Niyonsenga alias Cyuma Hassan gained popularity over talk shows aired on his channel dubbed Ishema TV.
Two days ago, the High Court handed him seven-year jail term and slapped him with Rwf5 million fine after he was found guilty of four charges including forgery, impersonation, and humiliating state officials.
The crimes were committed on 15th April 2020 when he declined to obey security officials that requested him to comply with COVID-19 preventive measures.
At the time, he was arrested and later acquitted by Gasabo Intermediary Court. The Prosecution appealed against the verdict whereafter, he was handed seven-year sentence by the High Court which also ordered his arrest. He was detained on 11th November 2021 one day after court delivered the verdict.
Following the ruling, international media started distorting reasons of his sentence through their publications. For instance, Al Jazeera have written that Niyonsenga has been sentenced over using his YouTube Channel to criticize the Government of Rwanda.
BBC has also reported that the public perceives Niyonsenga as a ‘hero’ and ‘enemy of the country’.
The story also reads that Niyonsenga is renowned as someone who spoke for the voiceless people.
In response to these reports, the Spokesperson of the Government of Rwanda, Yolande Makolo condemned biased media reports distorting the truth.
“This sensationalism is misleading. Niyonsenga was arrested for violating the COVID lockdown and convicted for practicing without the required permit, presenting forged press cards, assault, criminal obstruction of security officials and law enforcement when asked to return home,” she said.
His body was retrieved on Friday 12th November 2021 in Bwinyana village, Rusave cell of Murama sector.
It is said that the man was last seen alive on Thursday chatting with neighbors before he shared drinks with friends in a bar during evening hours.
The executive secretary of Murama sector, Pauline Mukarurangwa has told IGIHE that his body was seen in water under a bridge separating Kabarondo and Murama sectors.
“The deceased is a resident in Bwinyana village. We have not yet established cause of his death but it is suspected that he might have been killed by gangsters. He was sharing drink with colleagues the previous evening before his death. So far, five suspects who shared drinks with him have been arrested. It is apparent that murderers first beat him and tied his arms before dumping him in water,” said Mukarurangwa.
She appealed on residents to provide information on susceptible security threats earlier to counteract such crimes.
Mukarurangwa said that the five suspects are detained at Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) station in Rwinkwavu as investigation is underway.
Alexandre Hagenimana, 25, John Ndagijimana, 35, and Ignace Jean Claude Ngirimana, 30, were arrested on Thursday 11th November 2021 in Kirwa Village, Bungwe Cell, Bwira Sector.
They were allegedly cutting trees in the forest located in Kirwa village to make timber.
According to the Western region Police spokesperson, Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Bonaventure Twizere Karekezi, the suspects were found with over 100 pieces of timber, which they made out of trees they cut in the protected forest.
“The environmental crimes were reported by local leaders after reports from residents,” CIP Karekezi said.
He added that Hagenimana cut the trees to saw timber for sell.
“Local leaders first seized over 100 pieces of timber from Hagenimana. He later fraudulently took the timber from the store where it was kept after he lied the security guard that authorities had given the timber back to him.
Hagenimana then sold the timber to Ndagijimana and they connived with Ngirimana to transport it to timber traders,” CIP Karekezi explained.
The trio was intercepted after loading the timber in a truck belonging to Ngirimana.
CIP Karekezi warned against destroying forests and called upon the public to always report such illegal acts of environmental degradation.
The suspects along with the timbers were handed over to RIB at Gatumba station for further legal process.
Article 44 of Law N°48/2018 of 13/08/2018 on environment prohibits the following acts in order to protect biodiversity: burning forests, national parks and reserved areas, burning swamps, grazing land, bushes, grass with the aim of agriculture or organising grazing land, killing, injuring and capturing animals of endangered species, destroying or damaging habitats, larvae, pupae or the young animals of the endangered species, causing death or burning protected plants, harvesting or destroying them, transporting or selling the remains of a whole or part of an animal and plants of endangered species, and cutting trees in forests or protected areas or in national parks.
In article 59; any person who causes death, destroys protected plants, harvests or damages them, commits an offence. Upon conviction, he/she is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than three years and not more than five years and a fine of not less than Rwf1 million and not more than Rwf3 million.
