The Rwf200 million-worth building was constructed back in 2006 and is to be razed down 12 years after without being put to any gainful use.
Following the merger of former Ruhondo and Cyabingo Communes and forming of Bugarura District, the building was meant to house the offices of the new district which was, however, replaced with Gakenke district, leaving the structure isolated in bushes.
Locals say that their efforts to get the facility constructed have gone to waste as they didn’t benefit from it.
“Resources spent on this house have been rendered to waste. Why can’t it be used for other development activities or give us the facility and we use it as base for teaching our children various skills,” wonders Jonas Mutiganda, a resident of the area.
Gakenke District Vice-Mayor in charge of Economic Development Aimé François Niyonsenga said that the building will be razed down to give path for construction of decent vocational and training school facilities.
“We have agreed with Workforce Development Authority (WDA) that this facility will be razed down and construct a more decent one. Construction works will start by March this year and will be completed by 2018.,” he said.
Cleophas Habiyaremye, a carpenter and owner of Atelier Umuvanganzo Ltd based in Mukarange Sector of Kayonza District, says lack of authorisation has impeded the implementation of his innovation for long. He also makes the glue he uses in making fibreboards and says his innovation will save the environment, earn farmers twice as they sell crops waste and provide Rwandans with cheaper furniture yet of similar quality to imported MDF furniture.
Speaking to IGIHE on Friday, Ms. Athanasie Mukeshiyaremye, Manager of National Standards Division at RSB, said a team from her office visited Habiyaremye recently to collect data and are collecting more data to help draft the guidelines which will govern furniture industry in the country. The team visited him last month.
“We wanted to see how he does it and how to help him improve standards of his operations and put in place guidelines for his innovation. We are now collecting data for the standards guidelines for him and entire furniture industry. When someone brings a new product, we examine it and compare with the technology in place around the world. It will be a document to guide all Rwandans in that field, so it takes time, at least four months but a maximum period is six months,” she said.
Mukeshiyaremye said RSB will engage the innovator in drafting the guidelines which will be presented to different organs in the field like industrialists and researchers for their contribution.
“When RSB enacts the guidelines, we shall assess if Habiyaremye’s innovation meets the standards and give him certification for him to develop operations. He is the first person to come up with such innovation. We are closely following up to make sure we help him develop that innovation,” she added.
Habiyaremye says, “Once I get the authorisation, I will embark on full commercial production of least 10,000 fibreboards of 1.2m (width) per 2.4m (height) per day.”
Technicians from National Industrial Research and Development Agency (NIRDA) also visited Habiyaremye last month and took sample of his products but the agency did not want to give a comment by press time.
Kayonza District Mayor Jean Claude Murenzi said the innovation, the first of its kind in Rwanda, will contribute to environmental conservation by saving the trees being harvested for furniture.
“We know his innovation. It is important because he uses materials available around in the community, so NIRDA is in the position to help us develop that innovation. They have already visited him and we look up to seeing him start operations. If his innovation is developed into significant operations, it will save the environment. The district also considers supporting him as it does for others with creativity,” he said.
{{Idea conception
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Habiyaremye, who retired from the armed forces in 2005, was sponsored by the Rwanda Demobilisation and Reintegration Commission in 2007 to undertake a six-month carpentry course.
He opened his first carpentry workshop in 2008 with Rwf7,000 start-up capital, which he used to buy working tools like a saw, plane and square.
“I started by making ordinary benches, chairs and tables that I sold in the neighbourhood. I was lucky that after two weeks in operations, I got an order to make a sideboard at Rwf200,000, from which I earned Rwf80,000 interest that I ploughed back into the business,” says Habiyaremye, 47.
Considering the high cost of wood and scarcity of the trees in his area, and in Rwanda generally, Habiyaremye was worried that this could one day affect his carpentry business due to the lack of raw materials. This is how he started looking at wood substitutes for making furniture. He says the first time he attempted converting banana stems into fibreboards was in 2012.
“I read about how the Chinese were making Medium-Density Fibreboard (MDF) by moulding and compacting sawdust, so I conceived this idea of pressing dry banana fibres using glue, which I could wrap with the finishing materials that resembles the treasured Libuyu wood,” he says.
