poor but parents don’t dedicate enough time to take care of their children. The next step is to intensify mobilization, encouraging parents to take care of their children in collaboration with the district advisory committee,” she said.
Rubavu district vice mayor for social affairs, Uwampayizina Marie Grace said the number of children with stunting problems is a matter of mindsets because the district has enough food.
Among measures to be adopted, she highlighted, include training parents to prepare a balanced diet.
“We are among 13 districts with a high rate of children faced with stunting. We have observed that the issue emanates from parents not taking care of children efficiently, family disputes and mindsets because some parents don’t prepare a balanced diet yet they have enough food,” she said.
The rate of children with stunting problems in Rubavu stood at 48% in 2018 from 46% in 2016.
The Executive Director of SUN Alliance Rwanda, Venuste Muhamyankaka said they have committed to partner with Rubavu district following the growing number of malnourished children.
“Every stakeholder including the health sector, religions and have pledged their contribution while the district committed to incorporate the fight against stunting among performance contracts following the consultative meeting.
The district has also committed to inspect grass-root leadership to make timely reports, faith-based organizations requested for the training of clerics and enhance implementation of the programs among followers.
The advisory committee also pledged to increase the budget allocated to the fight against malnutrition while our association will support these efforts raising funds,” he explained.
Districts reported to have serious problems of stunting include Nyabihu with approximately 50%, Nyaruguru with 41.7%, Muhanga with 41.6% and Ruhango with 41.1%.
Ngirente made the remarks today as he joined the rest of Rwandans to celebrate Umuganura during the ceremony at Nyanza Stadium in Southern Province.
He highlighted that the annual Umuganura has great relevance in Rwanda’s history reflected through the celebration of harvests from Rwandans’ works and aligning it with a commitment to make it a foundation to achieve more.
“While celebrating Umuganura, we socialize, share what we harvested and draw measures to do better to achieve sustainable development striving for homegrown solutions and self-reliance,” he said.
Ngirente explained that seed multiplication inside the country and making them available to farmers at affordable cost are among the achievements Rwandans should celebrate.
“Terraces and anti-erosion systems are continuously built as part of ongoing land conservation efforts. Special economic zones are established in different parts of the country in a bid to promote Made in Rwanda while more programs to expand electricity are intensified where a large number of Rwandans homes have been connected. Indeed, roads are continuously built at the national level, in districts and towns in a bid to facilitate the easy supply of the harvest to the market, promoting settlements and fast-tracking development,” he said.
Ngirente also urged citizens on dedication to work.
Dr. Uzziel Ndagijimana, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning and Yasser El-Gammal the World Bank Country Manager signed the agreement.
The main objective of the project is to improve teachers’ competency, student retention, and learning
The project consists of three main components which include: Enhancing teacher effectiveness for improved student learning; through improving teachers’ English language proficiency and digital skills, support professional development of math and science teachers in upper primary through lower secondary schools; Reducing overcrowding and distance to schools (This project will finance the construction of 11,000 furnished classrooms and approximately 14,680 latrines, which is 50 percent of the required school infrastructure.)
The third component is related to strengthening institutional capacity to support teaching and learning
Minister Uzziel Ndagijimana noted that the project is consistent with the education sector’s Strategic Plan (2018–2024) that gives priority to improvements in learning outcomes and completion rates for basic education.
“Rwanda intends to become a knowledge-based economy and to achieve this objective, a strong human capital base is critical,” Minister Uzziel said.
Yasser El-Gammal, the World Bank Country Manager in Rwanda said that without a supportive school environment that includes an adequate number of classrooms and latrines, Rwandan students are limited in the amount they are able to learn.
“The dedicated efforts of the Government of Rwanda with support from many partners contribute towards student learning,” he underscored.
The World Bank has a prior history of engagement in the education sector in Rwanda, but the proposed project will mark its first comprehensive support for basic education.
