DIGP Namuhoranye is in Qatar at the invitation of the Director General of Public Security of Qatar, Lt Gen. Saad Bin Jassim Al Khulaifi.
The colourful graduation of over 100 Police officers, who completed a four-year cadet course at Qatar Police College, was presided over by the His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad al Thani, the Emir of Qatar.
The event was also attended by ministers, heads of Qatar security organs and delegations of police forces from over 18 countries including the USA, Europe, Asia and from other African countries.
DIGP Namuhoranye also held a meeting with Lt. Gen. Khulaifi and discussed, among others, matters related to cooperation between Rwanda and Qatar Police forces, especially in areas of capacity development.
Lt. Gen. Khulaifi thanked the Deputy Police Chief and the RNP in general for honoring the invitation.
DIGP Namuhoranye also thanked Qatar for successfully securing the recently concluded FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Commissioner of Police (CP) Denis Basabose, the Commissioner for Infrastructure Security and Private Security Providers (ISPSP) in Rwanda National Police (RNP) made the call on Thursday, February 2, while presiding over the pass-out of 147 new recruits of ISCO security company, in Kacyiru Sector, Gasabo District.
He noted that providing quality security services is key to valuable branding, which will go a long way to contribute to sustainable security and institutional gains.
“The security landscape evolves, which also requires private security service providers to also move with the trend, and to be professional,” said CP Basabose.
He reminded the new recruits to add value in security services adding that training is a continuous process.
CP Basabose further urged them to always be vigilant at premises under their protection and that no security issues and theft in particular, should be reported at such facilities.
Discipline, love for the work they do, teamwork, respect among themselves and proper supervision, he added, are key in security.
The head of training at ISCO, Col (rtd) Laurien Nkuriye said that the training for new recruits was increased from one month to three months due to the evolving security environment.
At least five people, he added, did not complete the training due to varied reasons.
During the three months, trainees acquired security skills in search, use of arms, fire safety and martial arts, among others.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Alex Ndayisenga, the Northern Region Political and Civic Education Officer (RPCEO) said that Police officers on duty intercepted Nsekuye in Kidakama Cell, Gahunga Sector at about 6:30p.m.
“Nsekuye was trafficking the outlawed polythene bags in a public vehicle. It was stopped, searched and Nsekuye was taken into custody after Police officers found his bag containing over 61000 pieces of plastic bags,” SP Ndayisenga said.
It is suspected that Nsekuye sneaked the banned packaging products into Rwanda through a porous border point in Burera District.
SP Ndayisenga warned against such environmental crimes. He particularly cautioned the business community against using polythene bags for packaging, which is punishable by law.
Manufacturing, use, importation or sale of plastic carry bags and single-use plastic items are prohibited under article 3 of law N° 17/2019 of 10/08/2019 relating to the prohibition of manufacturing, importation, use, and sale of plastic carry bags and single-use plastic items in Rwanda.
In article 10, any person, who imports plastic carry bags and single-use plastic items is liable to the dispossession of those plastic carry bags and such items, and to an administrative fine equivalent to ten times the value of those plastic carry bags and single-use plastic items.
In article 11, a wholesaler of plastic carry bags and single use plastic items is liable to an administrative fine of Frw700, 000 and dispossession of those plastic carry bags and such items.
In article 12, a retailer of plastic carry bags and single-use plastic items is liable to an administrative fine of three hundred thousand Rwandan francs (FRW 300,000) and dispossession of those plastic carry bags and such items.
The conference due to take place from 7th to 10th March 2023, will bring together forensic science practitioners from 40 countries.
During the conference, experts, institutions and countries will receive awards for their contribution to promote the forensic sector with a view to encourage others to follow the suit.
The Director General of RFL, Dr. Charles Karangwa has told IGIHE that Rwanda was selected as a host of the 10th conference due to security and adequate infrastructures.
Other aspects considered include the country’s efforts to fight corruption and experience in organizing international conferences.
They are additional to the fact that the country has a competent institution offering forensic services in a short time span.
This time around, the meeting will bring together over 400 participants from across the world.
Dr. Karangwa affirms that Rwanda will benefit a lot from the conference including enhanced visibility as a country that has taken forensic services to greater heights.
He disclosed that the country will also generate revenues as guests will visit touristic attractions and consume other services.
“They will need transport services and accommodation at hotels. The conference will also enhance Rwanda’s visibility as a country committed to become a hub for forensic services at continental and global levels,” he said.
