Organized under the partnership of Rwanda Triathlon Federation (RTF) and Coca-Cola, the competition took place this Sunday, 08th July 2018, in Kigali’s Central Business District (CBD).
The competitors started their course from Makuza Peace Plaza, heading down towards Ecole Belge – Belgium Embassy – Kigali Marriott Hotel- SORAS – I&M Bank – CoK Pension Plaza and raced back to Makuza Peace Plaza.
Every participant started by running a course of 5.7km before undertaking a 19km bicycle ride before finishing on another 1.9km run.
In the male category, Ngurinzira Jean Bosco clocked one hour and 05 minutes (1h05’) beating Kevin by 10 seconds. In the Female category, Hanani Uwineza won with one hour, 06 minutes and 48 seconds (1h: 06’:48”). She was followed by Karushara Theonestine clocking One hour, 12 minutes and 29 seconds (1h12’29”).
Speaking to the Press, Rwanda Triathlon Federation (RTF) Vice President, Alexis Mbaraga, said that he was pleased of the way the multisport event had unfolded, especially as participants that had turned up in great numbers. He further encouraged others to come up in the coming editions.
“This was a successful competition that pleased us. It was organized in sidelines of the 24th liberation anniversary. We further wish this to be an annual event here in Kigali, but it shall require talks with other institutions […] We were also pleased by the way female participants turned up in great numbers, we also hope that others will come in big numbers.” Mbaraga told IGIHE
Mbaraga further revealed that preparations for the Lake Kivu ATU Sprint Triathlon African Cup that will take place on 4th August 2018 in Rubavu were going well.
The Lake Kivu ATU Sprint Triathlon African Cup will see several athletes from different clubs from all over the world competing on a swim-bike-run format.
The Liberation celebration was attended by the Permanent Representative of Rwanda at the UN, Ambassador Valentine Rugwabiza, the former Ambassador of the U.S. to Rwanda, Ambassador Erica Ruggles , and Dr. Donald Kaberuka, among others.
Speaking during the event, the Department of State representative and Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary, Matthew Harrington commended Rwanda on its remarkable transformation over the last 24 years. He also reiterated the support that the U.S. will continue to provide to Rwanda in its development agenda.
“Remembering, educating, and preserving the memory of the genocide is key to Rwanda’s development, and ensuring that the genocide will never happen again. Hard work, drive and dedication can help a country bounce back, as Rwanda has demonstrated,” said Mr. Harrington.
In her brief remarks, Ambassador Mathilde Mukantabana expressed her gratitude for those who attended the celebrations of the 24th Liberation anniversary. She further highlighted that the struggle to liberate Rwanda continues, albeit not as an armed struggle, but one against social stagnation.
“Complete Liberation is to be able to defend our dignity as Rwandans, as Africans. The potential strength we have together is greater than the sum of our riches divided. We are not doing it alone,” said Ambassador Mukantabana,
She echoed the words of President Paul Kagame “The liberation struggle on the battlefield succeeded because those who were fighting worked with citizens. It is this spirit of unity that we want to maintain as we transform this country.”
Ambassador Mukantabana called upon Rwandans in the Diaspora to also shoulder this responsibility and to do what they can in the transformation journey of Rwanda.
Among other attendees were members of the Diplomatic Corp, members of the Rwanda Permanent Mission at the UN, friends of Rwanda, and members of the Rwandan community in the DMV area (District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia).
The peace seminars under the topic of ‘The pursuit of peace-building for the development of all classes’ opened respectively at Youth Gardens in Yei on Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative(WPDI) Learning Center in Juba on 27th and 29th of June. On this occasion jointly hosted by People’s Empowerment Center South Sudan and the International Peace Youth Group(IPYG), about 50 participants including the teachers and the youth joined several events such as ‘Peace Painting’ and ‘Peace Letter’.
The students wrote their promise in the peace letters to carry out peace activities in various ways such as peace walk, seminar, and concert wishing for the end of the war in the world as well as in South Sudan. It also contained the support of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War(DPCW), which includes 10 articles and 38 clauses for the prohibition of the use of force, peace education, and peace culture, as a solution to the end of the war.
In particular, the article 10 of the DPCW, ‘Spreading a culture of peace’, addresses the importance of promoting peace awareness through peace activities and peace education, and the peace painting activity of this event was carried out to spread a culture of peace to the local community.