Habiyaremye says he thought of how to improve fibreboards and borrowed a hydraulic press machine from a German friend in the City of Kigali.
“I used the machine to mould a fresh banana stem, pressed the product until it became fibreboard from which I made a table. I have for long been challenged by lack of authorisation and finances to buy a similar machine. NIRDA technicians have visited me three times since 2015 but I am yet to receive an authorisation,” the father of five told IGIHE last week.
He is setting up a Rwf127 million workshop and has so far put in about Rwf30 million from his means, saying that lacking access to banks’ finances has hindered him from completing the workshop.
{{Future plans
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Habiyaremye plans to start a vocational training centre (VTC) to share his skills with other interested Rwandans when the fibreboard-making project goes operational.
“I am waiting for NIRDA and RSB authorisations which will help me complete the talks with WDA (Workforce Development Authority) on financial support for training 100 future employees in my factory. I also want to write books in the future to share my knowledge and skills with fellow countrymen and women, as well as the world,” he says.
The innovation is likely to turn agricultural waste into a gold mine whereby farmers will sell banana stems, crops’ stalks, grasses weeded from their farms and other grasses, fresh or dry, that people are currently cutting and throwing away from their compounds and playgrounds. The factory will also buy plastic bags waste for melting them to make some glue.
“I am also making glue from these environmental polluting plastic materials like bottles and bags. I am protecting the environment by collecting and melting those polluters. The way I make this glue is environmental friendly. It does not produce smokes as I boil the plastics in a covered saucepan and no bad smell this produces. I plan to have machinery doing all this I am currently doing manually,” he says.
Habiyaremye says he plans to sell his MDF at Rwf15,000 while imported MDF is at Rwf45,000 yet both have equal size of 1.2m per 2.4m.
“I’m also in talks with IPRC East management for working together with their technicians to make our own hydraulic machine which can make fibreboards from grasses. I target to do all these operations using local materials and machinery. That will be the best legacy I can leave behind to Rwandans,” he adds.
The innovator pleads with the government to commit significant support for research and compel banks to launch loan scheme for research.
According to these false claims, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees declared that between 2013-2017, Israel secretly sent more than 4000 African migrants in Rwanda.
There is no proof confirming that it was an announcement given away by an official from UNHCR.
The Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and East African Community (MINAFFET), Ambassador Olivier Nduhungirehe fiercely rebuked these claims, clarifying that such a great number would not be able to go unnoticed.
Via his twitter account, he said “When and where did UNHCR announce this? Who can actually believe that such a big number of people would come in Rwanda and pass unnoticed? Those claims are false.”
The issue of African migrants between Rwanda and Israel have been going for some time.
Rwanda has been rejecting claims of signing a controversial deal to take in African migrants from Israel.
In response to some migrants who were protesting in front the Rwandan Embassy in Israel, Nduhungirehe said his country has no deal whatsoever with Israel regarding African Migrants and that they were given “fake news”.
“Rwanda has no deal whatsoever with Israel to host any African migrant from that country. The problem is that some still don’t want to believe it” he said.
At the end of January, in DAVOS, Switzerland — President Paul Kagame told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Rwanda would only accept asylum-seekers if the move was made in accordance with international law.
However Israeli media claimed that the authorities seeking to expel up to 40000 migrants cut a deal with Rwanda, reportedly paying USD$5000 to the Rwandan government or any other country for every deported African asylum seeker the country accepts.
The deportation has come under scrutiny by human rights groups which accuse Israel of violating the rights of the refugees and putting their lives in danger.
Kagame was speaking Monday at Federation of African National Insurance Companies (FANAF) general assembly that took place in Kigali.
According to the World Bank, services are the fastest-growing segment of the global economy, already accounting for 70% of output and 60% of employment.
The Head of State said that insurance services are an important part of that picture.
Kagame underlined that beyond compensation for misfortune, insurance contribute to development programmes.
“Insurance does much more than compensate for misfortune. The more advanced an economy, the greater the size, diversity, and efficiency of its insurance market. Indeed it is fair to say that insurance underpins prosperity and innovation,” he said.
He said that insurance products allow investors and entrepreneurs to take risks.
