The graduates are Joseph Abakunda, Ivan Irankunda, James Kagwisage, Aaron Kamugisha, Yahya Kanyamaza, Richard Kayumba, Faustin Mugeni Jean Bosco, Mushambo Habimana, Winston Ngoga, Alexander Ruramba and Robert Shema.
Awarding certificates to graduates on Thursday, State Minister in charge of Transport at the Ministry of Infrastructure, Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye said that graduating 11 pilots is a good step towards addressing the country’s need for pilots.
“Aviation is among major sectors in which different activities are performed. It is in this regard that we wish to see Rwandans do this job. We don’t have many people in the sector and graduating these 11 is an advantage as we continue to increase the number,” he said.
He said the country is set to launch another school under Akagera Aviation that will train pilots for big aircrafts, contrary to the current training in flying helicopters.
“We will start training others next year, starting from pilots and aircraft technicians that will work for our national career, RwandAir. Registration for the programme has already begun,” said Uwihanganye.
The Managing Director of Akagera Aviation School, Patrick Nkurikiyimfura said the graduates are capable enough to pilot helicopters.
“We are glad to say that we have now trained people capable of piloting helicopters. We are striving for the next phases to offer training in flying big aircrafts like those of RwandAir,” he said.
Akagera Aviation started offering aviation courses in 2004 and has so far graduated 50 pilots.
The Head of State was speaking Thursday at International University of Africa in Sudan.
Kagame is on a two-day state visit in Khartoum, Sudan, where he arrived yesterday and held bilateral talks with Sudan President, Omar Al-Bashir.
He said that his visit to Khartoum aims at strengthening the friendship between Rwanda and Sudan, and advancing cooperation on the continent.
“The need to work together as Africans has always been pressing and we now have more reasons than ever to reinforce our solidarity. Our continent is young, dynamic, and growing fast. Africa already plays an active and positive role in global affairs,” he told students.
He said that solutions for Africa’s biggest challenges are in Africa. He said there was time Africans were conditioned and sometimes forced to rely on others for the interests of those outsiders.
“Your generation has everything it takes to make our continent what it should be,” he said.
“It is no small matter that the students in this university come from more than 70 different countries, most of them African. You represent a wealth of ideas and perspectives and you have a critical role to play in building a better continent,” Kagame noted.
Three pillars of focus
Kagame cited three pillars that Africans can focus together to attain the desired development and welfare of the population.
He said the first pillar is special efforts that must be directed to managing the diversity and deepening national cohesion and consensus.
“This means always striving to nurture good and productive politics in keeping with our respective situations and historical contexts,” he said.
He said Africa’s diversity should be seen as a source of vitality and dynamism, adding that it is up to everyone to contribute to the African character, one that is confident, at peace with itself, and open to partnership with the wider world.
“Ultimately, we should be responsible for our own security and well-being. No one will hand these to us for free,” he urged.
The second, Kagame said, Africans must accelerate African integration both economic and political. According to Kagame, Africa’s tremendous resources and opportunities have benefitted others for far too long.
“One way to also make them work for us is to stay united and collaborate closely on the things that have the most impact on the lives of our people. Trade and investment is a primary example, which is why implementing the Continental Free Trade Area is so important,” he said.
“It should not be harder to do business within Africa than it is between Africa and other parts of the world. That is a recipe for exploitation and poor terms of trade. Solidarity gives us the means to tackle these challenges more effectively rather than as individual countries with less leverage,” he said.
Kagame said that the ongoing institutional reform of the African Union aims to make the continental organization more focused, effective and financially sustainable, a target he said is critically important for Africa’s future.
He noted that a good number of countries including Sudan and Rwanda have already begun to implement the new 0.2% levy on eligible imports to finance African Union programmes.
He explained that the measure is designed to make the African Union less dependent on external partners and more attuned to the interests and priorities that Africa has defined for itself.
He said a better organised African Union (AU) will allow more mutually beneficial partnerships between Africa and other parts of the world.
The third pillar, he said, is that Africans must do the right things to seize the opportunities presented by globalisation.
He said investing in the capacities of people, especially youth, through education and information technology will allow Africans compete effectively in the knowledge industries that drive prosperity.
“Acquiring a mindset for success and ownership doesn’t require money but it is the most important condition for transforming our continent. We already have means and ability to do so, right here in Africa, and it is our responsibility. We must maintain a sense of urgency. Everything is in place and so we cannot allow time to work against us. Our people have already been waiting for too long,” he told the students.
“As university students, you are already on a path to leadership and useful service in your respective communities. I call on you to use your talents to create opportunity and well-being for others. We count on the young people of Africa to build a dignified and prosperous future for everyone on our continent.”
He told students that Rwanda has learnt lesson from her tragic history and established relevant institutions. “Rwanda doesn’t have a lot of resources but this proves that there is more in people and what they can achieve,” he said.
He noted that Africans have to deal with so many problems but they also have many opportunities to help them deal with those challenges as they also work together with other countries to maximise the opportunities.
