A potential deal would involve Iran committing to a moratorium on nuclear enrichment and the United States agreeing to lift sanctions, with both sides lifting restrictions on transit through the Strait of Hormuz, it said.
The duration of the moratorium on uranium enrichment remains under negotiation, with an estimated period of 12-15 years, said the report, adding that Iran initially proposed a five-year suspension while the United States demanded 20.
Heza Estate comprises 548 residential units across two categories, apartments and townhouses designed to meet the needs of working professionals, families, and members of the Rwandan diaspora seeking a secure, fully integrated community to call home.
Heza Estate comprises 548 residential units across two categories , townhouse and apartments designed to accommodate a range of household needs and budgets.
Apartments are available in two and three bedroom configurations, arranged across four-storey blocks with two units per floor.
Townhouses are offered in two types: two and three bedroom duplex units with a 3 bedroom corner townhouse
Pricing
Unit prices are structured based on the type and size of the property. Townhouses start at Rwf 80 million for a two-bedroom unit and go up to Rwf 117 million for a three-bedroom unit.
Apartments, on the other hand, are priced between Rwf 101 million and RWF 111 million, depending on the specific configuration and features.
Buyers may purchase units through flexible installment payment plans. RSSB has also partnered with multiple banks to provide mortgage financing at competitive interest rates, making homeownership more accessible than ever.
A community built for modern living
Heza Estate is designed as a fully integrated community rather than a typical housing development.
It includes a nursery school, basketball and volleyball courts, landscaped gardens and family relaxation areas, as well as commercial spaces.
The estate also features paved internal roads with street lighting and dedicated parking for each unit.
Commenting on the development, Claudette Rubangura, RSSB’s Commercial Operation Manager, said: “Heza Estate was built with a clear purpose — to give middle-income Rwandans, young professionals, families, and diaspora members a place they can truly call their own. We wanted residents to have everything they need within reach: schools for their children, nearby shopping and everyday conveniences, spaces to relax, and a secure environment. This is not just a housing project; it is a community designed around how people actually live.”
Heza Estate is part of RSSB’s broader housing portfolio, which spans multiple market segments. The institution is also developing Vision City II , a project three times the scale of Vision City I, growing from 500 to approximately 1,500 units.
These developments directly support Rwanda’s housing goals. Current projections indicate that the country will require at least 5.5 million housing units by 2050, when the population is expected to reach 22.1 million.
How to apply
Interested buyers are invited to take the first step towards owning their home by visiting hezaestate.rssb.rw to register online, calling sales team on +250 787 750 033
About RSSB
The Rwanda Social Security Board is a government institution responsible for social security administration in Rwanda.
Through its investment arm, RSSB develops housing and infrastructure projects that contribute to national development while generating sustainable returns for its members.
RSSB’s housing portfolio includes projects across multiple market segments, from Vision City to Heza Estate, serving a wide range of Rwandans seeking quality homes.
This afternoon, the two Heads of State will hold a tête-à-tête meeting followed by bilateral talks between their respective delegations, before addressing a joint press conference.
The discussions will culminate in the signing of bilateral agreements and Memorandums of Understanding in various areas, including a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement; a Memorandum of Agreement on Visa Abolition for holders of Diplomatic, Official, and National Passports; a Bilateral Air Services Agreement; an MoU in the field of Health; an MoU on Economic, Trade and Investment; and an MoU between the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre and the Rwanda Development Board (RDB).
Later in the evening, President Kagame will attend a State Banquet hosted in his honour by President Duma Boko.
On the second day of the visit, President Kagame will tour the Botswana Diamond Trading Company.
The State Visit was preceded by the Second Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation (JPCC) and the Second Rwanda–Botswana Business Forum.
The Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation was established in 2019 during President Kagame’s previous visit to Botswana.
Rwanda and Botswana enjoy warm bilateral relations, strengthened through high-level exchanges and the signing of various agreements and Memorandums of Understanding.
The two countries cooperate in several sectors, including diplomacy, mineral resources, defence and security, police cooperation, investment promotion, and agriculture.
He also describes himself as a longtime friend of President Paul Kagame, dating back to the period when Kagame lived in Kampala.
Capt Mike Mukula, now 69, is widely known for his 28 investment companies under the Mukula Group of Companies. He is also a former pilot.
Between 1996 and 2016, he represented Soroti constituency in the Parliament of Uganda and currently remains a prominent figure within Uganda’s ruling party, the National Resistance Movement (NRM).
Thirty-six years after the launch of the Rwandan liberation struggle and 32 years since the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi was stopped, Capt Mukula reflects on his close and personal ties with both President Paul Kagame and Maj Gen Fred Rwigema.
In an interview on The Long Form Podcast with Sanny Ntayombya, Mukula recalls meeting Rwigema in 1985, a moment that quickly evolved into a deep friendship.
Captain Mike Mukula still remembers the night of September 30, 1990, with painful clarity.
He was getting a haircut in Bugolobi when Major General Fred Rwigyema walked in.
“He came to me and said, ‘I just want to look at you. I wanted to see you and look at you,’” Mukula recalls. “That was the last time I saw him.”
