“We have to make sure the private sector does not work alone. They have to work in partnership with governments and Governments cannot work alone. If you want to maximize resources, you have to bring the two together and each does what they do best,” he said.
President observed this yesterday as he delivered a keynote address on the second day of the 5th edition of Transform Africa 2019 taking place at Kigali Convention Center from 14th to 16th May 2019 attended by Kenya president, Uhuru Kenyatta, and Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta.
He said that Governments must also invest, especially in the backbone and infrastructure on which the private sector can build for connectivity.
“This investment has to result into things that are affordable, accessible to our citizens. The regulators, policymakers have to bear in mind that they have to put in place a framework to facilitate investments that are not too expensive to avoid transferring the cost to consumers,” stressed Kagame.
The President said that creating the market and investing in the development of digital skills of citizens so more and more is making good use of these investments and justifying a large number of resources that have to go into it.
The project to acquire the satellite implemented in collaboration with the Government of Rwanda and Japan through Tokyo University was announced two months ago.
The project was designed to have the first institution in Rwanda helping to reduce expenses spent on obtaining data from foreign satellites.
In December 2018, three Rwandans went to Japan to work on the project and acquire knowledge that would lead into making their own satellite in coming days and fixing technical issues for ‘RWASAT-1’.
Today, ‘RWASAT I’ has been completed and is exhibited at Kigali Convention Center where the 5th edition of Transform Africa Summit is taking place.
RWASAT project Program Manager, Quentin Verspieren has told IGIHE that the satellite has two major duties.
“The first is to collect data from the earth. The satellite is made with advanced technology enabling it to record data even from remote areas without phone network,” he said.
The satellite is equipped with a small technology device that can test the quantity of water, warmth, humidity among other climate measurements.
“We can synchronize all these measurements and combine them into the device before sending them to the satellite using weak signal,” said Quentin.
The satellite has the capacity to monitor different directions using its two cameras that can capture pictures on Rwanda’s earth.
“By combining these indications, we can identify the structure of a particular area whether there is water or productive fertile garden,” said Quenti.
The satellite weighs 3.8 Kgs. It will in the near future be handed to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) which will take it to the monitoring station before launching it into space.
RWASAT will be launched on 400 kilometers altitude.
Rwanda’s satellite will be used in agriculture and preserving the environment.
RWASAT I will be the second satellite Rwanda launches in the space following the launch of ‘Icyerekezo’ satellite on 28th February 2019 expected to expand internet access in rural areas.
It was launched by the Government of Rwanda in collaboration with OneWeb.
With 30,000 youths from all over the world present, the Declaration was announced on 25 May, 2013 by an international peace NGO called Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) in Special Consultative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and associated with the UN Department of Global Communications (DGC).
Chairman Man Hee Lee of HWPL, a war veteran, stated the background of proclaiming the Declaration. “We cannot claim to desire peace and continue to provoke one another, causing conflict for the sake of valuing our own national interests above those of others. This will only take the lives of the youth, wasting them in the futility of war. This is not a legacy we can leave to future generations.”
The Declaration addresses the value of shared effort of all members of society as they work as peace messengers. It includes principles such as that the heads of each state to sign an international agreement—a commitment to bring all wars to an end, that all youth to unite in an effort to stop wars and pursue the restoration of peace, and that the media to report responsibly and promote a message of peace to the world.
Such values from the Declaration led to drafting the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW) as an advanced designation of global responsibility to establish a legally binding international legal framework for peace. This year’s event will be focused on the “Peace Letter Campaign” led by the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG), an affiliated youth organization of HWPL. The campaign is aimed to urge for the support of the heads of each state to develop it into a legally binding document by submitting it as a resolution to the UN.
According to the official of HWPL, the foundation of the DPCW is to build a world of peace secured by the rule of law that is based on the universal values including coexistence, cooperation, and mutual respect. The 10 articles and 38 clauses with the settlement of a dispute and measures for sustainable peace address the international cooperation at the governmental level as well as the role of individual of the global society to achieve peace.
At the commemoration of this year, the participants will call for the replies against the heads of state for the peace letters that have been already sent to them and the messages of peace written by citizens will be delivered to high-level officials of governments and international organizations in 193 different countries.
Kagame made the call yesterday on the second day of the 5th edition of Transform Africa 2019 as he featured on the panel with his counterpart of Mali, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and the President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta.
President Kagame said that Africans need to understand their responsibilities to advance technology which is the key to further development programs in Africa.
He revealed that the African continent has attained a lot of achievements like the Single African Air Transport Market inaugurated in February 2018 and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to go into effect since 30th May 2019.
He, however, observed that there are issues that need to be addressed carefully.
“If you believe that when flying from Rwanda necessitates going through Poland, Brussels to make it to Bamako. One must keep asking themselves the rationale. We should set up direct lines linking these places or at least go through Nairobi or Addis Ababa to reach Bamako. I can understand that. But why going through Poland, Bruxelles. It is not clear,” said Kagame.