This program will benefit from the recent 2018 World Development Report on Education, which provides insights for improving the delivery of education services in challenging contexts.
She revealed the development yesterday in a press conference following the inauguration of Singita Kwitonda Lodge and Kataza House, a state of the art and luxurious building to host tourists completed in the Nyange sector, Musanze district in the foothills of Sabyinyo Volcano.
The facility will accommodate tourists visiting Rwanda and gorillas.
In May 2017, RDB doubled the gorilla permit cost from $750 to $1500 per person for one hour watching gorillas in the Volcanoes national park.
At the time, RDB also introduced a new exclusive offer for visitors looking at trekking the entire gorilla group for 15,000 U.S dollars with an exclusively personalized tour guide watching gorillas for 1 hour.
The new tariffs raised mixed reactions that Rwandans won’t afford the price but were give exclusive programs enabling them to watch gorillas and experience the beauty of their country.
Akamanzi has said that numbers of visitors have reduced since new tariffs were implemented though the revenues increased.
“Gorillas don’t reproduce all the times. It means that we need to strengthen conservation efforts. That is why it requires enough money to watch gorillas. A large number would visit the species if prices go down yet it is not friendly to their conservation efforts,” she said.
“That is why we sought how to receive a small number of visitors who can bring in enough revenues. It means that revenues from gorilla trekking outnumber the amount we used to get before we doubled the price even when we have small number tourists,” added Akamanzi.
She explained that visitors reduced particularly in the first days but increased gradually. Akamanzi said revenues have been increased too though she was specific on the amount.
Akamanzi said that Rwanda needs at least 96 gorilla visitors per day because they are grouped into 12 gorilla families.
Rwanda has 62% of 880 mountain gorillas present globally.
The Government of Rwanda allocated 10% of tourism revenues to development projects in communities surrounding parks through Revenue Sharing Scheme.
Rwanda targets to earn US $800 million tourism revenues in 2024 from US $438 of 2017.
Jean Pierre Harerimana alias Kennedy and his wife Zawadi Nyirahabimana, were arrested Wednesday in Gacuriro Cell, Kinyinya Sector of Gasabo District with 40,000 pellets of cannabis, concealed in fives bundles.
While parading the suspects to the media in Remera on Thursday, Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Marie-Gorette Umutesi, the Police spokesperson for the City of Kigali, said that Police, through an informer, tracked Harerimana from Rubavu to Kigali.
Harerimana transported the narcotics to Kigali in a Toyota Carina E, registration number RAB 096P, which was also impounded.
CIP Umutesi said that the couple was arrested with two other people said to be motorcyclists, who were Harerimana’s informers from Rubavu to Kigali.
“The Anti-Narcotics Unit had information about this specific vehicle which left Rubavu to Kigali with consignments of cannabis. It is suspected that the trafficker—Harerimana—used the two motorcyclists identified as Abuba Makeke and Ibrahim Mugabe as his spotters, who rode ahead from Rubavu informing him of the whereabouts of security organs, to avoid arrest,” CIP Umutesi said.
“Through Police informers in Rubavu and Kigali, ANU tracked him to his home in Gacuriro, Kinyinya Sector where he was arrested on arrival together with his wife and the two motorcyclists. Bundles of cannabis were recovered from the car and in the ceiling of the couple’s house,” she explained.
It is not the first time Harerimana has been arrested in drug-related crimes. He is among the convicts that received the presidential pardon late last year, after serving three of his five-year sentence for the same crime.
On his part, Harerimana told journalists that he was only hired to transport the narcotics from Rubavu to Kigali. “I was to be paid Rwf240, 000 after delivering the consignment to the owner here in Kigali,” he said, without mentioning the alleged owner of the narcotics.
“I was given these bundles by a man called Pascal in Rubavu, who traffics cannabis into Rwanda from DR. Congo. The deal was to deliver them to the owners in Kigali, but they escaped after learning that I have been arrested,” Harerimana said. “I have been arrested with my wife, now our two children are going to face the consequences of our actions; I pray that no other parent encounters such a challenging experience.”