By using an example of United States, he said that around one-third of corporate debt is financed by insurers adding that insurance facilitates the growth of trust over long distances, “without it cross-border trade would grind to a halt,”
“As insurance companies invest customer premiums, they mobilise savings toward domestic investment increasing the size of feasible projects in the national economy. The very nature of the insurance business requires firms to take a longer-term perspective in their lending, than commercial banks are able to do,” he said.
Kagame said that it is critical for the structural transformation of African economies.
“Moreover, by giving a price to various forms of risk, insurance helps us to detect hidden dangers and plan accordingly. This means fewer deaths in fires and floods, safer roads and buildings and less crime,” he said.
{{Where does Africa insurance stand?}}
He said that one out of every six people on the planet, is an African, nearly 17 per cent. He said, Africa generates only 1.5 per cent of global insurance contracts, around 75 billion dollars, as of a few years ago.
Around three-quarters of that comes from South Africa. The rest of the continent combined, accounts for less than one-half of one percent of the world market.
“I think this has to change and you are the ones to change it,” he told participants.
The annual revenue of each of the top fifteen international insurance conglomerates, has generally exceeded the total value of Africa’s insurance market.
“Banks and capital markets everywhere, including in Africa, have moved quickly to integrate new technologies. This has greatly expanded access to financial services, especially in the informal sector. But insurance has been slower to adopt these innovations, and it is important to catch up,” he said.
{{Africa’s insurance opportunities}}
He observed that though statistics for Africa’s insurance are unattractive, there is a huge opportunity for future growth particularly as Africa’s middle class expand faster.
“Africa’s national insurance companies, represented by all of you here, will be the drivers of that expansion as well as the natural partners for international firms looking to enter our market,” he said urging Africans to work closely.
He said that another opportunity is that the barriers hindering the growth and scale of trade in Africa are about to get smaller.
He reminded that the agreement on the Continental Free Trade Area will be signed in Kigali next month, at an Extraordinary Summit of the African Union.
“This is a historic pact which has been nearly 40 years in the making and it represents a major advance for African integration and unity, part of the Continental Free Trade Area, is a Protocol on Trade and Services and that includes the insurance sector,” he noted.
He said that the progressive liberalisation expected in the future will mean new opportunities for African firms to compete and cooperate across borders and build continental reach.
He called on participants to provide active support throughout the ratification and implementation Continental Free Trade Area.
It is an initiative of the African Union to create a Single unified air transport market in Africa, the liberalization of civil aviation and also the stimulation to the continent’s economic integration agenda.
In an exclusive interview with IGIHE, the State Minister for Transport in the Ministry 0f Infrastructure, Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye said that the market means a lot to Rwandans and Africans in general as they remove hindrances in treaties about air transportation between countries.
He said that it will remove the process through which airline from one country go through to be able to enter other African country’s market or establish offices. Here, they used to seek the permission awarded before signing different treaties.
“At this level, it is not necessary to sign these treaties. If a country has signed as a member of SAATAM, countries will provide permission to airline companies to access the airports and will give companies hours to land there without signing more agreements,” he said.
He went on to explain that the market will remove hindrances from inside treaties between countries. Among these hindrances include: number of flights, number of passengers allowed and the number of flights from one country to another.
“Sometimes they tell you not to exceed three or four flights, but now it is easy because you can discuss it together,” he said.
Among the impact of the market also include cutting down the period which passengers used to spend during the passage.
For example, currently a passenger from Rwanda going in Mozambique used to pass to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and then continue to Mozambique, this is because no RwandAir’s plane goes to Mozambique.
Some African passengers also pass through Europe to be able to reach other African countries, things which deter economic integration of African continent.
According to Uwihanganye, the market means the development of African Air Companies, commercial businesses, tourism and cutting down of plane tickets as companies will increase and have open more directions.
“Air Companies will open new directions and provide employment to African populations,” he added.
Along the integration, most Africa’s big Careers like Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways, RwandAir and South African Airlines will benefit in increasing the directions.
Some regional countries drug fits in entering the market.