Justoson Victor Yuasa, the executive director of People’s Empowerment Center South Sudan, said, “This is a true peace campaign in which young people write letters to the president with a heart of peace-loving. Presidents and leaders should remember that their children are so crying out for the peaceful world like this.”
In its third edition, the Collective RW Fashion Week kicked off in class as popular local designers; House of Tayo, Sonia Mugabo, Inzuki, Haute Baso, Moshions, and Amizero showcased their collections to revelers.
The event is organised by Collective Rwanda, a group of five young fashion designers — Matthew Rugamba, Sonia Mugabo, Teta Isibo, Linda Mukangonga and Moses Twahirwa, who aim at promoting to promote locally made designs and attract local, regional and international fashion designers, models and other technical personnel to build a regional and internationally collaborative platform that will benefit all.
The Fashion extravaganza debuted at 4:30pm with Ogake Mosomi, a Kenyan designer who showcased stylish wedding dresses, followed by House of Tayo who displayed Cutting Edge Military uniforms marrying them with Kstobe Jewel’s ornaments. Haute Baso with Inzuki Designs showcased graceful summer dresses together with jewelry & assortments.
Later on, Makeda Mahadeo who was the MC of the session announced an hour break and revelers retreated to mingle as drinks and food were served.
The show resumed with Amizero & Cecily who displayed creativity and wit from the garbs they displayed to the elderly models tthey used. They were soon followed by Uzi Collections and Dokmai who also made a splash with their collections.
The last segment featured Sonia Mugabo, Moshions, Lisa B Marler, House of Tayo, Moses Turahirwa and Sonia Mugabo.
It goes without saying that with their grace, cherubic features and killer walks, the models that strutted on the runway were simply enthralling. They featured popular faces like Alexia Uwera Mupende, Toni Georgette, Jay Rwanda, Lee Charm, Fiona Muthoni, Kalisa Winnie, Neza Rachel, Umutoni Belise, Ugandan Waiswa Ronalds and many more others.
Along the week, high- profile British designer duo Catherine Teatum and Rob Jones, famous for their London-based luxury label Teatum Jones, which won the prestigious International Woolmark Prize for Womenswear 2017 are expected to showcase their collections.
The event was held in the presence of Linda Cohen, the Mayor of the City of South Portland and Francis Bukuzagara, Second Counselor at the Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda in the US.
Mike Mwenedata, the founder and owner of Rwanda Bean Coffee, expressed his gratitude for the the Rwandan community and also from the City Officials present to support the launch event.
Rwanda Bean is a socially responsible business that sources directly from farmers, helping them to make the leap from subsistence farming to becoming skilled partners in the expert cultivation of Rwanda coffee. Bypassing coffee brokers is one aspect of the business that Mwenedata the founder finds most rewarding for his farmers because it has allowed for the farmers to earn a fair wage.
The store sells freshly brewed coffee straight from Rwanda and packaged coffee that has received accolade on grounds of the beans’ aromatic richness, complexity, balance, elegance and aroma intensity and strength.
In his remarks, Francis Bukuzagara, second counselor at the Embassy of Rwanda in the U.S. commended Mike Mwenedata for having launched a successful business, and reminded those present that such initiatives are made possible because of the favorable business environment that Rwanda’s leadership has achieved, allowing foreign investment to adequately do business with Rwanda.
“The state of Maine has the largest Rwandan diaspora in the U.S., and I take this opportunity to thank the Mayor for providing them with opportunities that have seen people like Mr. Mwenedata grow into successful entrepreneurs and good citizens. With such attachment, a sister city relationship between South Portland and a city in Rwanda would be mutually beneficial, and we are open to discuss how we can further this initiative,” said Mr. Bukuzagara in his short remarks.
The recruits are part of the group of 46 young men who were intercepted trying to cross at Kikagati, along the Uganda-Tanzania border, on December 11, 2017.
The young men appeared suspicious to Uganda immigration officers after the officers discovered that they were carrying fake travel documents. In addition to the fake documents, the stories about where they were going and the purpose of travel were not consistent.
The young men had been coached by officers of the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) that when they reach immigration they should say they are going for an evangelical mission in Tanzania. However, most of them failed to stay on the script. They couldn’t answer simple questions about the name of the church they were going to; neither could they recall the name of the pastor of the church. Some of them panicked and revealed that someone was waiting for them in Bujumbura to take them to the RNC training Center in Minembwe, DRC via Bujumbura.