CIP Umutesi commended the increased ownership of members of the public in fighting narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances through information sharing with the Police.
“These are harmful drugs with immediate health effects to users; a security issue destroying young people and undermining the country’s development. Thousands of young people, who are supposed to be in school or the skilled labor-force are in rehabilitation centers, and that means the country is spending a lot of money on them instead of using it for other community development activities,” CIP Umutesi noted.
She added: “No one should allow such to continue if you know any drug dealers call the Police; we need to work together to give no room for such criminal individuals to continue poisoning people for their selfish ends.”
The sentence for anyone convicted of trafficking, transporting or storing narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances was increased from seven maximum years to life imprisonment, as stipulated under article 263 of the new penal code.
The same article also provides a fine ranging between Rwf20 million and Rwf30 million, upon conviction.
President Paul Kagame yesterday inaugurated Singita Kwitonda Lodge and Kataza House, a state of the art and luxurious building to host tourists in the Nyange sector, Musanze district at the foothills of Gahinga and Muhabura Volcanoes.
As he addressed participants at the inauguration, Kagame expressed delight to join the event and acknowledged Paul Milton, ‘whose firm led the construction of this beautiful facility, working with a team of Rwandan and international consultants. Congratulations on a job well done’.
“As said earlier, we were talking about high-end. For a property like this to be built in Rwanda, the conversation was about that being possible. Now I discover that this is higher-end than the end I was talking about. So it has exceeded my expectations. I have a tendency to keep my expectation very high, and this one has gone beyond that,” he said.
Kagame also thanked Mikael Andren, representing the owner, Paul Tudor Jones calling him a very special investor, who is equally committed to African conservation and the development of the hospitality sector on the African continent especially raising Rwanda’s brand.
“The tour we just had was really very impressive. Singita is one of the world’s top hotel brands and Rwanda is happy to be associated with the company. And I think you have raised Rwanda’s brand as well. So we thank you,” he highlighted.
President Kagame said that a good illustration of the facility is the care taken to make the lodge sustainable, ‘as we wish to make many things in Rwanda’.
“This includes the choice of building materials and construction methods; the reduced energy footprint; and the ongoing efforts to preserve and enhance the surrounding landscape. Like Singita, Rwanda is striving to offer visitors the highest levels of service. Quality must be the hallmark of the “Visit Rwanda” experience. This is what we all work toward,” he emphasized.
Kagame also urged the people in the neighborhood of the facility to work hard to meet the demand that the lodge has created in terms of what needs to be consumed.
“We need to work together to keep adding value to this asset that has been put in our hands by the gracious investors. We want everyone to be happy and we will do our part,” he said.
The Founder of Singita, Luke Bailes thanked President Kagame among others that made the establishment of Singita in Rwanda possible following five years involved in different activities in the country.
“We are pleased to play a role in the preservation of the environment and contributing to the hospitality sector in Rwanda,” he said.
The CEO of Rwanda Development Board (RDB), Clare Akamanzi said that Rwanda continues to receive tourists and therefore need diversification whereby Singita Kwitonda Lodge and Kataza House is additional to beautiful facilities attracting tourists in Rwanda.
Singita Kwitonda Lodge and Kataza House comprise of eight environment-friendly buildings of which the majority of materials were from Rwanda.
Singita Kwitonda Lodge was completed at a cost of US$25 million.
The first among tourists who booked the facility will be hosted on 5th August 2019.
Singita is among projects expected to help Rwanda earn US$800 million in 2024 up from US$438 million in 2017.
Singita invested in tourism and hospitality sector since 1993. It has lodged in Tanzania (in Grumeti Game Reserve and Lamai), in Zimbabwe (Singita Pamushana Lodge) and South Africa (Singita Sweni Lodge and Singita Sabi Sand.)