The Strengthening Social Protection Project (SSPP) will help expand the coverage and effectiveness of Vision 2020 Umurenge Program (VUP) to benefit a bigger number of vulnerable households.
It will also expand the number of working days for public works and the number of cash transfer beneficiaries
The project will extend eligibility criteria for direct support to more labor-constrained households including vulnerable households with people caring for disabled members.
SSPP will also introduce gender and child sensitive public works model to provide more accessible jobs to those ineligible for direct support but still with labor constraints including child caregivers.
The project will benefit vulnerable households primarily in Ubudehe Category One living in the 416 VUP direct support targeted geographical sectors, 300 sectors targeted for expanded public works as well as 270 sectors targeted for classic public works.
“Social protection remains one of the main priorities of the Government of Rwanda for meeting its ambitious poverty reduction and human capital development goals. To further this agenda, Rwanda has started building an integrated social protection system to ensure a minimum standard of living and access to core public services, boost resilience against shocks, promote equitable growth and strengthen opportunity through increased human capital development,” said Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Amb. Claver Gatete.
World Bank Country Manager, Yasser El-Gammal, said “SSPP is part of the wider program of the Government of Rwanda and World Bank to combat chronic malnutrition and invest in the early years development along with other World Bank supported projects namely the Stunting Prevention and Reduction, and Agriculture Projects.”
It is expected that direct support to approximately 95,846 households in Ubudehe Category One will continue and expand to about 11,000 same category households with one person working and caring for a person with disability.
It is also expected that beneficiaries of classic public works support will increase from the current 128,000 households in 240 sectors to approximately 141,361 in 270 sectors.
Major extension of gender and child-sensitive model is expected to reach 75,000 households in 300 sectors by the end of the project, up from 2,757 households in 30 sectors in Fiscal Year 2016-2017.
Suspected thieves broke into the computer laboratory of the school in the night of December 17, and stole seven laptops.
Police spokesperson for the City of Kigali, Supt. Emmanuel Hitayezu, said that two people including a student at the same school, found with the four recovered laptops, are currently in Police custody.
“During investigations, Police in Gisozi received information from a resident reporting a teenager, who was trying to sell him a laptop, and was suspicious that boy could have stolen it somewhere,” said Supt. Hitayezu.
“When officers apprehended the boy, he was cooperative; he identified his accomplice identified as Viateur Habinshuti, who was found with three others. Investigations have identified one of the people that bought one of the laptops from these suspects,” he added.
“This is part of the overall crackdown on both electronic thieves and dealers in stolen electronics. Investigations are also following leads on the theft of other seven laptops stolen from another school in Kicukiro, last month,” he said.
Last week, police handed over some of the electronics including computers and television sets to rightful owners, after they were recovered from suspected thieves, who were also arrested.
“In the two cases of theft of computers in the schools in Gisozi and Kicukiro, there is suspected involvement of students within those schools, who are conversant with everything and connive with other people to break-in to steal various items especially electronics. Investigations have also revealed that some schools have left no security after their break off for holidays, which is also risky,” Supt. Hitayezu said.
The long-running probe has been a major source of tension between the two countries following accusations that a Tutsi militia headed by current Rwandan President Paul Kagame was responsible for the attack on the plane in April 1994.
The missile strike near Kigali’s airport sparked 100 days of slaughter of the Tutsi ethnic minority by members of Habyarimana’s Hutu ethnic group, leaving an estimated million of dead people.
Kigali has long accused France of complicity in the genocide by supporting the Hutu regime, training the soldiers and militiamen who carried out the killings.
Ties had been on the mend until 2014 when Kagame repeated accusations that French soldiers had been involved in the bloodbath.
The relationship took an even worse turn when the French judiciary decided in October 2016 to reopen an investigation into the attack on the plane, as the French crew were among the victims.
In October, sources close to the probe told AFP that the judges had heard from a new witness who claimed to have seen the surface-to-air missiles used to launch the attack at the headquarters of Kagame’s militia.
The testimony corroborates other versions of events that point the finger at Kagame’s regime.
French authorities have been investigating the strike as French citizens were among those killed aboard Habyarimana’s plane.
A total of seven people have been charged in France over the deaths, including Rwanda’s current defence minister, James Kabarebe, and Franck Nziza who allegedly fired the missile.
The target was announced yesterday during the meeting that brought together RAB officials and poultry farmers.
The Head of Animal Resources Department at RAB, Dr. Christine Kanyandekwe said farmers have to embrace modern chicken farming and ensure chicken’s good health in order to increase the production.
“The first thing is to embrace modern farming and prevent diseases. Feeding chickens with appropriate feeds will also help increase the production,” she said.
Dr. Kanyandekwe said the country produced a total of 7,000 tonnes of eggs last year, the production they also target to increase in future.
Magezi Mutimura, a chicken farmer, said that they still have challenges like costly feeds and lack of medication for their chickens but head of Poultry Farmers Association, Jean Claude Ruzibiza, said that problems have been solved.
“We encountered different challenges in the past including some chicken diseases and lack of chicks but we have recently acquired many incubators and we are set to produce many chicks to the extent we will export some,” he said.