The conference will attract forensic experts and specialists from the United States, Asia, Europe, Oceania and Africa. It will also feature exhibitions on best practices from participating countries.
Rwanda’s forensic laboratory which initially operated under the auspice of Rwanda National Police (RNP) has been strengthened gradually since it was established in 2005.
To maintain professionalism, the laboratory entered agreements with Key Forensic Services from the United Kingdom (UK) to build the laboratory and furnish necessary equipment.
After enacting the law establishing RFL in 2016, the institution started offering convenient services to the judiciary, members of the private sector and citizens in 2018.
It became an autonomous body in the same year and is currently run under the aegis of the Ministry of Justice.
The RFL has modern equipment as well as experts and specialists capacitating it to conduct forensic investigations used to boost justice delivery.
RFL provides services including forensic toxicology, drug and chemistry, and documents examination and fingerprint analysis, DNA forensics, ballistics, forensic pathology and digital forensics.
As at November last year, RFL was offered services to more than 20 African countries.
A statement signed by the Spokesman of the Congolese Army, Gen Maj Ekenge Bomusa Efomi Sylvain, and released on January 31, 2023, states that it was decided, “to deport from the country the Rwandan soldiers who are part of the EACRF which has headquarters in Goma.”
The statement further reads that Rwandan soldiers had already left Congo. After the decision, Rwanda immediately recalled its soldiers who were part of other regional initiatives in DRC.
In a letter to which IGIHE has a copy, the Secretary General of the East African Community, Peter Mutuku Mathuki wrote to the Deputy Prime Minister of the Congo and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Christophe Lutundula, saying that he does not understand the reasons for the decision.
“The East African Community has learned with concern that on January 30, 2023, of the deportation of 3 officers deployed by the Republic of Rwanda at the East African Community Regional Force Headquarters in Goma to Rwanda,” reads part of the letter.
This document also reminds Congo that what it did was a mistake because the decision was made “by the Heads of State at their meeting on the Peace Process in Eastern Congo on the sidelines of COP 27 on 7th November 2022 in Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt.”
Peter Mutuku Mathuki went on “to seek further and urgent clarification” from Congolese leaders as to why they decided to expel the Rwandan soldiers.
These Rwandan soldiers are part of EAC Forces led by a Kenyan, Gen. Maj. Jeff Nyagah. They have been in RDC for about three months.
The troops in this peacekeeping mission come from countries including Kenya, South Sudan, Uganda, and Burundi. They are expected to spend six months in DRC.
Dr. Ronald Adamat, Commissioner of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Founding Chairman of Volunteer Individuals for Peace (VIP), spearheaded the event.
“We want peace to reign in our country. We want peace to be the language everyone of us will speak and every Filipino and every foreigner will understand. Today, let’s declare peace as a pandemic. Infect people not to rest in peace but to live in peace,” said Dr. Adamat.
Dr. Adamat is the first Filipino recipient of the prestigious Mahatma MK Gandhi Prize for Non-Violent Peace awarded last year in recognition of his contributions to peace-building including the higher education
In attendance also is Chairman Lee Man-hee of Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), a 92-year old Korean war veteran.
“Peacebuilding in Mindanao after conflict is becoming known worldwide. This is the case of transforming death into life for peace. Starting with Mindanao and the Philippines, when we unite in love, peace will come to our world. For this reason, everyone in the Philippines has to become one and work together as messengers of peace,” said Chairman Lee.
The two peace advocates first met in 2017 during HWPL World Peace Summit held in South Korea. As an expression of their shared commitment to promoting peace, CHED and HWPL signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) in 2018 to integrate peace education in the higher education curricula.
The convention commenced with the first Plenary Session followed by parallel sessions in the afternoon. The parallel sessions were conducted separately for five sector groups—lawmakers and non-government organizations, academe and youth, religious and ethnic groups, women, and media. Each session drafted a resolution which contained their solidarity with the organizers’ peace-building efforts.
The five resolutions were consolidated during the second Plenary Session to call for President Bongbong Marcos to proclaim January 24 as ‘National Peace Day’ or “Truce Day”.
The date January 24 was proposed in commemoration of a civilian-led peace agreement signed at General Santos City in 2014 to boost reconciliation among the local communities. It was proposed by Chairman Lee to mediate between the existing conflict in Mindanao at the time. The date was later declared as ‘HWPL Peace Day’ by then Maguindanao governor Toto Mangudadatu in 2015 and BARMM Chief Minister and MILF Chairman Ahod Ebrahim in 2016.