Currently, twenty three countries that launched the SAATAM are: Rwanda, South Africa, Benin Ivory Coast, Kenya, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Gabon, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, Togo, Zimbabwe and Niger.
Tanzania, Burundi and Uganda of the East African Community (EAC) are yet to enter the market due to issues in the air companies. However, they are working towards solving problems.
Uwihanganye said though a great step has been made, having some regional countries which are yet to sign is a problem.
“Having some countries which are yet to sign is of course a problem, but as Heads of States have met, agreed on it and launched the market, we hope that as days pass, others will join,” he said.
The market is expected to cut 25% of air tickets for 2.4 million passengers from East African Countries.
Currently, only 4% of African passengers use African air companies, this means that 96% use airline from other continents.
A study by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on twelve African countries that have opened the sky has revealed that these countries added $1.3 billion to their Gross Domestic Product (GDP), created 155,000 jobs, saved $500 million in air tickets, increased services delivery at 75%, promoted businesses and reduced the period passengers spend on the route.
The event’s theme came from Psalms 33:11–12 “The counsel of the Lord stands forever. Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance”.
Africa Continental Director of the “All Africa Purpose Purpose Driven/PEACE PLAN Initiative “who also serves as Board Director of Rwanda Prayer Banquet USA, Eric Munyemana shared the crucial role of churches in Rwanda and challenged community leaders from across the US to organize similar prayer banquets in their respective states.
The event’s guest VIP speaker was Peter Greer, who serves as the President and CEO of HOPE International, a global Christ-centered microenterprise development organization serving throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. In addition, he has co-authored 10 books, including Mission Drift, The Giver and others.
Greer spoke about loyalty to some of the groups people dentify with such as Team Rayon Sports; and encouraged the audience to unite as Team Jesus. He shared stories from Hope Intl’s work in Rwanda, and stressed the importance of communities coming together to build each other up.
H.E. Ambassador Mukantabana Mathilde, who was also attending the event thanked the congregants for dedicating Rwanda in the hands of God and prayed for unity, peace, prosperity and political stability in Rwanda. She then asked the community leaders who were representing different communities from across the US to come forward, so that one of the pastors could pray a blessing over each of them.
Antoinette Kanyabutembo who founded the Rwanda Prayer Banquet also thanked the sponsors and participants for their support, presence, and contribution, and encouraged everyone to stay united in prayers for the greater good of Rwanda.
The event was also marked by a number of inspiring gospel music performances by Gaby Rugabirwa and Deo Mbera; the group New Song; Eliane Gihozo and Rinna Mamboleo; and a touching solo performance by Nelly Munyemana.
Mukabalisa was speaking yesterday in Kigali while launching the training of party youth representatives aimed at teaching youths about job creation.
She said that no country could develop when they have bad leadership. She said that among causes of bad leadership include using drugs and called on youth to invest their efforts in fighting against them.
“No country can develop without having good leadership, without having good politicians. Those countries with endless conflicts and wars have bad leadership; politicians do not care about their populations,” she said.
She said that it is unbearable to see youth using drugs yet the country is expecting much from them in the future.
“Some people don’t take this problem seriously; we should stand against this problem so that we enable youth live healthy. You can’t be a politician or entrepreneur when you are not healthy, simply, when you use drugs,” she said.
“Drugs only weaken the competences of users. They are also top causes of crime including insurrection, murder, theft, accidents and committing suicide among others,” she added.
She said that during the training, they expect that youth will learn qualities of a good politician so that they will help their colleagues who did not attend.
The National Coordinator of youth in PL, Virginie Akimanizanye said that they will sensitize youth to avoid using drugs.
“Our responsibility is to teach youth about the effects of drugs so that they avoid using them; continuing to use them would be bogging national development efforts,” she said.
In a letter signed by the three claimants, they say that the act of resignation was only superimposed on them by the mayor where they found the letters drafted for them to sign.
“To the mayor of Nyagatare District, we ask you to place us back in our education jobs and ignore the letter you drafted for us and forced us to sign on 02/02/2018 stating that we resign for our personal reasons yet we still love the job and we are able to do it,” reads part of the letter copied to and received by three government ministries and other institutions last Friday.