Statistics from RAB show that meat production reached 116,000 tonnes in 2016 up from 86,000 tonnes in 2015.
Tigo Rwanda Chief Executive Officer, Philip Amoateng told media on Wednesday that the move will help solving connectivity problems including roaming from inside and outside the country. He promised continued good services.
Amoateng was speaking following a definitive agreement between Bharti Airtel and Millicom International Cellular, the mother company of Tigo Rwanda, under which Airtel Rwanda Limited will acquire 100% equity interest of Tigo Rwanda Limited.
He said that clients will retain their lines and access to other services like Tigo Cash.
“We have good share on telecommunication market, we are present all around the country with 3G and 4G internet services with over 530 telecom towers. When they get added to Airtel’s 490 towers, they will make the telecommunication more effective,” he explained.
Tigo Rwanda will handover services to Airtel after the approval by Rwanda Utility and Regulatory Authority (RURA). The process will take between one and three months.
Amoateng said that after merging both companies, Tigo lines and other services will electronically be connected Airtel and clients will continue to access them as usual but from a different company.
Speaking about Tigo Staff who are likely to lose jobs, Amoateng said that Airtel will decide the next step but assured of a due processes abiding by Rwanda’s Labour Law.
Airtel is a global network which currently serves over 370 million customers across 17 countries. In the region, Airtel operates from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
Tigo Rwanda currently occupies 38.9% after MTN with 41% of the market share.
Mugambage said that they asked for the explanations about the armed group operating in Uganda with ambition to oust the government of Rwanda.
The call for clarifications followed different abduction acts against Rwandans doing businesses in Uganda.
Among them include, René Rutagungira who was kidnapped in Kampala in August.
A fortnight ago, another Rwandan Fidèle Gatsinzi was reported arrested by people clad in military fatigues suspected to be working for Chieftaincy Military Intelligence (CMI) and Rwanda knows nothing of his whereabouts until now.
Speaking to IGIHE this week, Amb. Mugambage confirmed the crisis in diplomatic relations between both countries adding that they are seeking the solution. He said that Rwanda has started acting on the problem.
“Our desire in Rwandan politics is for tighten relations with other countries, be our neighbors, the region and Africa. Rwanda does all the best to tie good relations. Sure, crisis is there resulting from arrests and other activities against the development of our country but we are working on it,” he explained.
In September, different media houses from the region wrote that three Rwandans identified as James Bayingana, Lando Ali Nsekanabo, Vianney Byaruhanga Nduwamungu were arrested by CMI from Bukasa region and were held incommunicado at Mbuya prison during the period of three months.
Mugambage said, following different acts of provocation, the government of Rwanda has written to the Government of Uganda asking them clarification about arrests of Rwandans and the armed group operating from there.
“We always look for good relations but people continue to hamper its development. We have to ask them the reason behind as there is no clear reason we know till now. We want this problem to be clarified. We have written asking clarifications, we are waiting to hear from them,” he said.
Rwandans working from Uganda continue to raise anxiety about their security over the rising relations crisis between both countries.
After participating in different games with children, Marriott Hotel staff offered children different gifts including toys, school materials and foodstuffs.
Marriott Hotel General Manager, Rex A.G.Nijhof said the gesture aimed at showing children that they should not feel lonely in their sickness because people around think about them.
“As Marriott Hotel staff, we are happy to be here at Masaka Hospital, this is part of our helping programmes. We always do our best to help the community in which we operate. We are glad to share Christmas with patient children as well as wishing them quick recovery so that they start New Year in good health conditions,” he said.
The gesture stood at Rwf1.5 million and gifts benefitted 90 children from different categories.
Parents of the children hailed the gesture, saying that it comforted them and their children in their ill situation.
“We are happy as people from poor families who are unable to buy toys for our children. My child is happy for the presents. We thank the hotel staff for the loving heart,” said Niyonsaba Kayitesi.
Evariste Bigirima, Director for maternity services at Masaka Hospital, appreciated Marriott’s moral and material support to hospitalized children.
“The joy is apparent on the faces of these children and their parents. They are really happy. Marriott staff spent time playing with the children and gave them gifts. It is really supportive,” he said.
The event followed the Hotel staff’s children reception, a fortnight ago, in which the children shared Christmas ambiance with the hotel management in different games, foods as well as getting the insights about the hotel their parents work for.
In medium-term, Rwanda’s economy will benefit from reduced external imbalances, expected recovery of prices of traditional exports of minerals, tea, and coffee, and existing competitive exchange rate, said the 11th edition of the World Bank Rwanda Economic Update entitled “Rethinking Urbanization in Rwanda: from Demographic Transition to Economic Transformation.”
“Targeting public investments to areas where high economic returns and addressing fiscal contingencies is important for maintaining the fiscal space which has narrowed in recent years,” World Bank Senior Country Economist Aghassi Mkrtchyan said in a statement released here in Kigali.
The report confirms the observation that the central African country has been urbanizing rapidly, and an increase in the urban population has been accompanied by the physical expansion of cities, notably in the periphery of Kigali as well as around secondary cities, said the statement.
