The incident happened in Gatsibo District where a woman identified as Aline Uwimbabazi used her baby as a cover to beat security and traffic 120 sachets of Zebra Waragi, a gin parked in plastic bags and banned in Rwanda.
Uwimbabazi was identified by the driver of the travel agency, who notified the police. The vehicle was en route to Kigali from Nyagatare.
Police spokesperson for the Eastern Province, Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Theobald Kanamugire, who commended the vigilance of the driver, said that the latter called the Police in Gatsibo after he got suspicious.
“He saw how the woman strapped the baby on her back, and got suspicious, especially that today women drug traffickers guise as mothers carrying a baby when actually they strap drugs at the back to make it look like a baby,” CIP Kanamugire said.
“The driver was midway between Nyagatare and Gatsibo, so he called Police in Gatsibo. He was told to stop in Kabarore, where officers searched Uwimbabazi and found the 120 sachets of Zebra waragi strapped at her back together with her baby, and she was immediately arrested” he added.
He thanked the role that drivers continues to play to identify and report drug traffickers.
Police has over time unearthed various tricks used by drug traffickers. These include wrapping drugs around their bodies, stashing them in luggage, pumpkins and bicycle tyres; women strapping them on the back like babies; others put them in their veils; others hire vehicles and motorcycles especially at night.
The vehicle registration number RAA 613U, Dyna type, was intercepted in Gacundura Cell of Bwerere Sector on December 30.
Inspector of Police (IP) Innocent Gasasira, the Police spokesperson for the Northern region, said two people; a driver and the alleged owner of the goods, have been arrested.
“It was a targeted operation based on real information the District Police Unit of Burera had received from a resident, at the vehicle was intercepted at the mounted roadblock,” IP Gasasira said.
“Their dossier is being processed to be forwarded to prosecution. However, the owner of the smuggled clothes, after they were caught, tried to give a bribe of Rwf30000 to the officer in charge, a crime which he will also have to answer before courts of law;. ” he added.
Bribery under article 641 of the penal code, attract a term of imprisonment of between five and seven years, and a fine of two to ten times the value of the illegal benefit offered or promised.
“We have arrested a number of smugglers of second hand clothes especially in Burera due to its strategic location, in the recent past, but most of them are pedestrians and bicyclist,” said IP Gasasira.
The impounded smuggled goods are handed over to the Revenue Protection Unit, which is charged with fighting fraud and smuggling, among others.
Article 369 of the Penal Code also states that a taxpayer guilty of tax evasion shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of between three to six months and a fine equal to the evaded tax.
The law establishing Value Added Tax, in its article 200, partly stipulates a fine of 50 percent of the dutiable value of the goods involved, or both.
Article 199 of the East African Community Management Act, which is also used in Rwanda, specifies a penalty of US$5000 to a driver found driving a vehicle with smuggled goods while the vehicle is auctioned.
If the taxpayer is guilty of deliberate tax evasion, such as false deliberate accounting entries, forgery and falsification of records or any other act punishable by law, he/she shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of six months to two years and a fine equal to the evaded tax.
Mohammed Morsi already holds other jail terms including a life sentence.
He is awaiting a retrial on a separate charge of conspiring to commit terrorist acts, for which he was previously sentenced to death. The death sentence was lifted on appeal.
Mr Morsi was overthrown by the military in 2013 and has been detained since. He is currently in a high-security prison.
He has also been fined a million Egyptian pounds (£42,000; $56,000) relating to a speech given in 2013.
Also sentenced on Saturday were 17 co-defendants, including fines for political blogger Alaa Abdel Fattah and broadcaster Tawfiq Okasha.
Mr Morsi has previously rejected the authority of the courts, and in his first trial shouted from the dock that he was being “forcibly detained”.
Since then he has been forced to sit in soundproof glass cages in courtrooms, which officials say are designed to prevent him disrupting proceedings.
He was overthrown by the military following mass protests a year after he took office as the country’s first democratically elected leader.
