Category: News

The meeting took place at Urugwiro Village in Kigali, a day after Rwanda and Senegal held the inaugural session of their Joint Permanent Commission for Cooperation, which saw the signing of bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding across key sectors.

The two countries also held a business forum aimed at expanding trade and investment ties by connecting businesses and identifying opportunities for partnerships.

The forum brought together government officials, investors and private-sector representatives to explore opportunities in sectors including agriculture, construction, transport and logistics, tourism, health and education.

Rwanda Development Board (RDB) Deputy Chief Executive Officer Juliana Kangeli Muganza called on businesses to translate the strong political relations between the two countries into lasting economic partnerships.

Senegal’s APIX investment promotion agency also highlighted the need to move beyond institutional cooperation to generate more investment, trade and private-sector partnerships.

The latest engagements reflect ongoing efforts by Rwanda and Senegal to deepen economic cooperation and strengthen ties that date back to 1975.

The agreements were signed during a business forum held in Kigali on October 7, 2026, on the sidelines of the inaugural session of the Rwanda-Senegal Joint Commission for Cooperation. The forum brought together government officials, investors, businesses and other stakeholders from both countries.

Participants explored opportunities in transport and logistics, construction, agriculture and agro-processing, textiles, leather, services, tourism, health and education, while business-to-business meetings provided an opportunity to discuss potential trade deals, joint ventures and investment projects.

RDB Deputy Chief Executive Officer Juliana Kangeli Muganza urged businesses to turn the strong political ties between Rwanda and Senegal into lasting economic partnerships.

She highlighted Rwanda’s 9.4% economic growth in 2025 and the second quarter of 2026, as well as $2.62 billion in investments registered through 799 projects in 2025, expected to create more than 38,000 jobs.

Muganza said the RDB supports investors through its One Stop Centre, streamlined procedures and connections with relevant institutions and partners and urged the private sector to trade, invest, build partnerships and create jobs.  

APIX Deputy CEO Moustapha Cissé said cooperation should move beyond institutional relations to generate more investment, trade and private-sector partnerships. 

He identified agriculture, industry, innovation, infrastructure, logistics, services, tourism, health and education among the priority areas.

Rwanda’s Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe said the forum should lead to concrete business partnerships rather than remain a platform for dialogue.

“We want this forum to be not simply a space for dialogue, but the starting point for a new phase of cooperation between the business communities of Rwanda and Senegal,” he said.

Senegalese Foreign Minister Cheikh Niang said both countries have complementary strengths that could support stronger economic ties.

“Rwanda and Senegal each have their own strengths. Our collective responsibility is to ensure that these strengths can complement each other more,” he said.

The forum comes amid strong political ties between Senegal and Rwanda, based on mutual respect and a shared commitment to strengthening cooperation. 

The remarks were made on August 7, 2026, during a sermon delivered by Apostle Gitwaza to Christians. An excerpt from the teaching began circulating widely on social media in recent days, drawing criticism from various people.

In the clip, Gitwaza tells Christians to be cautious about the first person to hold a newborn, claiming that witches could use nurses and midwives to affect a child’s reproductive health.

“If you give birth to a boy or a girl, be careful about the first person you do not know who takes the baby. The spirit of witchcraft is in many nurses and midwives; Satan uses them there. Who were the ones killing the Israelites? It was the midwives,” he is heard saying.

He goes on to claim that children could suffer reproductive harm shortly after birth, alleging that boys could have their sperm “taken away” while girls could have their “eggs” removed, which he said would affect their ability to have children later in life.

“If you have a baby boy and realize he has impregnated someone, be concerned but also rejoice that he is active. Many are targeted there when they are born. A girl may grow up without eggs. So pray for pregnant women, and even when children grow up, be careful about sending them to sleep in places you do not know. At night, they go and use them as sacrifices. Do not let your child sleep in a place you do not know again,” he said.

Zion Temple apologises

In a statement issued on October 7, 2026, Zion Temple Celebration Center said it had become aware that excerpts from the teaching were circulating on social media and acknowledged that the remarks had hurt nurses and midwives.