The immigration officers immediately alerted the police. Efforts by Captain Charles Byaruhanga, the CMI officer attached to Kikagati border, to intervene with “orders from above” clearing the recruits to continue their journey proved fruitless; neither did those of Major Fred Mushambo, the UPDF 2nd Division Intelligence Officer (IO).
The police took the recruits to Isingiro police station. While there, they revealed that they had been recruited from different places in Uganda (Nyakivala, Kiboga, Kibale, and Mubende) to join the Rwanda National Congress (RNC), and revealed their recruiters as Musoni Jeffrey, Moses Bijura, Felix Mwizerwa, and Dr. Sam Ruvuma. Among the recruiters, only Musoni, a former Sgt deserter in the Rwanda Patriotic army (RPA), and Bijura, a pastor in Rubare, Ntungamo, were arrested at Kikagati.
Dr. Sam Ruvuma, a brother to Lt. Colonel Gideon Katinda of the military court, and Felix Mwizerwa, a son of Pastor Deo Nyirigira, also a known RNC coordinator in Mbarara, somehow managed to flee the scene at Kikagati, abandoning the young recruits there.
Dr. Sam Ruvuma was only arrested by police days later in Mbarara and kept for a few days before he was released following orders from “way” above. He is back to his RNC recruitment activities in, and around, Mbarara. As for Felix Mwizerwa, he has now relocated to Minembwe, DRC, where he is an RNC Commander.
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The release of the 39 recruits last week was a result of a bribe that was given to the magistrate judge handling their case. This bribe, sources say, was negotiated on behalf of the RNC by Edgar Tabaro Muvunyi of the law firm Karuhanga, Tabaro, and Associates. Moreover, the remaining seven, including the recruiters Bijura and Musoni, whose case is at the High Court, are also expected to be released soon, according to testimony from those who have been set free and are now back to Nyakivale, Bubende, Kiboga, and Kampala. They have been told to prepare to continue with their journey to the RNC camp in the DRC in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, one of the recruits from Kibale, upon his release from jail, returned home angry because of the suffering he had been duped into by the person who recruited him. He reported the RNC recruiter in the area to the police, which promptly arrested him (the recruiter). However, it is expected that he will also be released like the rest of them.
On March 25 during a joint press conference between President Museveni and President Kagame, the Ugandan president acknowledged that, “When I met president Kagame in Addis Ababa he gave me some facts which I followed up. A group of Banyarwanda was being recruited through Tanzania and Burundi to go to Congo. They said they were going for church work but when they were interrogated it was found the work was not exactly religious. It was something else.”
Museveni’s own admission of a rebel group being recruited in his country with the support of his intelligence agencies ends up with the recruits being freed without charges brought against them, and are now free to proceed to the rebel training grounds in the DRC.
Significantly, the release of the recruits by the courts after such admission from the president himself does more than embolden the RNC and CMI in their scheme to destabilize Rwanda; it’s nothing short of an instruction of intent from the Commander in Chief.
Which leads to the questions: What message does Uganda send to Rwanda when rebels recruited to fight the latter are caught and set free? And has Uganda thought well and hard that this is the message it really wants to send to its neighbor?
The Ceremony took place at the School’s HQ in Nyarutarama, Gasabo district.
Stephen Rudakemwa, director of Wellspring Academy, congratulated the new graduates and remarked that the certificates that had been handed out would remain pieces of paper if not exploited so as to bring change in the world.
“We give these certificates to our graduates because we are certain that they are ready to use the knowledge and values they acquired from here. Christian values must accompany science to succeed in life. We urge them to be the change our country need,” he said.
He further said it was a good step by the school for graduating students at the second time, producing good minds for the future of the country.
The remarks were echoed by Ntaganda Damien who spoke in the name of the board of directors of Wellspring Academy, noting that the school trains students to be good leaders who will transform Rwanda and show difference in the world entirely.
Speaking during the event, the National Coordinator of the National Early Childhood Development Program, Dr Anita Asiimwe who was also the guest of Honor, said that the graduation day was a great opportunity for students to look back and reflect on the journey that have been covered, but also to prepare themselves for what lays ahead.