He also brought the situation in the context of telecommunication as the world strives root economic transformation on technology.
“Data is moving like this air transport. When I make a call to the President of Kenya or Mali, I think I am speaking to them directly but the call first had to take my voice to Europe to be inspected. How can we not be talking about these things? Why don’t we create own systems for people on our continent? What is the problem? Why should we skip it as we discuss such issues,” he said
President Kagame explained that some of these issues are technical; others require resources but noted that the essential thing is politics.
“Going through other countries comes with increased costs. We shouldn’t be talking about increasing the cost to our people. We should be thinking of reducing the cost for all these discussed issues. These are things seeming to be disregarded in such discussions,” he said.
“We need to keep upping our game in realizing the need for cooperation. It means working directly with each other and it is just logical. Everything we need for transformation is in this room or represented in this room,” added Kagame.
President Uhuru Kenyatta said Africans should remove all barriers impeding Africa to maximize advantages from technology.
President Kagame unveiled that the Republic of Guinea will be the host of the 6th Transform Africa Summit in 2020.
Cape Town is ranked first in Africa. Last year, Kigali was ranked third behind Cape Town and Marrakesh.
ICCA represents the world’s leading association in handling, transporting and accommodating international meetings and events.
The rankings, which were released by the ICCA on 13th May 2019, are based on the number of association meetings taking place regularly (annually, biannually), rotating between at least three different countries and with at least 50 participants.
Last year, Kigali hosted 26 association meetings. The association meetings organized by Rwanda included several high-level conferences such as the 4th Gender Summit that was held in March, the Mo Ibrahim Governance Weekend held in April, the GSMA Mobile 360 Series Africa held in July, the meeting of the African Society of Human Genetics held September, the Africa Smart Grid Forum held in October and the International Conference on Family planning that was held in December 2018.
Rwanda is currently hosting over 3,000 delegates attending the Transform Africa Summit 2019 as well as the Africa Public Relations Association Annual General Meeting.
Reacting to the new ICCA rankings, the Chief Executive Officer of Rwanda Convention Bureau, Nelly Mukazayire said: “We are happy to note the new rankings and we are working incredibly hard on attaining an even better position through hosting even more association meetings. We believe that identifying and working with our local associations will help Rwanda perform better in ICCA rankings in the years to come.”
Rwanda recorded 38,745 delegates in 2018, up from 28,308 delegates in 2017.
Tourism is the country’s largest foreign exchange earner and MICE is playing a significant role in its growth, bringing in 20% of all tourism revenues.
Mukazayire said ‘MICE tourism contributed USD $56 million in 2018 and this year, we intend to increase it to USD $88 million.”
Commenting on the ICCA report, the Rwanda Development Board Deputy CEO & Chief Operating Officer Emmanuel Hategeka said: “These rankings are proof that our MICE (Meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) strategy is generating value to Rwanda and act as an incentive to do even more.”
“ With close collaboration between Government and the private sector, Rwanda has been able to establish its self as a safe, secure MICE destination of choice due to deliberate enabling environment and investment in world-class MICE venues, accommodation facilities, connectivity options and open visa policy among others,” he added.
Rwanda is a preferred MICE destination due to its simplified visa process that allows nationals of every country in the world to get a visa on arrival in addition to its easy accessibility due to the multitude of flight options offering connectivity to Kigali and the rest of Africa through the national carrier Rwandair.
The presence of the range of world-class MICE venues such as the Kigali Convention Centre, the Kigali Conference, and Exhibition Village and the newly opened Intare Conference Arena, as well as the soon to be opened Kigali Arena continue to enhance Rwanda as a top MICE destination.
According to the results of the Labor force survey, February 2019 (Q1) by National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), percentage distribution of employed population in mining and quarry has grown from 1.4 in 2017 to 3.1 in 2019 (Q1).
A comparison between February 2018 and February 2019 (Q1) shows that only three economic activities have shown a change of at least 1 percentage point. These are Agriculture forestry and fishing with a decline of 2.9 percentage points, Mining, and quarrying which recorded an increase of 1.3 percentage points and Transportation and storage, which showed an increase of 1.1-percentage points. “Activity of household as employers” sector has also declined in employment by around 1 percentage point.
The Rwanda Labor Force Survey (LFS) started in 2016 with an annual sample spread into two rounds to provide bi-annual estimates of main labor market indicators at National level. From February 2019, the sample was spread into four rounds to provide estimates of labor market indicators at the national level on a quarterly basis. The main objective of the survey is to provide data on the structure and trends of the labor force, employment, and unemployment as well as other related labor market statistics for the implementation and evaluation of economic and social policies related to employment creation, income generation, skills development, and related decent work policies.
Kagame highlighted that remaining behind is not an option as the world is in the era of the digital economy noting that economic transformation and prosperity require mastery of technology.
“Technology connects the world like never before. Access to knowledge has become much more equitable as a result. At the same time, let’s not be empty vessels, using broadband internet merely to consume the content and ideas produced by others. We are innovators and thinkers. We have our own products to sell. We have our own stories to tell,” he said.