The decision is part of resolutions of the cabinet meeting held on Friday 12th November 2021 chaired by President Paul Kagame at Village Urugwiro.
Mpayimana, 51, vied for Presidency in 2017 where he emerged the second with 0. 73% votes.
In 2018, he submitted his candidature to National Electoral Commission (NEC) seeking to compete for a seat in parliament but his efforts were in vain.
In the same year, he announced that he was undergoing process to register his political party for people’s progress dubbed Parti du Progress du Peuple Rwandais (PPR).
Other appointees include Anita Kayirangwa, named the Executive Director of National Unity, Itorero and Citizenship Education at the same ministry while Mireille Batamuliza was appointed the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Gender and Family promotion.
As per statement released last night, bus operators must ensure that windows are open for proper ventilation and passengers maintain social distancing, movements are prohibited between midnight (12a.m) and 4a.m while businesses must close by 11p.m.
The cabinet meeting has also resolved that physical conferences and meetings will continue at 75% occupancy. All participants must present a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours prior to the meeting.
Among others, all services at places of worship should not exceed 75% of maximum occupancy.
The new measures will take effect nationwide starting 15th November through 14th December 2021.
Citizens are reminded of the critical importance of complying with health measures including physical distancing, properly wearing face masks and hand hygiene.
This commitment was formalised through Rwanda’s Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy, which includes ‘Ecotourism, Conservation and Payment of Ecosystem Services’ as one of 14 programmes of action.
{{Below are five ways Rwanda is promoting ecotourism and conserving its natural heritage.}}
{{Creation of Gishwati-Mukura National Park and designation as UNESCO Biosphere Reserve}}
In 2016, Gishwati-Mukura was established as a legally protected area and the Rwanda’s fourth national park. Four years later, the landscape was named among the World Network of Biosphere Reserves by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The rehabilitation of the Gishwati-Mukura landscape and the creation of the national park was made possible by the Landscape Approach to Forest Restoration and Conservation (LAFREC) Project implemented by Rwanda Environment Management Management Authority with the support of the Global Environment Facility through the World Bank, and the Forest of Hope Association.
This achievement has led to the sustainable conservation and management of Gishwati-Mukura National Park, new opportunities for community empowerment, education and research for sustainable development as well as for eco- and community tourism.
{{Mountain gorilla conservation and re-introduction of threatened and endangered species}}
The Government of Rwanda, through the Rwanda Development Board and in collaboration with conservation partners, has achieved success in protecting and increasing the endangered mountain gorilla population and conserving its habitat.
With community led conservation efforts, the mountain gorilla population in the Virunga Massif has increased from 480 in 2010 to 604 as of June 2016. Today, mountain gorillas are the only great ape species increasing in number in the world and the species were recently down-listed from critically endangered to endangered on the IUCN Red List.
In 2015, the Government of Rwanda teamed up with African Parks to reintroduce lions to Akagera National Park after two decades of local extinction. This conservation milestone was followed by the reintroduction of 18 critically endangered Eastern black rhinos in 2017, further advancing the restoration of the park’s biodiversity. In 2019, five additional rhinos from European zoos were translocated to Rwanda to increase the genetic diversity of the country’s rhino population.
As a result of these efforts, the populations of these endangered animal species have increased, playing a crucial role in saving them from extinction.
{{Investments in ecotourism}}
Rwanda’s tourism sector is the country’s leading foreign exchange earner. In 2019, the sector earned US$498 million. Within the industry, ecotourism is quickly becoming dominant, thanks to the demand from travellers seeking low-impact experiences.
Rwanda has positioned itself as a high-yield, low volume destination in keeping with its conservation-centric approach to tourism. This strategy has attracted several high-end lodges and professional management such as international brands including Singita, One&Only, Wilderness Safaris and Mantis Collection and local brands such as The Retreat, Amakoro Songa Africa, Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge and The Bishop’s House.
These and other hospitality brands have made a valuable addition to the tourism offering, providing a diverse range of world class accommodation and experiences and contributing to conservation efforts – especially reforestation. As a result, Rwanda has been recognised by leading international travel publications as one of the top global destinations for luxury ecotourism.