The following day, Rwigema crossed into Rwanda to launch the Liberation Struggle. He was killed on the second day of fighting.
For Mukula, that quiet moment marked the end of a deep friendship that had grown over years—one shaped in Kampala’s social spaces, shared meals, and a shared revolutionary spirit.
Long before the Rwandan Patriotic Front launched the Liberation Struggle on October 1, 1990, Mukula and Rwigema moved in the same circles. At the time, Mukula, then a pilot and businessman, ran Bimbo Ice Cream, a popular hangout in Kampala.
“Fred loved to come to Bimbo,” Mukula says. “He used to come, order ice cream. He used to come home. I was very close to his mother—very, very close to his mother. Actually, we started speaking Kinyarwanda. She started teaching me Kinyarwanda because she didn’t know English, she didn’t know Luganda, she didn’t know Swahili.”
Their friendship grew so close that Mukula believed he would play a central role in Rwigema’s wedding.
“We had even bought suits,” he recalls with a smile. “I thought I was going to be his best man. But then the hierarchy wanted to make it a military wedding, so they got General Ivan Koreta to be the best man. But we had already bought the suits—for both the Kasiki and the wedding.”
A Kasiki in Uganda is a traditional, celebratory party held on the eve of a wedding at both the bride’s and groom’s homes, acting as a farewell to bachelorhood.
The Kasiki ceremony was held in Bugolobi, not far from Mukula’s home. As he said, President Kagame was responsible for security at the time.
“We coordinated together to make sure that the function went very well,” Mukula says.
Rwigema remained a frequent visitor to Bimbo, where he ate, drank, and interacted freely with Mukula.
“That’s how close we were,” he explains. “They would eat freely in my place, drink freely, and interact with me. That’s how free it was.”
Mukula also recalls a moment that revealed Rwigema’s calm bravery far from the battlefield. One evening, as they drove out of Bimbo along Jinja Road, they encountered an armed robber who had hijacked a vehicle and was exchanging fire with police officers who had frozen in place.
“Fred then took a brand new AK-47 from one of the policemen,” Mukula recounts. “He went into the corner—the act of bravery—fired I think two or three shots… As soon as [the robber] stopped, he entered in and fired rapidly. He had pinned where the man was. And the man was no more.”
Afterward, Rwigema calmly returned the gun to the policeman and drove away.
Mukula reflects on the moment with admiration: “General Salim Saleh and most of the soldiers of the NRA did not command from the rear. They breathed in engagement directly from the front.”
When news of Rwigema’s death reached him, Mukula says the pain was overwhelming. To this day, he marks October 2 as a personal day of remembrance.
“On the 2nd of October every year from the time he fell, I don’t work. I stay home… in memory of my brother,” he says. “It was very painful, very, very painful.”
The vessel, named San Antonio, was attacked during its passage through the strategic waterway, according to French daily Le Figaro.
Crew members injured in the incident were evacuated and are currently receiving medical treatment, while the vessel sustained damage, the report said.
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps Navy on Tuesday reiterated its warning to all vessels seeking to transit the Strait of Hormuz to solely take the corridor previously announced by the country.
Speaking at a press conference, Gomes said the three patients requiring urgent medical care are in stable condition, with no new cases reported among the remaining passengers and crew.
The evacuation will be carried out by specialized air ambulances, with one aircraft already in Cape Verde and another expected to assist. “The transfer will take place as soon as all safety conditions are in place,” she said, without specifying a timetable.
Gomes stressed that the risk to Cape Verde remains low, as no passengers have disembarked and there has been no contact with the country’s territory.
A sanitary corridor involving maritime and airport authorities has been established to ensure the safe evacuation of patients, medical staff, and the public.
The vessel may be cleared to resume its voyage once the evacuation is completed and sanitary conditions are verified, Gomes said, noting that the outbreak had been reported by international health bodies before the ship entered Cape Verdean waters.
The meeting marked the second session of the Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation (JPCC), co-chaired by Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olivier Nduhungirehe, and Botswana’s Minister of International Relations, Phenyo Butale.
In his remarks, Nduhungirehe highlighted the strong ties between Rwanda and Botswana and underscored the need to further deepen bilateral economic cooperation.
Rwanda’s delegation also included the Deputy CEO of the Rwanda Development Board, Juliana K. Muganza, along with other government officials and private sector representatives.
The discussions focused on finalizing new cooperation agreements aimed at strengthening and expanding relations between the two countries.
Both sides reviewed legal and regulatory frameworks that will guide the partnership, covering areas such as trade, agriculture, and the avoidance of double taxation.
Both ministers welcomed the finalisation of six key instruments, which are expected to be signed during President Kagame’s state visit to Botswana on May 6, 2026.
The Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation was established in 2019 during President Kagame’s previous visit to Botswana.
During the visit, Kagame is expected to meet his counterpart, Gideon Boko, with discussions set to focus on cooperation in areas including trade and technology, tourism, animal vaccine production, transport, and the diamond sector.
The visit is also expected to result in the signing of multiple agreements covering trade and investment, institutional collaboration, and partnerships between the Rwanda Development Board and its counterpart institution in Botswana.