The organizers believe that the declaration of a National Peace Day shall be the mechanism by which every year, peace-related activities are observed and celebrated across the country.
There is a proverb that goes, ‘No man is an island’. The latter implies that humans are inter-dependent and need to be part of a community in order to thrive. It is undisputable that one can’t know everything but the combination of expertize from different individuals make a significant impact.
It is under this backdrop that a young Nigerian, Damola Oloketuyi identified challenges that obstruct students from pursuing studies abroad in universities of their choice and founded AOC Schengen to provide them with needed support.
AOC Schengen is an educational consulting firm which runs international recruitment services to students who aspire to continue their education abroad in Europe.
They are assisted to get admission into universities in different countries including The Netherlands, Germany, and Spain among others.
Having started operations in 2018, the firm has offices in Nigeria, Germany, Gambia and has recently expanded footprints to Rwanda.
AOC Schengen’s Founder and Managing Director, Damola holds a Bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering and pursued Master’s in Aviation in Germany in 2014.
Like, other students he wanted a place where he could practice what he learnt and have internship opportunities.
He got partial employment in an aviation consulting firm within the first six months of studies and got hired by his school after graduation in 2016. Working with the school sharpened Damola’s marketing and relationship kills. His work was mainly about developing the market for African students to study in Germany.
The services were not popular at the time that he would to travel to Nigeria to talk to students and bring available opportunities to light.
“My hard work paid off big time that I was promoted as regional director where I was in charge of Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and Cameroun among others,” said Damola.
After holding senior managerial positions, and developing the market for the Schengen region, Damola founded his own company in Germany.
“By doing so, I wanted to create more options for people through my company initiated in 2018,” he noted.
The company started with offices in Germany but has expanded footprints to four countries including Rwanda.
Damola works with staff members in respective countries to prepare students get international competencies, provide advises, match students with the right schools and the right country based on financial and academic capabilities.
He encourages students aspiring to study overseas to take advantage of consultancy services he offers to get tailored information on what exactly they qualify for and application process.
“We help them understand why they are going to those countries and what courses fit. We have helped a large number of people but we still need to do more in different African countries,” says Damola.
“We are the major recruiters and get awards for that. The man behind the services has been a student and went through the whole system. We offer unique services that cover life after getting visa. We actually help students build the career not just helping them familiarize with campuses’ settings,” he adds.
Apart from admission into European universities to pursue Bachelor’s or Master’s courses, AOC Schengen also helps students on visa application process at a reasonable cost.
“If you pay, we guarantee you the admission. If you don’t, we pay back the money,” assures Damola.
He explains that his company seeks to create awareness about Schengen benefits and take it across the whole East Africa.
So far, AOC Schengen has assisted over 100,000 students since it began operations in 2018.
According to Damola, studying abroad opens students’ minds and exposes them to numerous opportunities.
“When you study abroad, always look for the right course and right country to meet your end goal. Besides, opportunities are not tied to one country. You always have to look at benefits that can be involved,” he advises.
AOC Schengen has opened office in the city centre inside WAKA building and offers free consultation sessions to students via Instagram ([@aocschengen->https://www.instagram.com/aocschengen/?hl=en]).
Interested students can access more information via provided link: https://aocschengen.de/ or call +250792574316
The event held on 31st January 2023 in Kigali, came after the recent suspension of new gambling licenses by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MINICOM), further backed up by he Ministry of Sports to ensure continued compliance.
During the event, three entrepreneurs were given floor to pitch their innovations promoting safe gambling.
Kwizera Rulinda, board chair of the mental health journal Rwanda (MHJ), was second to present.
His project, Baho initiative, is a web and mobile application that provides psycho-social support to address gambling addiction through counseling as well as outsourcing to unemployed youth.
The president and representative of Joshua Creativity and Self-grown Solution Association (SGS), Josué Kwizera Uwimana (Fasasie), was the third to present his ‘gambling addiction rescue in youth’ project.
“The goal is not to ban gambling because some people win and survive off this game. We want to produce awareness and reduce addiction,” he said.
Eric Uwitonze, the winner of the Safe Gambling Hackathon by Crucial Compliance, told IGIHE that after gaining knowledge about Financial/Money Literacy, he now understands the reason people confuse assets and liabilities.
Uwitonze also aspires to create recreational centers with the help of governmental or non-governmental organizations concerned with gambling addiction.
The centers will be a space to learn about emotional intelligence, social change, and monetary literacy among others.