“As this day ends, take the time to consider every words and memories, but most importantly learn from what happened and strive to be the future great leaders our country needs.”
She further noted that as the school marks 11 years of operations, it was imperative that they take the time to consider what could be done so as to continue training future leaders for the country and the world as the school’s mission of the school.
Located in Nyarutarama, Wellspring Academy was established by members of Christian Life Assembly and Wellspring Foundation in 2007, with a mission to instill Christian values in students while healing the wounds of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The school is among the best schools in Kigali and currently has graduated more than 100 students since it was officiated.
The Charity Gala will be hosted on July 7, 2018, at the American Church in Paris.
At the end of 2016, Akiwacu launched the construction of houses for widowed survivors of the genocide which requires about 10,000 Euros to complete the project.
Proceeds from the gala will go towards completing the houses.
“At present, the houses require finishing to make them habitable. Money from this charity event will be spent on completing the houses. A timely construction is imperative because shelters where those families live are dilapidated and susceptible to collapse any time,” Akiwacu said
The beneficiaries of the project were selected by the Association of Widows of the Genocide Agahozo (AVEGA), an association that helps widowed survivors of the genocide.
Miss Akiwacu Colombe, like many Rwandans of her generation, lost members of her family and suffered the consequences of trauma after the 1994 Genocide against Tutsis. However, she is focused on helping the needy and fighting to see her plans get fulfilled. She launched a modeling career and is now based in France where she does some philanthropic work.
Bank of Kigali launched Urumuri initiative last year while marking its 50th anniversary as a way of giving out to the community and in a symbolic way, by helping discover ideas with potential to be the ‘next big thing.’
For this year, Urumuri is targeting entrepreneurs with a unique Made-in-Rwanda brand, which supports the government’s initiatives to develop local products and services for the Rwanda and foreign markets.
The 25 startups represent the most innovative projects from Made-In-Rwanda businesses that were picked from over 100 applications that were submitted as BK announced yesterday.
Speaking during the event, Diane Karusisi, the Bank of Kigali Chief Executive, said that the Urumuri Initiative, is another way of linking young innovators while supporting them on their journey to forge a bright future.
“The selected 25 startups will undertake six-month training in business support service. From those, we’ll select five startups with the most outstanding projects which will receive zero-interest loans from Bank of Kigali.” she said.
Mugisha Innocent who founded Ibitekerezo Digital Studio, a startup among the 25 selected, expressed his excitement at the prospect of the contest.
“Being part of the Urumuri Initiative will help us grow and develop our business and I am assured that a lot of opportunities await us,” he said.
The 25 selected startups include Moshions, SM SHOWROOM LTD, Ibitekerezo Digital Art Studio Ltd, Sanit Wing Ltd, Imagine We Publishers, Kaya Africa Ltd, Josh Innovation Limited, Lime Fresh Family Ltd, F4390 Specialized Cons. Activities, Iteterogahima Enterprise, Chocolate Point Ltd, Dkunderwear, Get It, RwaBambooBikes, Beyond The Gorilllas Experience, Vermi-Comp ltd, Umubano Leather Product, Bright Energy and Environment Management ltd, Akeza Mutima Ltd, San Company Ltd, Nezerwa Bamboo Products Ltd, Detex Enterprises Ltd, House Of Tayo, STYLEBYJUAN, and Nutrition Advisory Council Rwanda Ltd.
At a yet to be mentioned date and venue, the bank will announce projects that will share the interest free-financing.
The decision comes from a presidential decree issued on last Saturday which justifies the decision as a result of “excellent level of cooperation relations” between Angola and the two countries, the cooperation which the Angolan Government looks towards strengthening further.
According to the decree, Rwanda and Cape Verde joins the list of African countries whose citizens acquired tourism visa-free entry into Angola, Botswana, Mauritius, Seychelles and Zimbabwe, as well as Singapore in Asia.
Previously, Angola had already entered into reciprocal tourism visa exemption agreements for citizens of South Africa and Mozambique.
Tourism visa exemptions involve staying in Angola up to 30 days per entry and 90 days per year based on the principle of diplomatic reciprocity, according to the Angolan Government.
In addition to these exemptions, the previous law, which entered into force on March 30, established procedures to simplify the process of getting a tourism visa for citizens of 35 other countries, namely the non-compulsory calling card.
