He is among diplomats representing Rwanda in 15 countries appointed on 15th July 2019.
Apart from representation in Egypt, Amb. Kalisa will also oversee Rwanda’s interests in Algeria, Libya, and Tunisia.
He presented letters of credence to Egypt Deputy Foreign Minister for African Affairs, Ambassador Hamdi Sanad Loza.
Kalisa conveyed greetings from President Paul Kagame and assured cooperation to expand bilateral relations.
Amb. Kalisa and Hamdi also discussed areas of priority to improve bilateral ties rooted on mutual trust and promoting trade as well.
“We discussed on empowering the private sector and the role of Egypt to support the progress of investors from both sides,” he said.
Promoting the trade of Rwanda’s coffee, tea was also among topics of discussion.
Amb. Kalisa pledged to draw emphasis on boosting cooperation in the investment sector luring Egyptians to take advantage of the Special Economic Zone in Masoto, Kigali city which has enough space for investors.
He was appointed to Egypt replacing Sheikh Habimana Saleh who was also assigned to an ambassadorial post in Morocco.
Rwanda and Egypt enjoy longstanding relationships before and after independence.
Both countries have built friendships in major areas of trade, education, and health.
The year 2019 started with a new impression on Rwanda-Egypt relations.
It is the year in which President Paul Kagame who chaired the African Union in 2018 handed over to his counterpart of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El Sisi.
Later on, top Government officials have been meeting to build vivid relationships built on mutual trust.
So far, 81 Rwandan students study in Egypt in different universities excluding other Rwandans living there for different businesses.
Bugesera district advisory council passed a resolution of levying fines to livestock found grazing in the precincts of Bugesera International Airport under construction and Gako Military barracks last year.
The mayor of Bugesera district, Richard Mutabazi has told IGIHE that the decision was made to protect activities in the aforementioned land and residents’ interests as well.
“Children grazing livestock in Gako forest are sometimes engaged in activities that put them at risk among other susceptible hazards. The machinery at the airport construction site might demolish a structure without noticing the pastoralist hence worsening the situation,” he said.
“Moreover, livestock and pastoralists would destroy completed infrastructure. We made the decision to protect residents’ interests and infrastructure as well,” added Mutabazi.
He appealed on residents against grazing livestock in restricted areas.
The money was recovered on Saturday from the prime suspect identified as Pacifique Iradukunda, who was a pump attendant on duty in the night of October 24, when the Rwf4.5 million was reportedly stolen from the safe.
Iradukunda has been in hiding from the night of the theft, until he was located and arrested in Ruli Sector of Gakenke District on October 26, Police said.
Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Alexis Rugigana, the Police spokesperson for the Northern region, said that law enforcement agencies, with the help of a telecom company, tracked Iradukunda’s phone in a lodge in Gakenke, where he was staying.
It is said that in the night of the theft, the suspect told his co-worker to go home and that he would fill the void, which was apparently part of the hatched plan.
Since Iradukunda had the key to the safe where he would also keep the money made that night, it is suspected that he instead opened and took all the money that was in the safe.
CIP Rugigana said that the petrol station management got to know about the theft the following morning before they filed the case.
“Law enforcement agencies worked with a telecom firm to track his line, he was found with only Rwf3.5 million at the time of his arrest,” CIP Rugigana said.
He has since been handed over to Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB).
Iradukunda, after his arrest, claimed that he doesn’t know the amount of money he took from the safe.
“I just picked all the money I found in the safe, I didn’t count how much it was,” argued Iradukunda.
Article 166 of the law determining offences and penalties in general in Rwanda states that anyone convicted of theft faces imprisonment of between one and two years, a fine of between Rwf1 million and Rwf2 million, and community service of up to six months or one of these penalties.
The suspects are identified as Jean Claude Byukusenge, Jean Berchmans Matakamba, Simeon Nikuze, and Innocent Ntibiramira
They are said to be part in the five separate attacks that occurred in the sectors of Nyakarenzo, Mururu and most recently in Kamembe
Three shootings occurred in Nyakarenzo, one in Mururu and the recent grenade attack in Kamembe, Kamashangiro Cell, which left three people with minor injuries.