“We became aware that statements contained in the clip were understood by members of the public, particularly nurses and midwives, as disrespectful and as undermining their profession and the important role they play in the health and wellbeing of our society,” the church said.

The church said there had been no intention to discredit nurses, midwives or any other profession.

“We recognise, however, that the words used caused hurt and concern. For this, we sincerely apologise to nurses and midwives and to all those who were affected by the message,” it said.

Zion Temple said it highly values nurses and midwives and appreciates their dedication, professionalism and contribution to saving lives, caring for families and improving the wellbeing of communities.

The church also said it had held discussions with representatives of the nurses and midwives association to express its regret and explore ways to strengthen mutual understanding and trust between the two sides.

It said the discussions were constructive, with both sides agreeing to continue strengthening cooperation and public trust in nurses and midwives.

Prime Minister Dr. Justin Nsengiyumva told Parliament on October 2, 2026 that changing weather conditions and a livestock disease outbreak had contributed to a decline in milk production, particularly over the past two months.

He said the outbreak had been brought under control, allowing livestock markets to reopen, while prices of livestock products such as meat had started to decline.
“We also expect milk to become available again because the rains have started,” Dr. Nsengiyumva said.

Milk shortages have been reported on the market for some time. In early September, an inspection of nine shops in Gishushu, Nyarutarama and Gisimenti found that only one had milk in stock. Inyange Industries had also attributed the decline in milk supplies to a prolonged dry spell that significantly reduced milk production.

Farmers in different parts of the country also reported that a lack of water and pasture had reduced milk production.

A farmer in Nyagatare said the amount of milk he sold each day had fallen from nearly 100 litres to less than 20 litres. Another farmer in Gicumbi said a cow that previously produced 10 litres of milk was producing about two litres.

Earlier last month, IGIHE visited Nyabugogo and found that the price of a carton of Inyange milk had reached Rwf19,000 in some places. Traders who were asked about the price said their purchase costs had increased.

One trader, who requested anonymity, said they normally sold a carton to customers for Rwf8,500, but prices had changed because of higher prices charged by their suppliers.

A survey of different markets in Kigali also found that Inyange milk was being sold at significantly higher prices in some ordinary shops, although it was still available at Rwf8,500 in some supermarkets.

The annual observance, held every September 28, seeks to raise awareness of rabies, promote vaccination of animals and educate communities on how to prevent the disease.

This year’s national event was held in Bisate Sector, Musanze District, an area close to Volcanoes National Park.

Among the activities carried out during the event were dog vaccination, spaying and neutering, as well as microchipping to help identify and keep records of the animals.

Uwingabire Claudine, a resident living near Volcanoes National Park, said she was pleased to have her dogs vaccinated.

“I have two dogs, and recently they went after a neighbour as if they wanted to bite them, which could have sparked a dispute. So I was happy that they came to vaccinate them for free,” she told IGIHE.

Prosper Uwingeri, the Chief Park Warden of the Volcanoes National Park, urged residents living near the park to keep their dogs from entering the protected area, particularly for hunting.

He said dogs entering the park could threaten wildlife and also create challenges for conservation and tourism.

“Preventing rabies through a One Health approach will help us protect the park and the different species found there. People living around the park depend on activities such as farming, livestock keeping and access to water, but these activities should not lead to dogs being sent into the park because they can harm wildlife,” Uwingeri said.

“The issue of dogs concerns us. They do not create a good image for tourism when they are released and end up hunting in the forest. We love dogs and want to protect them,” he added.

Nshimiyimana Laslas, Director of the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and Other Parasitic Diseases Unit at RBC, reminded residents that both dogs and cats can transmit rabies.

“Both cats and dogs can transmit rabies. Once symptoms appear, the disease is almost always fatal. We want to eliminate rabies by 2030, and this requires ensuring that no one dies from rabies after being bitten by an infected animal,” he said.

Nshimiyimana called for closer cooperation between the human, animal and environmental health sectors in the fight against rabies, particularly in communities surrounding Volcanoes National Park.

“People who keep dogs at home are the first line of defence against rabies. We should have them vaccinated, keep them properly confined, take good care of them and prevent them from coming into contact with other animals. Releasing them can also expose animals in the park to the disease,” he said.