Rwanda’s conservation efforts would not have been a success without the power of partnerships. The Government of Rwanda works hand-in-hand with several conservation partners including the Greater Virunga Transboundary Collaboration, Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, International Gorilla Conservation Programme, Wildlife Conservation Society, Gorilla Doctors, African Parks, Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association, Albertine Rift Conservation Society and the African Leadership University among others. These partnerships support the promotion of biodiversity conservation, and enable Rwanda to invest in nature and communities.
{{Protection of national parks}}
The protection of national parks and payment of ecosystems count among significant conservation achievements in Rwanda. This has been achieved through the expansion of the Akagera National Park buffer zone, the long term protection of Nyungwe and Akagera national parks through a unique partnership with African Parks, as well as the rehabilitation and establishment of Gishwati-Mukura National Park.
The Government of Rwanda also recently announced plans to expand Volcanoes National Park due to its growing mountain gorilla population and vision for community livelihood improvement. This once in a generation initiative will expand the park by approximately 23%, increasing its size by 37.4 square kilometres (3,740 hectares).
To ensure the best use of community benefit funds, Rwanda promotes close ownership, participation and technical support from local communities. Promising projects include payment for ecosystem services schemes with tea factories compensating forest-adjacent communities for water filtration services provided by protected areas and promoting the rehabilitation of degraded areas such as Gishwati and Mukura forests.
In addition, 10% of park tourism revenue is invested in the communities surrounding Rwanda’s national parks, which fosters ownership and builds a constituency for conservation. Rwanda has also established a fund to compensate for any damage caused by wildlife, which is financed by 5% of tourism revenue.
Rwanda’s conservation efforts aim to maintain and expand the country’s protected areas as key economic assets supporting climate-resilience, and acting as havens for biodiversity and sources of vital ecosystem services.
{{Utilising Payment for Ecosystem Services and Natural Capital Accounts}}
Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) occurs when a beneficiary or user of an ecosystem service makes a direct or indirect payment to the provider of that service.
The idea is that whoever preserves or maintains an ecosystem service should get an incentive for doing so. To promote this model of environmental conservation, Rwanda has partnered with Costa Rica and is developing a scalable PES system.
Rwanda has also developed Natural Capital Accounts for land, water, minerals and ecosystems (key natural resource pillars of economic development and sustainable growth). Natural Capital Accounts (NCA) are an important resource for tracking progress on socioeconomic, environment, and natural resource indicators.
The country has also set a target to allocate 37.7% of land to conservation in its National Land Use and Development Master Plan. This demonstrates the Government of Rwanda’s commitment to environment protection, natural resource management and climate change preparedness.
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Commenting on the development, the CEO of Liquid Cloud and Cyber Security, David Behr said: “The workplace is no longer identified as a place we go to, but rather what we do irrespective of the location. Therefore, businesses need a solution that will create a workplace facilitated by seamless communication, collaboration, and flexibility. With OneVoice for Cloud PBX, Liquid is reiterating its commitment towards building a more unified, converged, and easily manageable communications ecosystem for African businesses.”
Undoubtedly, the future of work is heading towards a hybrid working culture. The in-office corridor chats, the desk to desk ‘quick catch-ups’ and informal customer conversations that the world used to rely on to maintain person-to-person connections now need to happen digitally. This means that businesses need a platform that leverages productivity and eliminates the cost of using the old PBX.
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Additionally, OneVoice for Cloud PBX also reduces the possibility of bill shock by giving businesses a single pane of glass to view their usage. The single-pane view allows companies a complete overview of use, enabling them to make their environments more streamlined and adaptable.
The launch of OneVoice for Cloud PBX follows the successful release of the OneVoice for Operator Connect, another solution by Liquid Intelligent Technologies that integrates traditional telephony calling within the Microsoft Teams ecosystem. These services demonstrate the robust portfolio of voice solutions enhancing collaboration in the new remote/hybrid work environment.
OneVoice for Cloud PBX is delivered over the same access devices and networks as the data services and carried over Liquid’s carrier-grade IP-based Next Generation Network, interconnected to all other fixed and mobile networks across the country and globally to over 400 networks. The OneVoice for Cloud PBX solution is currently available in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda.