A vehicle was also set ablaze and one person injured when two men armed with rifles attacked in Cyimbogo Village of Karangiro Cell, on October 7.
Security also recovered four guns, four grenades (two tortoise and two stick grenades) and ammunitions from the four suspected gunmen.
Meanwhile, the quartet was on Sunday paraded before residents in the three affected sectors.
The Governor of the Western Province, Alphonse Munyentwari thanked the residents for their role in identifying and sharing information with security, which led to the arrest of some of the attackers and seizure of weapons they were using.
Governor Munyentwari, who was accompanied by senior military and Police officers, reassured the residents of their security but urged them to “stand tall against anyone with intentions of destabilizing your security, peace and the overall wellbeing.”
The President revealed this on Friday as he closed the 12th Annual Forum of Unity Club Intwararumuri, an association of current and former cabinet ministers and their spouses.
He made the statement after the recognition of three 2019 Abarinzi b’Igihango recipients including Daphrose Mukarutamu, Serge Gasore and Carl Wilkens who were awarded for their outstanding work in society.
“These people have been receiving exciting awards and the permanent medal. It is of great value to have it but we better recognize them with financial support because they run other activities. I have seen Nobel Prize winners getting additional cheques of dollars. It is meant to enable recipients to sustain similar works smoothly,” he said.
“You have been giving similar awards. I am told that recipients have reached 40 since 2016 but I am starting with today’s recipients. We are also looking at how to cover previous recipients. We shall give Rwf 10 million to each of the 40 recipients. We are starting with today’s awardees, and then remember to put previous recipients on that list,” added Kagame.
Serge Gasore, awarded yesterday who is among the first batch to receive the Rwf 10 told IGIHE that it induces pride that their work is valued.
“It is a great pleasure and reflects the relevance of our deeds. The President’s recognition is evidence that our deeds are relevant and ideal. It is 100 times rewarding our efforts,” he said.
Gasore explained that Rwf 10 million will expand his project and improve efforts towards activities solving citizens’ problems.
Gasore, a resident of Ntarama, built a daycare for street children left by their parents and others after the Genocide. He established a hospital that provides free medical care and put up a centre that trains women in tailoring and handcraft among others.
He also formed an annual cycling competition which seeks to raise awareness about the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, and went ahead to set up a counseling center.
On the other hand, Daphrose Mukarutamu founded an association, Duhozanye, a platform bringing together genocide widows to chart ways for their development.
In 1996 she collaborated with the Government to construct 60 houses for genocide widows with each house accommodating three survivors.
Mukarutamu created unity and reconciliation groups that essentially promoted unity.
Wilkens, is an American aid worker who refused to be evacuated during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, even when his family, relatives and other thousands of expatriates were leaving Rwanda.
He is the only known American who stayed in Rwanda during the Genocide.
He offered money to Interahamwe militias to not kill the Tutsis he was hiding during the Genocide and later adopted a kid whose parents had been shot during the Genocide.
Awarding Abarinzi b’Igihango is organized by Unity Club Intwararumuri in partnership with the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission to reward people with outstanding deeds promoting unity and reconciliation among Rwandans.
The agreement to construct Rwanda’s first Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology (CNST) was signed by ROSATOM General Director Alexey Likhachev, and Rwanda’s Minister of Infrastructure Claver Gatete.
The CNST will become a modern platform for carrying out a whole range of scientific research and practical application of nuclear technologies.
It will allow the production of radioisotopes for widespread use in industry and agriculture as well as in healthcare, thus addressing the issue of lack of cancer treatment.
Moreover, the Centre will facilitate the analysis of elemental composition of ore and minerals and environmental samples, train highly qualified local personnel for the nuclear industry, contribute to digital technologies research and many others.
The CNST is expected to comprise of a multi-purpose research water-cooled reactor with up to 10 MW capacity. It will be equipped with laboratories, systems and functional units necessary for safe operation.
ROSATOM is the only company in the world to offer integrated clean energy solutions across the nuclear supply chain and beyond, including design, construction and operation of nuclear power stations, uranium mining, conversion and enrichment, supply of nuclear fuel, decommissioning, spent fuel storage and transportation and safe nuclear waste disposal.