He described the match between Visit Rwanda partners Arsenal FC and Atlético Madrid as an exciting encounter, commending Arsenal for their performance and qualification.
“Great match between Visit Rwanda partner teams Atlético Madrid and Arsenal. Congratulations to Arsenal FC on the win and qualification for the UEFA Champions League Final. May the best VisitRwanda partner team win!” Kagame wrote on X.
The two teams faced off in the second leg of the semi-final on May 5, 2026. Playing at Emirates Stadium, Arsenal took control early in the match and dominated much of the game. In the 44th minute, Bukayo Saka scored the only goal, giving Arsenal a 2-1 aggregate win over the two legs.
Another semi-final clash is scheduled for May 6, 2026, between Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, both also partners of Visit Rwanda. In the first leg, PSG secured a 5-4 victory at home against Bayern Munich.
The winner of that tie will face Arsenal FC in the final, set to take place in Budapest on May 30, 2026.
This marks Arsenal’s second appearance in a UEFA Champions League final, their first being in 2006 when they lost to FC Barcelona.
The agency received reports of a hantavirus outbreak on the Hundius on May 2. Seven individuals of the 147 passengers and crew have been reported ill and three have died. The situation remains fluid, WHO’s chief of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention Maria Van Kerkhove told reporters in Geneva.
“One patient is in intensive care in South Africa, although we understand that this patient is improving,” she said, adding that two other patients, still on board the ship, are being prepared for medical evacuation to the Netherlands for treatment.
Van Kerkhove stressed that the situation is being closely monitored. As a precaution, passengers have been asked to remain in their cabins while disinfection and other public health measures are carried out.
“The plan is, and our highest priority is, to medically evacuate these two individuals” to make sure that they receive the required care, and there are no other symptomatic patients on board, she said.
The ship is set to continue on to the Canary Islands, Spain, and the WHO is working with the Spanish authorities “to do a full epidemiologic investigation, full disinfection of the ship,” she added.
Hantaviruses are carried by rodents and can cause severe disease in humans. Thousands of infections are estimated to occur each year. People usually get infected through contact with infected rodents or their urine, their droppings, or their saliva.
As to the suspected origins of the virus, Van Kerkhove said that the initial patients — a husband and wife — boarded the ship in Argentina.
“With the timing of the incubation period of hantavirus, which can be anywhere from one to six weeks, our assumption is that they were infected off the ship,” she said.
“We do believe that there may be some human-to-human transmission that’s happening among the really close contacts,” such as the husband and wife and others who have shared cabins, she noted.
According to the WHO, human-to-human transmission of infection hantavirus between people is uncommon, but limited spread has been reported among close contacts in previous outbreaks of the Andes virus, which is part of the hantavirus group.
There are no specific treatments for hantavirus other than supportive care. “Typically, people will develop respiratory symptoms, so respiratory support is really important,” Van Kerkhove said.
She made the remarks on May 4, 2026, in Geneva during an official reception held on the sidelines of the ITU Council session, attended by high-level delegates including the ITU Secretary-General, Doreen Bogdan-Martin.
Bakuramutsa expressed appreciation to Swiss authorities for hosting the session, before highlighting Rwanda’s longstanding role on the ITU Council since 2010, where it represents the African region. She said Rwanda’s engagement has been guided by its commitment to promoting universal and inclusive connectivity in line with global digital development goals.
She noted that Rwanda has actively contributed to international discussions on key issues such as meaningful connectivity, spectrum management, digital policy, and artificial intelligence, while consistently advocating for the interests of developing countries, including affordable access and bridging the digital divide.
The Ambassador also pointed to Rwanda’s broader efforts to position itself as a regional technology hub, citing initiatives such as the Smart Africa Alliance, headquartered in Kigali, and the hosting of Mobile World Congress Kigali since 2022.
She further highlighted national projects aimed at strengthening digital infrastructure and innovation, including a data-sharing platform, a cybersecurity hub, e-government services, and an artificial intelligence scaling hub targeting sectors such as healthcare, agriculture, and education.
Bakuramutsa emphasized that despite global progress, about 2.2 billion people remain without internet access, underlining the need for continued international cooperation. She recalled Rwanda’s role in hosting major ICT events, including the World Telecommunication Development Conference in 2022, which contributed to advancing global commitments through the Kigali Declaration and Action Plan.
On the diplomatic front, she formally announced Rwanda’s bid for re-election to the ITU Council, seeking support from Member States to continue contributing to the global ICT agenda, particularly in areas such as digital public infrastructure, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Taking the floor, ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin commended Rwanda’s leadership in digital development, both in Africa and globally. She highlighted Kigali’s transformation into a growing innovation hub and referenced key initiatives including the Partner2Connect Digital Coalition and Mobile World Congress Kigali.
Bogdan also praised Rwanda’s progress in artificial intelligence, digital education, and e-waste management, as well as its continued engagement in ITU initiatives. She further acknowledged the role of President Paul Kagame in advancing the country’s digital agenda on the global stage.
karirima@igihe.com