The 32nd AU Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU to be held this Sunday is the last meeting for President Kagame as Chairman of the African Union.
Kagame will be replaced on the Chairmanship of the AU by Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
Kagame served as AU Chairman since January 28, 2018.
Before heading to the gala dinner, President Kagame met with António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations.
This was after he chaired the African Leadership Meeting on Investing in Health.
“Investing in the health of our citizens has already had transformative effects on the people of our continent. But there is much more to do. We will get better results if we work together as a continent,” Kagame said
Cyaruhogo Wetland occupies 170 ha of land area where three rice farmers’ cooperatives composed of 600 members grow rice.
During the project implementation, two dams and a 23.5-kilometer water pipe will be built to water rice fields in the wetland.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Jean Claude Musabyimana urged the residents to preserve the irrigation facilities and take advantage of the jobs to be created during the construction of the facilities.
“This irrigation project is expected to create many jobs for the population living near the wetland. You should take advantage of this opportunity and develop yourselves economically. We urge you to preserve the dams to be built for the future benefit for all of us,” Musabyimana said.
Musabyimana further explained that the Rwandan Government plans, as reflected in the 7-year Government Program, to boost agriculture production by increasing the land area irrigated, done in partnership with different partners including the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) which sponsored the project.
The Japan Ambassador to Rwanda, Takayuki Miyashita said Japan is ready to continue working with Rwanda in different projects aimed at improving Rwandans social welfare, agriculture and boosting agribusiness.
Under the 7-year Government Program, it is projected that the irrigated land for agriculture will increase from 48.508 ha in 2016/17 to 102.284 ha in 2024.
Minister Ingabire confirmed the development yesterday as she appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Education, Technology, Culture, and Youth.
“There is an investor planning to set a smartphone factory in Rwanda which will ease and boost the use of internet in the country,” Minister Ingabire said.
The smartphone factory is part of an investment of Huaijian Group, a Chinese company that signed the partnership deal with Rwanda Development Board in September 2017 to open an industry making shoe, handbags, computers, cell phones, and different other commodities.
The factory set to invest $1 billion in 10 years is projected to create jobs for 20,000 Rwandans.
Minister Ingabire said some Rwandans don’t use smartphones due to their high prices but with the opening of the factory in Rwanda, the population will be able to buy smartphones and pay for them in installments.
“There are smartphones that cost Rwf40,000 but not every citizen can afford to buy it. If we set the way to pay that smartphone in installments of over 24 months, for instance, it can make it easier for the less privileged to buy and own their own smartphones,” Minister Ingabire said.
“The Rwandan Government plans to work with telecommunication companies to improve the internet connection accessibility and reduce prices of the internet which are also still high and impede people from using internet which is a basic need nowadays,” she added.
According to statistics released by Rwanda Utility and Regulation Authority (RURA) in October last year, the internet penetration rate in Rwanda was 46.4% while the number of people using the internet in Rwanda had increased from 4,375,016 in June 2017 t0 5,475,448 in June 2019.
On Wednesday, 27 January, RIB investigators detained Saveri Ngayabahiga, 22, who is suspected to be in the clique of thieves, after a tip-off from the public. The investigators’ search into Ngayabahiga’s house discovered a number of smashed digital water meters. Residents accuse him of shattering stolen water meters before selling them as scrap metals. Ngayabahiga denies the accusation.
RIB Spokesperson, Modeste Mbabazi said the suspect is charged with “theft and aggravated circumstances of theft under article 166 and 167 of the law determining offenses and penalties in general, since the suspect is believed to carry out the theft at night”.
Article 166 states that “Any person convicted of theft is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than one (1) year and not more than two (2) years and a fine of not less than one million Rwandan francs (FRW 1,000,000) and not more than two million Rwandan francs (FRW 2,000,000), community service in a period of six (6) months or only one of these penalties”.
Mbabazi issued a warning to the culprits and pledged that RIB will continue working closely with the public to stop the illegal acts.
“We ask the public to always report such incidents of theft to help prevent further damage to their properties,” said RIB Spokesperson.
Aimé Muzola, the CEO of Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC) lauded RIB’s investigators in detaining the suspect and urged the public to share related information on time to curb the vice.
“I request our clients to own the safety and protection of these pieces of equipment and in case of any suspicion, to report to relevant authorities,” the CEO said.
“Global Citizens’ Human Rights Coalition to Call for the Shutdown of the Christian Council of Korea (CCK)”, a newly founded Federation of 100 civil society groups from the field of women, youth and religions, held “Press Conference and Rally to Call for the Shutdown of the Christian Council of Korea (CCK), an Anti-Nation, Anti-Society, Anti-Religion, and Anti-Peace Organization.”
According to the Coalition, this event was organized “to disclose the reality of the CCK as a representative Christian majority receiving an indulgence for itself from committing anti-social crimes.”
“The CCK originates its identity from the Presbyterian Church that led worship for shrine and emperor under the Japanese colonial times. For the last 10 years, it has been reported that 12,000 Christian pastors have been convicted of criminal activities including murder, sexual assault, and frauds,” said Mr. Shin Chang Kim, Secretary General of the Coalition.
“The CCK’s orientation started from its foundation when it was created to support the military dictatorship back in the 1960s. This alliance between politics and Christianity led to pastors free from ethical and civic responsibility. We have seen many of them exchange their pastorship with money and coercive conversion for their profit, many of which had been silenced in media because of its power,” added Mr. Kim.
In the official statement, it said, “In case of the rise of denominations that do not belong to the CCK, fake news is produced to judge them as “cult”. Also, women are targeted to force them to convert while they are confined. The recent death of two women in the coercive conversion shows how the life of citizens and human rights are at risk before the CCK.”
In the name of participating organizations, the Coalition called on “enactment of a special law against coercive conversion programs to enhance freedom of religion.” The Coalition includes International Women’s Peace Human Rights Commission, Christian Association for Anti-Corruption National Movement, IPYG Youth’s Human Rights Committee, and World Buddhist Summit.