With 70 years’ continuous experience, the company is the world leader in high-performance solutions for all kinds of nuclear power plants. It is also working in the segments of wind generation, nuclear medicine, energy storage and other.
Headquartered in Moscow, the company brings together over 300 enterprises and organizations and over 250,000 employees.
Globally, the company has the second biggest uranium reserves, has more than a third of the world’s enrichment market, and is the world’s biggest builder of the latest generation nuclear power stations and US$133 billion 10-years export order book.
The recent cabinet meeting approved the Presidential Order determining agreements held in Moscow on 5th December 2018 between Rwanda and Russia on cooperation to use nuclear energy for peace purposes.
The technology will be utilized in agriculture, energy and preservation of environment.
In June last year, Kagame was hosted by his counterpart of Russia, Vladimir Putin at his palace and held bilateral talks on both countries’ relations which existed for 56 years and expressed willingness to take it farther.
Rwanda, Russia relations deeply roots on trainings, education, military cooperation, health sector and politics among others.
The new spokespersons can be contacted via 0788311164.
Umuhoza has told IGIHE she previously served as a prosecutor and assured readiness to properly achieve his functions. “Provide information to facilitate investigations because collaboration is paramount,” she said.
Umuhoza promised good and complementing collaboration with the media.
“The media always supports our work. We cannot restrict media access to information. Let’s cooperate for mutual partnership,” she noted.
In August 2016, the Criminal Investigation Department from Police was merged with Crime Intelligence to establish Rwanda Investigation Bureau.
RIB has among other responsibilities, the mandate to counteract crimes and carry out investigations on suspected criminals.
The operations were conducted by the Rwanda National Police (RNP) Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU).
One of the suspects identified as Jean Claude Bigirimana was arrested in Kigarama Sector, Kicukiro district with 801 pellets of cannabis.
According to Central region Police Spokesperson, Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Marie-Gorette Umutesi, Bigirimana was arrested basing on information provided by area residents.
“The suspect had rented a house in Kigarama, which he was using as a narcotics store before selling to other retailers operating in Kicukiro and other parts of Kigali,” CIP Umutesi said.
Other 1,432 pellets of cannabis were being stored in a house in Gisozi Sector of Gasabo District, which was also rented by another suspected drug dealer.
The narcotics were concealed in a bag.
“The suspect, who is still at large, rented a house in Gisozi, slept in one night but never returned,” CIP Umutesi said.
“On Wednesday, one Vedaste Hakiziyaremye showed up saying that he had been sent by the person who had rented the house, to collect his belongings claiming that he had been arrested, but the landlord refused and told him to instead come with the owner or proof,” she added.
Instead, Hakiziyaremye came back later in the night, broke into the house in an attempt to steal the bag, which was in the house.
“He was apprehended by local residents as he attempted to flee with the bag, they searched it and found it contained pellets of cannabis, but he managed to escape from the residents.”
“The identities of the two suspects still at large are known and law enforcement officers are working together to trace and bring them to justice.”
CIP Umutesi commended the role of the public in identifying and reporting drug dealers.
“If everyone owns this fight in their communities, drug dealers will find no place to operate,” she said, calling for continued information sharing to break chains of supply.
Kagame was delivering remarks in Sochi yesterday at the second day of Russia Africa Summit attended by other world leaders. The two-day summit brought together more than 3000 delegates from across Africa and Russia to discuss politics and business.
He said that the ties between Russia and Africa are long-standing as mentioned by many countries including Rwanda.
The President highlighted that the moment was particularly favorable because ‘Africa is at a turning point in many ways including in terms of both trade and technology’.
“The African Continental Free Trade Area is soon to be the world’s largest, creating new opportunities for African companies and for our investors and partners from around the world, Russia among them,” he said.
Kagame emphasized that there re greater cooperation opportunities between Africa and Russia in fields such as information technology, scientific research, and new sources of energy where Russia enjoys a reputation for excellence.
He, therefore, observed that the current situation is promising for growth of trade between Africa and Russia.
“Trade between Russia and Africa has the potential for significant growth in the years ahead. To speed up this trend, we expect to see more frequent contact between our respective business communities and other institutions going forward,” said Kagame.