The authorities subsequently launched a crackdown on supporters of Mr Morsi and the Islamist movement to which he belongs, the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood.
Source:BBC
Local officials said the accident happened at 03:00 (0:00 GMT), and the bus was speeding and in the wrong lane.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has ranked Kenya as one of the world’s worst countries for road safety.
Police believe over 100 people have died in the same area on the Nakuru-Eldoret highway in recent weeks.
The bus was reportedly carrying 46 passengers to Nairobi from the western town of Busia when the accident happened.
“I was asleep when the accident occurred and all I heard was a loud bang and screams from all over before I was helped out,” a passenger who survived the crash told a local radio station.
Both vehicles’ drivers are said to be among the dead, with the youngest victim reportedly a three-year-old child.
The Kenyan Red Cross said on Twitter that 18 passengers from the bus were taken to hospital with serious injuries.
Six of the injured later died, officials say.
Police say the accident on Sunday is the worst on the highway in the month of December.
The National Transport and Safety Authority announced an immediate ban on overnight travel for long-distance buses following Sunday’s crash.
Earlier this month Kenyan officials announced the road was going to be renovated into a dual carriageway in 2018, in order to try and minimise accidents on the deadly stretch.
The destroyed narcotics seized in last three months, include over 900 kilogrammes of cannabis, 3330 litres of locally made illicit brew, 446 litres of crude gin locally known as Kanyanga, fake or expired fertilisers, petroleum products including 2060 litres of diesel and 137 litres of petrol seized on the black market, among others.
The Police-led exercise falls under the ongoing nationwide campaign against drugs, which brings together different players including ministries of Health, Youth, Justice, Local Government, as well as Prosecution and National Rehabilitation Services (NRS), among others.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth, Emmanuel Bigenimana, while addressing residents of Nduba, who turned up to witness the destruction exercise as well as the campaign against drugs, commended the existing community policing efforts against the vice.
“These psychotropic substances are an obstacle especially to the youth development because they are the majority affected; therefore, we need to partner as leaders, parents and Rwandans in general to identify and report dealers to police to arrest them to protect the children but also to prevent other insecurities caused by drug abusers,” Bigenimana said.
He added that awareness campaigns will continue to sensitize people and the youth in particular, to venture their money in legal and profitable businesses rather than blowing their money in criminal activities.
According to the National Rehabilitation Services indicate that a total of 12228 addicted youth aged between 18 and 35 year, have so far been rehabilitated and equipped with vocational skills since 2012, with at least 90 of them completely healed and actively engaged in income generating activities.
Commissioner of Police (CP) Emmanuel Butera, the Commissioner for Operations and Public Order in RNP, warned that operations will continue to arrest every drugs dealer and to break chains of supply, and appealed to the general public to support and own the efforts.
“It’s a security, health and development issues that we should continue to work together and exchange information on dealers to arrest them,” CP Butera said.
Police statistics indicate that over 2040 drug dealers have also been arrested since the beginning of the year with those aged between 18 and 35 years constitute the majority 40 percent.
Only 48 people aged below 18 years were arrested in the same period.
Mid this week, Police paraded in Burera district, about 160 drug dealers, who had been arrested in various operations with 2918 dozens of assorted contrabands.
Micheal Nshimiyimana, the Chief Prosecutor at Nyarugenge Intermediate Court, reminded Nduba residents that trafficking, selling, making and using illicit drugs is criminal and punishable under the penal code.
Article 594 of the Rwandan penal code, stipulates that, any person who, unlawfully, makes, transforms, imports, or sells narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances within the country, shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of three to five years and a fine of Rwf500,000 to Rwf5 million.
The same article also provides a jail term of between one and three years for anyone, who consumes narcotic drugs.
Brig. Gen. Moumouni Zankaro (outgoing) and his successor Col. Major Mouhamed Mounir were received in the RWAFPU-I based camp in the capital Bangui, by the contingent commander, Chief Supt. Sam Rumanzi, who briefed them on their operations.