{{About Liquid Intelligent Technologies }}
Liquid Intelligent Technologies, a business unit of Cassava Technologies, a pan-African technology group present in more than 20 countries, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. Liquid has firmly established itself as the leading provider of pan-African digital infrastructure with an extensive network covering over 100,000 km.
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Over the coming months, the KIFC, in collaboration with the GDFA, will develop new ways to allow banks to assess the greenness of the companies they support. The pilot programme will utilise the data banks already hold on the SMEs they finance, minimising the input required from the SMEs. Following a ‘data mining’ process, the data will be converted in to ‘climate metrics’ to reveal a green rating for the company based on their emissions.
The generation of green metrics will then become automated, providing banks with green SME rating tool which will help to drive future decision making of which companies to invest in, and enabling them to move towards the objective of providing green finance as part of their core product offering.
The development of these new tools also has the potential to bring benefits to the SMEs themselves who will be able to identify quick wins to reduce their emissions (through streamlined transportation, reduced energy consumption etc.). This will enable them to cut their running costs while also contributing to the country’s efforts to meet their Nationally Determined Contribution (NDCs) to reduce emissions.
The KIFC was chosen for the pilot program because of their commitment to driving green investment, and Rwanda’s globally recognised efforts in sustainability and environmental protection. Rwanda recently announced an ambitious plan to raise $11 billion in finance to help cut emissions, and for adaptation and mitigation projects.
“Rwanda is an ideal pilot country because it its commitment to both digitalisation and to using innovative finance to deliver on its national targets under the Paris agreement. Not to mention that Rwanda is a reginal training centre for carbon accounting. Hence, Rwanda is committed to bringing together green and digital both at strategic and practical level. That is why I am particularly pleased to GDFA and KIFC has agreed to form this partnership,” reads the statement released by GDFA following the agreement.
Nick Barigye, the Chief Executive Officer at KIFC expressed delight for the milestone.
“This tool could change the face of green investment in SMEs as banks will be able to see just how green their investments currently are and make decisions about future investments based on accurate data,” he said.
“Here at the KIFC, we are committed to making ourselves a leading centre for green investment. This will benefit our businesses, the Rwandan people, and have a positive impact across the continent and beyond. This project helps us make progress towards this objective. It shows yet again that trusted partners see that Rwanda works for investors, and it will only strengthen our claim that Rwanda is the best place in the world for green investment,” added Barigye.
These include Senior six General Education, Teacher Training Colleges (TTCs) and Level 5 of Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
“MINEDUC informs the public, students, and parents in particular that the results of National Examinations for S6 General Education, Year 3 results (TTC), and Level 5 (TVET) will be officially released on 15 November 2021 at 14:00 PM,” the Ministry has revealed via Twitter handle.
At least 52.145 students including 22,894 boys and 26,892 participated in the national exams conducted recently in the school year 2020/2021.
The move follows the publication of results for primary six and ordinary level national exams early October 2021.
The discussions were held on Wednesday 10th October 2021 as CHOI paid a courtesy call to Minister Biruta.
Minister CHOI has been in Rwanda for a three-day official visit from 9th to 11th November 2021.
During their discussions, Minister Biruta expressed Rwanda’s readiness to enhance cooperation with Korea in several sectors including public health, education, ICT and science technology.
CHOI also appreciated Rwanda’s efforts to establish a vaccine manufacturing plant in the country, which will expand vaccine supply capacity on the African continent.
He expressed optimism that the two countries will find ways to cooperate in this area as Korea is also working to become a global vaccine manufacturing hub.
During his stay in Rwanda, Minister CHOI also visited Kigali Genocide Memorial and paid tribute to victims of the Genocide against Tutsi.
Since 2011, Rwanda has been a priority partner in development cooperation for the Korean Government where the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) is implementing a dozen of projects focusing on ICT, education and rural development.
In addition, Korea EXIM Bank is cooperating with Rwanda, through its Economic Development Cooperation Fund to develop the infrastructure of the University of Rwanda and expand Rwanda’s electricity infrastructure.
This high-level visit is expected to serve as a springboard for Korea and Rwanda to further consolidate the bilateral partnership ahead of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations to be marked in 2023.