The president who was delivering a keynote address today on the second day of the 5th edition of Transform Africa 2019 taking place at Kigali Convention Center from 14th to 17th May 2019 attended by Kenya president, Uhuru Kenyatta and Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, commended Smart Africa for organizing the Transform Africa Summit, and bringing together an impressive range of partners, innovators, and policy-makers.
He said that it is time to build the necessary infrastructure and skills in Africa.
“There is a great deal at stake for our continent, which is why African governments came together to establish Smart Africa in the first place, with the private sector as a key partner from the outset,” said Kagame.
Commenting on the role of Smart Africa, Kagame said it firstly lies in keeping Africa together, in terms of the digital agenda, highlighting that ‘collaboration is the only way for us to navigate successfully, through the complex global dynamics we have to face’.
Kagame urged Africans to tackle tendencies intending to divide the continent for various reasons.
He said, Africa, can only protect its peoples’ interests, and increase the size of the market, through integration and cooperation.
“This is especially the case when it comes to harmonizing laws and regulations, and ensuring that Africa’s ICT infrastructure is managed in a sensible way. The emergence of a common African agenda on ICTs should not be a source of worry to anyone. It is long overdue, and in the end, greater African unity will benefit both Africa and its partners globally,” he said.
President Kagame also unveiled that the host of the 6th Transform Africa Summit in 2020 will be the Republic of Guinea.
The Transform Africa Summit is the Smart Africa flagship event.
Under the theme “Boosting Africa’s Digital Economy”, the Summit attracted over 4,000 participants, including Heads of State and Government, First Ladies, UN Broadband Commissioners, Ministers, Regulators, Mayors and Governors, Public and Private Sector, International Organizations, Industry Leaders, Investors, Entrepreneurs, Young Innovators, Civil Society and Academia.
This was revealed on Monday as MINISANTE and associated institutions presented to the Parliamentary Public Account Commission the draft budget of 2019/2020
Commenting on the partnership with MINISANTE and MINALOC in the management of health facilities, Yves Bernard Ningabire the Director-General for Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation at MINALOC said that 156 health posts worth Rwf 3 billion were built.
“MINALOC through Local Administrative Entities Development Agency (LODA) allocated Rwf 3 billion to build health posts during this fiscal year we are finalizing,” he said.
Ninagbire said that some of the 156 built health posts have begun operations.
“It was successfully implemented that 91 health posts were completed, got the necessary equipment and are now operational. More 65 health posts have been completed waiting to get equipment,” he explained.
The project of building health posts in all sectors is underway in different districts.
For instance, only two cells in Nyanza district remain without health posts expected to have been built by the end of 2019.
Last month, Nyagatare district got new 23 health posts raising the existing number to 53. Burera district has 30 health posts but targets 69 health posts by the end of this year.
From 2010 to 2017, different health facilities had been built countrywide. These include seven excellent hospitals, four provincial hospitals, 36 district hospitals, 499 health centers, and 471 health posts.
It is said that he offered licensing documents to trade milk in the Democratic Republic of Congo to selected farmers after receiving bribes.
The spokesperson of Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB), Modeste Mbabazi has confirmed his arrest.
“We have arrested the veterinarian on account of using his powers for personal interests. He is suspected of soliciting bribes from farmers trading milk in DRC to give them licensing in return. He would not offer to license to traders who declined to do so,” he said.
Article 4 of Rwanda’s penal code stipulates that any person, who solicits, accepts or receives, by any means, an illegal benefit for himself/ herself or another person or accepts a promise in order to render or omit a service under his or her mandate or uses his or her position to render or omit a service commits an offense.
Upon conviction, he/she is liable to imprisonment for a term of more than five (5) years but not more than seven (7) years with a fine of three (3) to five (5) times the value of the illegal benefit solicited.
He is expected in Paris this week on 17th May 2019 to attend VivaTech Summit to be held on 16th – 18th May 2019.
President Kagame will also address participants of the VivaTech Summit he is attending for the second time.
During his previous visit to France in May 2018, President Kagame who was chairing the African Union (AU) held talks with his France counterpart, Emmanuel Macron.
At the time, they also visited the exhibition of technology innovations aligning with VivaTech held in Paris.
As announced by Jeune Afrique, the President of Senegal, Macky Sall was also invited to attend VivaTech along with President Kagame.
Over 450 panelists are expected in the Summit. They include Canada Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau; Jamaican runner and Olympic legend, Usain Bolt and Jack Ma, the founder of tech giant Alibaba.
VivaTech was in 2018 attended by over 100 000 participants. The same number is expected this year. A total of 9000 start-ups of which the majority will be from Africa are expected to showcase their innovations.
In 2018, a total of 60 tech companies from Africa including 8 from Rwanda showcased their innovations.
Rwanda was represented by Awesomity Lab which signed deal with Volkswagen to set up shared mobility solutions; AC Group known for tap and go solutions in public transport; Irembo offering e-government services; Fab Lab and Pivot Access among others.