Brig. General. Zankaro noted that the Rwandan police peacekeepers have played an important part in the restoration of peace in Bangui, where they are deployed.
RWAFPU-I is in charge of peacekeeping operations in four arrondissements in Bangui.
He urged them to accord the same partnership, teamwork, and respect to the new force commander and to also be an asset in fighting gender based violence.
The incoming Force Commander for Bangui, Col. Major Mouhamed Mounir, said: “The UN and MINUSCA in particular, believes in the professionalism and discipline of Rwandan peacekeepers, so continue to preserve that image set by your predecessors.”
RWAFPU-I is one of the three contingents; two Formed Police Units (FPUs) and a Protection and Support Unit (PSU) composed of 140 officers each, deployed in a rotational exercise last month.
Whereas FPU specializes in public order management like crowd control; facilitate delivery of humanitarian assistance, escort duties and protection of UN facilities, among others; PSU undertakes special duties such as protection for VIPs among others.
Rwanda National Police (RNP) started deploying in CAR in 2014 and has so far conducted ten combined rotations of the three contingents.
Mugabe will also be entitled to at least 20 staffers including six personal security guards, all paid for from state coffers, according to details of the benefits published in The Herald newspaper.
The 93-year-old, who quit last month under popular pressure following a military takeover, is the first beneficiary of the generous measures unveiled on Wednesday by new President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
No monetary details were spelt out, but the country’s constitution stipulates that an ex-president is entitled to a pension equivalent to the salary of a sitting president.
Local independent media reported last month that Mugabe was granted a $10m (€8.3m) retirement bonus as part of a deal to persuade him to eventually resign. The government denied the claims.
As part of the new package, Mugabe will have three cars – a Mercedes Benz S500 Series or an equivalent class of sedan, an all-terrain station wagon and a pickup van – which will be replaced every five years.
The government will also pay for fuel.
Mugabe and his wife will be entitled to diplomatic passports. The couple can go on four first-class air or train trips within Zimbabwe and four trips abroad on a private plane.
Mugabe will also be awarded a fully-furnished official residence anywhere in the capital Harare, in addition to bills and entertainment allowances.
Health insurance for the former leader, his spouse and dependants is also included in the raft of benefits.
Mugabe resigned on 21 November after his party expelled him and parliament began proceedings to impeach him in the wake of a military intervention.
His 37-year tenure was marked by accusations of rights abuses, electoral fraud and economic ineptitude.
He was replaced by his long-time ally Mnangagwa, who had fallen out with Mugabe after the president sided with his 52-year-old wife Grace in a bitter feud.
{{Source:Theguardian}}
The agreement was signed Thursday in Kigali between by Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Cooperation and East African Community Affairs, Louise Mushikiwabo and UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation, Reem Ali Alhashimy.
The two discussed visa facilitation, skills development among youth, investment in tourism, bilateral air service, participation in Dubai Expo, among others.
Speaking to the National Broadcaster, the Director General for Bilateral Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and East African Community Affairs, Faith Rugema said that the agreement will ease trade between the two countries.
“The agreement aims at easing movements for people going for diplomatic missions. Diplomatic corps will be going there without visas. Under the agreement, UAE residents will also receive their visa on arrival in Rwanda and last for 90 days,” he said.
Previously, UAE nationals were allowed 30-day visa in Rwanda.
UAE’s Al Hashimy hailed Rwanda for opening doors to other countries urging that the cooperation should be extended to other sectors.
Mushikiwabo said that both countries are committed to good bilateral relations.
“We want to strengthen cooperation in skills sharing, information in different sectors so that they help us in building good relationship as well as protecting both countries’ interests,” she said.
National Career, RwandAir, Chief Executive Officer, Col. Chance Ndagano said that Rwanda will benefit in terms of air flights.
“The number of passengers to or from Dubai will increase and will help us in terms of business and cooperation,” he said.
Hey, there is absolutely no shame in sourcing for a little cash especially when there’s none. What’s the big deal? It’s just a yard sale.