Uwitonze expressed delight for his win and reiterated commitment to help communities get rid of gambling addiction.
“I am happy to be called a winner. I am happy that my project will be financed and developed by experts,” he said.
“I’m ready to impact several of our loved ones with gambling addiction issues. I am going to give my support to my community and my society,” added Uwitonze.
The CEO of Crucial Compliance, Paul Foster, has told IGIHE that the company is desiring to encourage people to use gambling for entertainment.
“When people start to move out of the entertainment zone into the danger zone, we involve technology to help them make informed decisions,” he disclosed.
Crucial Compliance was created to make a difference in the gambling world.
Founders believed that investing in safe gambling could help protect people from entering the danger zone of gambling and still allow them entertainment.
According to Foster, safe gambling can be achieved through different ways; by limiting the amount of money a person can gamble in a day or week, implementing age restrictions, or prohibiting people with gambling addictions from participating among others.
When asked if their investment would hinder the business of betting apps, casinos, and other gambling establishments, Foster assured that those establishments are protected.
One of the things that Crucial Compliance targets, is to make people more aware of that gambling is not a way of making money. It also seeks to contribute to the development of a more responsible and trustworthy industry by ensuring that people can gamble safely.
Individuals with innovations on how to make safe gambling are encouraged to reach out to the company’s staff members via their [website->https://crucialcompliance.gi/].
[Related article: Hackathon event to tackle the problem of gambling addiction in Rwanda->https://en.igihe.com/news/article/hackathon-event-to-tackle-the-problem-of-gambling-addiction-in-rwanda]
Upon arrival at Léopold S. Senghor International Airport, Kagame was received by his counterpart of Senegal, Macky Sall.
Rwanda’s Presidency has also revealed via Twitter handle that President Kagame also held talks with his counterpart on Wednesday evening.
This evening in Dakar at the Presidential Palace, President Macky Sall hosts President Kagame to a tête-à-tête discussion on regional, continental, and global affairs ahead of tomorrow’s 2nd Dakar Financing Summit for Africa’s Infrastructure Development,” reads the tweet.
The hybrid summit is slated to be officially opened on Thursday 2nd February at Abdou Diouf International Conference Center (CICAD).
It is co-organized by the African Union Development Agency and the Government of Senegal.
Among others, the summit aims to rally key stakeholders, including African governments, the private sector, development finance institutions, institutional investors, and development partners around the second PIDA Priority Action Plan (PIDA PAP 2).
The plan comprises 69 projects in the water, energy, ICT and transport sectors, with an investment value of US$160 billion, endorsed by the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government in 2021.
The Summit will feature presidential roundtables, panel discussions and boardroom sessions to discuss specific infrastructure projects.
According to the African Development Bank (AfDB), Senegalese President Macky Sall, the current African Union chairperson are expected to be joined by several African leaders. They include Rwandan President Paul Kagame, Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa, Niger President Mohamed Bazoum and Faure Gnassingbe, President of Togo.
PIDA is a joint initiative of the African Union Commission, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development Planning and Coordination Agency and the African Development Bank, which is PIDA executing agency.
The first Dakar Summit was hosted by President Sall in June 2014.
The Head of State delivered the message to Rwandans and friends of Rwanda as the country celebrated Heroes Day on 1st February 2023.
This year’s celebration is observed under the theme ‘Our Heroism, Our dignity’.
Kagame has via Twitter handle said that it serves as an opportunity to honour heroes for their sacrifice to make Rwanda a country with a bright vision.
“Today, we honour the Rwandan men and women whose bravery and patriotism laid the foundation for a nation of a people determined to shape their own destiny,” he tweeted.
“As we face challenges of regional and global nature, today is a reminder of our ability to stand up for what is right, to protect our nation and to build a legacy of prosperity for generations. Happy Heroes Day!” added Kagame.
According to the law establishing the Chancellery for Heroes, National Orders and Decorations of Honor “a hero is any person who pursues objectives he/she undertakes to obtain a special achievement for the public interest and with high proven integrity, sacrifice and noble courage in his/her acts and who avoids being a coward in his/her actions in very trying situations.”
{{Rwandan heroes are classified into three categories namely:}}
{{Imanzi:}} The unknown soldier and Major General Fred Gisa Rwigema.
{{Imena:}} Mutara III Rudahigwa, Rwagasana Michel, Agathe Uwiringiyimana, Niyitegeka Félicité and Nyange students.
{{Ingenzi:}} No hero was classified in this category.
