This decision effectively approves the agreement which had been reached between Millicom Group and Bharti Airtel Group, subject to the approval by RURA Board.
The consolidation of the two operators (Airtel and Tigo) is expected to bring industry stability, improved quality of services and product innovation for the benefit of the consumers.
This acquisition shall not affect the existing subscribers of TIGO Rwanda. They will continue to be served, seamlessly, during and after the consolidation. Subscribers will not be required to change their existing TIGO telephone numbers and existing TIGO cash services will not be affected. It is the primary responsibility of the Regulatory Authority to protect the consumers during this process.
The ambassador made the remarks on Saturday at the New Year 2018 celebration hosted by the embassy at Sheraton Hotel, Silver Spring, Maryland.
The party attracted about 150 members of the Rwandan Diaspora community from Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia, just the Tri-State closest to the embassy location.
Amb. Mukantabana thanked the Diaspora for their efforts in staying connected to Rwanda and for actively engaging in activities that help in the development of Rwanda.
Participants also watched the 2018 New Year message from President Paul Kagame.
Amongst many other projects in 2017, the Rwandan Diaspora in the U.S. contributed Rwf11 million in the Community-based Health Scheme, commonly known as Mutuelle de Santé, to help the neediest Rwandans in the country.
Amb. Mukantabana encouraged them to set even higher ambitions for the year 2018 and assured them of the government’s support whenever necessary.
During the party, children were also entertained through various activities to accustom them to their Rwandan roots.
Those present enjoyed a meal and traditional dancing together.
The party is held annually bringing together the community and the embassy to kick off the New Year with renewed strength and will to serve the nation and keep showcasing Rwanda’s image in the world’s first economy, USA.
Players landed at the airport at 3:40pm and received by thousands of people from all corners of the country in what revelers dubbed ‘hero’s welcome’.
The champion Areruya and colleagues returned home after making history of winning the top African Cycling competition ‘La Tropicale Amissa Bongo 2018’ title, the competition that took place in Gabon last week.
Areruya participated in the competition with five colleagues namely: Valens Ndayisenga, Bonaventure Uwizeyimana, Didier Munyaneza also known as Mbappé, Ukiniwabo Jean Paul René and Jean Ruberwa.
However, Valens Ndayisenga and Bonaventure Uwizeyimana did not make it to the final after involving in an accident.
Areruya won La Tropicale Amissa Bongo 2018 by using 23 hours 52 minutes and 24 seconds. This made him become the first Rwandan to win the title and third African.
Team Rwanda took home Rwf20 million including other prizes they won in the competition.
On its 48th occasion the four day meeting opened today and will be closed on 26th.
The meeting is running under the theme ‘Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World’
Kagame is leading a delegation comprised of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and East African Community Affairs Minister, Louise Mushikiwabo; Finance and Economic Planning Minister; Amb. Claver Gatete; Information, Technology and Communication Minister, Jean de Dieu Rurangirwa and Minister of Environment, Dr. Vincent Biruta.
Also among the team include, the Chief Executive Officer of Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board, Francis Gatare and the Chief Executive Officer of Rwanda Development Board, Clare Akamanzi.
The programme of the forum is built around four key objectives which are; driving economic progress, navigating a multipolar and multi-conceptual world, overcoming divisions in society and shaping the agile governance of technology.
President Kagame and the delegation he leads will be looking to showcase investment opportunities that Rwanda offers to investors and entrepreneurs from around the World.
According to the statement from the Office of the President, Kagame is also expected to speak at the Washington Post Foreign Policy Lunch 2018 as well as deliver the closing remarks at the Peace-building in Africa session.
Speaking to IGIHE, the Agriculture Communication and Information Programme Manager at the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI),Ange Soubirous Tambineza said that Bagabe was suspended by the Cabinet Meeting of Friday 19th this month.
“It is the decision by the Cabinet Meeting as it is in their capacity,” she said.
However, Tambineza said that they were not given details behind his suspension as it is in the capacity of the body that took the decision.
“What matters is to have the institution well managed and impact the lives of farmers and the economy,” she said.
Last year, the Prime Minister suspended four top RAB officials including former Deputy Director General, Dr Daphrose Gahakwa , the Head of Land Husbandry, Irrigation and Mechanization, Innocent Nzeyimana, the Head of Corporate Services Division Violet Nyirasangwa, and the Head of Finance Theogene Bimenya.
Bagabe took over RAB management in October 2016 replacing Dr Louis Butare. Prior to being appointed in RAB, Bagabe had served as the Director General of Rwanda Standards Board (RSB).
Munyakazi was speaking yesterday after touring schools in Kigali as he launched the 2018 academic year.
Among schools he visited include St André, ESSI Nyamirambo, Saint Joseph, APACE andGroupeScholaireKabusunzu among others.
At APACE, Munyakazi was disappointed with learners’ lack of sense of appropriate grooming where students had trendy haircuts and makeup.
He requested the school officials to send back home students who harbour inappropriate behaviors.
“You should take into account students’ hygiene especially their haircuts and makeups; how could a student come to school with such kind of haircuts and perform well in class? They cannot perform well because they spend much of their time in makeups, and when they lack money, they’re bound to drop out of schools to search for money to finance the luxurious lifestyles,” he said.