The three teachers in the letter are Enid Uwimana, Gaspard Ntaziryayo and Dorothee Mukapeti but one of the teachers has revealed to IGIHE that at least 46 teachers were trickily invited to the district office for a regular security meeting.
“We were told to be at the office at 6 am for a meeting but there was no meeting until 1 pm when district officials flanked by security forces grabbed our mobile phones and started receiving one by one in the office telling each of us the allegations we had to apologise for. We found there resignation letters already drafted for us and were forced to append our signature. We were threatened to be jailed, some of us signed and those who refused were detained in the transit centre. The showdown went up to midnight,” narrates the teacher.
Though only three have signed the complaint, the source knows other nine teachers who are off jobs now while the fate of others among the 46 remains unclear.
The victims were allegedly fired because of the revelations they made about the saga that heated up in the district last year over paying ghost teachers and paying bigger remunerations than what some teachers’ qualifications deserved.
Nyagatare Vice-mayor in charge of Social Affairs, Domithille Musabyemariya, told IGIHE on Sunday that she is not aware of these teachers’ issue.
“I haven’t yet seen that letter, that’s new to me… or you can ask mayor, he might be aware of it or they gave him that letter but to me, that’s strange,” she said.
However, some of the teachers say Musabyemariya was in the team that forced them to sign resignation letters.
Our efforts for a comment of Nyagatare Mayor George Mupenzi were fruitless by press time as his mobile phone was offline.
Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) affiliated with the UN ECOSOC held sectoral meetings for peace building from February 1 to 2 in Yangon with the participation of politicians, law experts, teachers and leaders of youth and women.
“The Sound of Peace Spreading in Myanmar” was hosted by HWPL on February 1, with 500 participants and religious leaders from of Protestantism, Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism for an interfaith dialogue. “I am not going to take certain religion’s side or support it. What I am saying is, all religions have to reflect on themselves, so that they are acknowledged by the heaven. When all religions become one, then there will be no more war because of the religions.” Mr. Lee said.
An international law seminar was held the ext day, based on the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW), drafted by HWPL to propose enactment of international law for peace through international cooperation, respect on international law, religious/ethnic freedom and spreading a culture of peace. “It has similarity with the constitution of Myanmar with 7 articles. This declaration is essential for Myanmar and needed to be supported,” said U Shein, the founding president of Happy, Healthy and Helping Society. The 130 lawyer participants of this seminar signed for “The Agreement of Support for the Implementation of the International Law.”
On the same day, “Ceremony of HWPL Peace Education and IPYG Peace Project” was held with the presence of Prof. Nay Win Oo, the Deputy Director General of Department of Higher Education and 10 chancellors of colleges. In the event, teaching materials and action plans for peace projects by youth were introduced and presented to HWPL to advocate peace building for future generations.
“There have been many figures who worked for peace. However, the world has not changed yet. In that sense, the current international law for the establishment of global peace should be readdressed,” said Chairman Man-hee Lee of HWPL. “Peace can’t be achieved by the authority or power of some people. What the better is the cessation of war and peace, keeping our lives. There are 3.6 billion women in the world. To protect all women’s offsprings and to protect the youth themselves, now we have to stop war. Peaceful world can’t be built by the effort of just one country. We all have to become one. Also, teachers should teach the children with the peace education from the primary school and all families.” He added.
The contingent led by Col Frank Karakire departed from Kigali International Airport on Saturday at around 10:00am to Juba.
Though Rwanda has other units in different regions of South Sudan, it is the first time to deploy such unit.
Speaking to the media, the RDF spokesperson, Lt Col Innocent Munyengango said that the mission of the contingent is to protect civilians in Juba City.
“Their mission is to protect civilians and Juba City, it means that their prime responsibility is to protect everything in Juba,” he said.
He said that the contingent was briefed on discipline before the departure, but added that Rwandans always exhibit good discipline in their missions.
“As others always do, that unit should also perform well the responsibilities,” he added.
Currently, Rwanda has 6274 soldiers in different peace-keeping missions. In South Sudan alone, there are over 2300 from different units.
The deployment follows a United Nations Security Resolution number 2304 of 2016 of 12 August 2016 that decided the deployment of a Regional Protection Force to the UNMISS.