Well, you probably have a couple of items that you haven’t used in a really long while that has not lost their value. You could do a check to see what those items are and if you can really afford to not use them any more before you put them up for sale.
It’s also best to check what best price to place on those items to avoid them remaining unsold. Listen, it’s easy money and it’s yours if only you can swallow your pride already and have a yard sale. Who doesn’t love a cheap valuable sale? Well, don’t answer that. I know I do. So, go on, get them together before it’s too late, put a placard up that says “On-going yard sale; lowest prices ever” and make that cheddar. You’d be surprised at how much you could make to spoil yourself silly.
{{You can re-use old decoration}}
Indeed, the true beauty of Christmas and the New year’s is in the decorations we put up everywhere. Each year, people (especially neighbours) try to outdo each other. We all want the most beautifully lit front yards, the most decorated Christmas trees drowning in glittering ornaments and priceless designs. We want it all. But, must we buy new decorations each year? Must we shell out a whole lot of money to buy what we already have just because we feel we want new ones? Isn’t that excessive? Believe me, it’s another word for it. Well, newsflash, plastic bottles aren’t the only things we can reuse, decorations are too. So go on, bring out those old ornaments and crystals, pull out that old lighting, plug it in. I’m sure it still shines as bright as a new one. Hang it around the house, use it even to create fun glittering words that inspire the true spirit of the season Make sure your neighbours see it, if they don’t, then its use is wasted. Again, you’ve got nothing to be ashamed of; it’s the holiday season, after all.
{{Shut out the temptation}}
It’s everywhere, on every turn, all up in our faces, ideas of what things to get ourselves for Christmas. Tempting us badly because it obviously has the upper hand; it has our undivided attention. They are mostly very excessive things that we don’t need at all, but because everyone is talking about it, the want for it is heightened in us. I remember wanting an iPhone for Christmas just because most of my friends had gotten one for themselves.
They obviously had planned it along while back, but me, I just wanted to get one for myself because it looked good when they showed it to me. So try your best to shut out the screaming temptation. Avoid commercials on cable TV. Do not, I repeat, do not go to the mall, some things there, you can never un-see. Rather, busy yourself with other time fulfilling activities and you will surely testify when the holidays are over.
{{Consider simple, smaller gifts}}
Due to the little budget you have, your purchases must march what you need. Don’t go breaking your neck buying a huge baking oven when you can easily get a micro wave. The idea of getting smaller and less expensive gifts is to work around your budget and save a few bucks. After all, you’ve got very little, why try to pull a Mayweather when you know you can’t afford to. He can easily afford that, and you can’t.
{{Consider small hangout spots}}
You obviously can’t afford to afford to take yourself on an expensive outing because, duh! You’re broke. So here’s what you could do instead, google cheap places to have a good time; it could be a random karaoke bar that also serves a good meal or even, you could go bowling. You could even go to the beach with some friends and take your own food along. There are so many interesting places to visit that don’t come with huge price tags.
{{Make your own decorations}}
How handy are you around the house? How creative can you be? The easiest way to save money you don’t have is to create your own stuff and not buy them. You could hack down an old tree, decorate it with some shiny old jewelry and put it up in the house. Hang some socks around, cut paper into certain decorative pieces (say the ginger bread man or maybe greeting cards) and hang it up too. You could also wrap a few boxes and place them under the tree. Trust me, you’d love it when you’re done.
Source: elcrema.com
Rwemalika got 13 out of 52 votes while FERWAFA election code requires her 27 votes.
Election results revealed that Rwemalika got 13 while 39 votes were invalid.
After a closed meeting to decide the way forward, the Electoral Committee’s president Adolphe Kalisa announced that Rwemalika did not secure enough votes.
“According to Article 28 of Electoral Code, the Executive Committee will continue to work until the next FERWAFA Elective General Assembly is held,” Said Kalisa.
The General Assembly has given powers back to the Executive Committee to prepare the next elective general assembly which will determine the next FERWAFA President.