He cautioned that they will conduct inspections to establish whether the problem has been solved adding that if nothing is done the school will be closed.
He urged the school to fight drugs by checking students’ luggage before they enter school compound.
APACE head teacher, Emile Senkware said that they are going to implement minister’s recommendations.
“We are happy for these recommendations as they will help us provide quality education and enable students’ concentration in classes,” he said.
Ambassador of Japan in Rwanda, Takayuki Miyashita and Saint Joseph Nzuki Vocational Training’s headmaster, Father Gerard Hakizimana, signed the grant contract on 22 January 2018 at the Embassy of Japan.
Under the contract, the Embassy agreed to provide USD81, 857, to Saint Joseph Nzuki Vocational Training Center, to construct a dormitory for 400 students.
Almost half of the students are orphan, who were exempted from their tuitions and dormitory fees.
Ambassador Miyashita expressed his happiness in supporting Saint Joseph Nzuki VTC, “which plays a significant role in vocational trainings for orphans and children from poor households in Ruhango District.”
He expressed his hopes that the students will make good use of the accommodation in order to study hard for their future.
Saint Joseph Nzuki Vocational Training Center provides vocational trainings to about 300 students in Ruhango district. The new dormitory is expected to provide proper accommodation to the students, reduce the number of students who walk along ways to school, and allow the school to accept 100 more students who are put on a wait-list.
For the last 20 years, the embassy of Japan has supported approximately 90 projects in the areas of education, water, and sanitation as well as agricultural development.
In a consultative meeting that attracted the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Youth, Rwanda Governance Board, Police and Religious leaders yesterday, officials discussed the way every institution could contribute towards ending the matter.
Youth Minister, Rosemary Mbabazi called on religious leaders to combine efforts towards teaching youth on ways to avoid involvement in drugs and their effects on health.
“Churches and Mosques are the places where people come without invitation, but with will to hear your advice which could lead to behavior change,” she said.
The Chief Executive Officer of Rwanda Governance Board (RGB), Prof. Anastase Syhaka said that collaboration of institutions and working closely will help end the problem.
“The reason behind this meeting is to create partnership, to increase efforts in our activities as well as maintaining the way we collaborate. If problems inside families were uprooted, issues of drugs would also be weakened,” he said.
The Inspector General of Police, CG Emmanuel Gasana told participants in the meeting that drugs is a matter of concern in Rwanda and the World in general as they ruin the future of youth.
“Keeping quiet when youth are involving in drugs is not good and could bring to us many problems, besides harming lives, they cause insecurity in the country,” he said
The Bishop of Byumba Catholic Diocese, Servilien Nzakamwita said that they should also stand against people who lead youth to using drugs.
“Youth with no occupation are likely to involvein drugs, there are also irresponsible people who lead them in using drugs, we should stand against them,” he urged.
According to Police statistics, since 2013 to 2017, among people who got involved in drugs, 70% were youth between 18 and 35 years old.
“We have found that we could implement the new prices proposed in the study in two phases; we will start by raising premiums by 60% in this year and add the 40% next year,” the ASSAR’s representative, Kanamugire Gaudens told the press on Sunday.
This means that if the insurance of a vehicle was RWF30, 000, its new price will be Rwf50,000 but on a yearly basis, it will be Rwf42,000 based on the revision.
For a taxi that had to pay Rwf44,000 per year will now pay Rwf38, 000; according to the revision.
Kanamugire said those who had already paid their premiums according to the new prices, will either be refunded or receive a credit note based on the revised prices.
It is a decision that the association claims it has taken after receiving complaints of the vehicles’ owners.
The revision follows a premiums hike a fortnight ago that saw motor vehicle insurance premiums and the comprehensive packages increase from 40% to 73%, which attracted complaints among the public.
Kanamugire said that increasing the premiums was necessary because those set in 2008 were outdated and not benefiting insurers.
The Central Bank also asserted that the previous prices were wrecking insurers into losses and were not updated to meet the variable costs of vehicles and spare parts. In 2013, a study showed that the prices were too low and needed to be raised.
In a statement from the Office of the Government Spokesperson, the government was responding to the rumors that have been circulating in the media saying that the government has signed agreements with Israel to receive African migrants from there.
However, the statement says that Rwanda is determined to contribute to seeking solution to the issue of migrants.
“In these times of global migration crisis, Rwanda wishes to reiterate its firm determination to contribute, as much as possible, to the issue of men, women and children who find themselves on the treacherous road of exile,” the statement reads.
The statement says that Rwanda’s position on migrants, wherever they may originate from, was informed and shaped by a sentiment of compassion towards African brothers and sisters who are today perishing in high seas, sold on the markets like cattle or expelled from the countries in which they sought shelter.
“Rwanda is ready to help in whatever limited way it could, by welcoming anyone arriving at its borders in need of a home, voluntarily and without any constraint,”.
“In reference to the rumors that have been recently spread in the media, the Government of Rwanda wishes to inform that it has never signed any secret deal with Israel regarding the relocation of African migrants. In this regard, Rwanda’s policy vis-à-vis Africans in need of a home, temporary or permanent, within our country’s means, remains open doors,” reads the statement.