“For our part, it is essential to maintain a conducive and predictable overall governance environment, with equal rights and opportunities for all players. Our focus should be on deriving practical results from our cooperation efforts, with clear mutual benefit. Doing so, would indeed represent an important contribution to building an equitable international order and a brighter future for all our peoples,” he added.
The two-day Russia—Africa Economic Forum held on 23–24 October 2019 attracted many politicians and business leaders at the Olympic Park Main Media Centre in Sochi.
The official event programme featured a plenary session, and a range of high-level roundtables and panel discussions, as well as a multitude of opportunities for business contacts.
The Forum is an important and much-anticipated milestone in laying foundations for the promotion and enhancement of trade and economic relations among the economies across the African continent and enabling the diversification and deepening of economic collaboration between Russia and Africa.
As he opened the Summit, the Russian president welcomed thousands of African leaders to discuss politics and business “worth billions of dollars” and promised to refrain from ’political or other’ influence.
The two-day event will see more than 3,000 delegates from across Russia and Africa to discuss an array of topics from nuclear energy to mineral extraction.
All 54 African states sent representatives to the meeting, including 43 heads of state or government.
The figures were revealed yesterday at the Rwanda National Police (RNP) General Headquarters in Kacyiru during the Police-Media interaction session also attended by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Johnston Busingye, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dan Munyuza, Prosecutor General Jean Bosco Mutangana and the Secretary-General of Rwanda Investigation Bureau, Col. Jeannot Ruhunga.
The deputy commissioner for Traffic and Road Safety department, ACP Teddy Ruyenzi said they have upscaled traffic operations to ensure the safety of everyone on the roads.
He said that arresting drunk drivers reduced road accidents from 26 deaths in the first week of August 2019 to 7 in the last week.
Minister Busingye said that Rwanda is on course to achieving record road safety levels that government effort to save lives on the road will not be spared.
He said that the “road safety sector has assumed ownership” but added that “safety on road should be a choice.”
“We are on course to achieving an orderly, efficient and fast public transport sector and the strengthened road safety campaigns and operations are designed to achieve that target to guarantee safety for all,” Minister Busingye said.
“One fatal accident can go as far as affecting the family, community, business and the economy; it’s something that stands between poverty and development,” the Minister added.
He said the idea of this year-long campaign and operations should be widely welcomed and supported.
“A driver cannot do two things; it’s a complete profession that cannot be mixed with alcohol or using a phone when driving. We will not wither until people understand that this is a life-saving act,” emphasized Busingye noting that Rwanda should be a road safety by choice country that laws and regulations should come last.
“Speeding, zero alcoholic, skilled drivers and divided attention; all these are good and bad choices we make. We want drivers, who take safer choices without being forced. Prevention is a better choice rather than cure or post-mortem. The cost of unsafe roads is loss of lives, lifetime injuries, property, and financial loss. We should and will not get tired to prevent such,” he said.
Minister Busingye commended the role of the media for influencing change in road security calling it “phenomenon and building a safer community.”
IGP Munyuza explained that the 52-week campaign is also aimed at instilling the spirit of positive behaviors related to respecting set speed limits, preventing drunk-driving, protecting children against alcoholic drinks and drugs.
“We urge Rwandans to adopt this culture of not endangering children with alcohol and drugs; this is the responsibility of owners, managers and attendants in bars and entertainment spots to own this; the media fraternity to write against it; Rwandans to report people who abuse the rights of children,” IGP Munyuza said.
He further advised against public drunkenness, which is also against the law.
Prosecutor General, Jean Bosco Mutangana emphasized that the “law is clear against serving alcoholic drinks, public drunkenness and driving while drunk.”
He said that fatal and serious accidents caused by drunkenness can be treated as manslaughter and causing unintentional bodily harm, respectively.
Manslaughter, under article 111 of the penal code attracts imprisonment of between six months and two years, and a fine of Rwf500, 000 to Rwf2 million or only one of these penalties.
Causing unintentional bodily harm, on the other hand, is punishable under 118 with an imprisonment term of at least three months and not more than six months and a fine of up to Rwf1 million. The penalty can go up to two years’ imprisonment if it results in death.
Public drunkenness is also punishable under article 268 with imprisonment of between eight days and two months and a fine of between Rwf20, 000 and Rwf100, 000 or only one of the penalties.
