Kagame made the observation on Thursday 22nd July 2021 as he delivered remarks at ‘Building The Bandwidth Meeting’ organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in collaboration with the Varkey Foundation and CJ Cultural Foundation.
It was attended by UNESCO Director General, Audrey Azoulay and Sunny Varkey, the Founder and Chairman of Varkey Foundation which is a philanthropic organisation established to improve the standards of education for underprivileged children throughout the world among others.
As he addressed participants, Kagame stressed the need to develop inclusive policies to ensure no girl is left behind and shared Rwanda’s experience.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected all aspects of national life, and education has not been spared. The disruption of in-person classes has exposed, more than ever, the gap in digital access, skills, and online learning for all children, especially girls. We have the opportunity to re-engage in the cause of girls’ education so that they are not left even further behind,” he said.
“In Rwanda, we continue to make significant investments in digital infrastructure and training for our young people. For example, the Rwanda Coding Academy admits 50 percent girls and aims to resolve the shortage in engineers through a focused engineering program at high school level,” added Kagame.
Among others, Kagame reminisced how centres of excellence in ICT including Carnegie Mellon University-Africa, the University of Rwanda, and the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences have dedicated scholarships for female candidates and stressed the need to ensure that ‘the ongoing global health crisis does not erode these initiatives, and other similar efforts around the world, aimed at bridging the digital gender divide’.
Kagame further stated that narrowing the gap also requires sustaining efforts for inclusive economic growth, guarantee security and community safety, and continuing to promote gender equality more generally.
“Through partnership with UNESCO and other regional and global initiatives, Rwanda will continue to advocate and act, to ensure girls have access to the digital resources and skills they need,” he affirmed.
The deceased is the driver identified as Saidi Mugerwa while two other people onboard who survived with serious injuries include Aimable Nsabimana and Théoneste Mushimiyimana.
The accident took place in Bushekeri sector, Nyamasheke district on Thursday 22nd July 2021 around 1p.m.
The Mayor of Nyamasheke district, Appolonie Mukamasabo has told IGIHE that the truck swerved from the main road and tripped in 50 meters.
“The accident happened when the truck from Kayonza to Rusizi district arrived at Gasakura business center after crossing Nyungwe forest. The driver died immediately while two others survived with serious injuries,” she said.
Injured people were rushed to Gisakura Health Center and later transferred to Bushenge Hospital for medical attention.
Police and local leaders seized 2kgs of cannabis and 1,350 litres of assorted illicit drinks from the suspects.
The 2kgs of cannabis were seized from two women identified as Jacqueline Sifa, 34, and Rehema Uwayisenga, 27, in Shwemu Village, Gisa Cell, Rugerero Sector of Rubavu District.
Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Bonaventure Twizere Karekezi, the Police spokesperson for the Western region, said that Police was tipped off by residents.
“Area residents called Police at about 6pm reporting that two women (Sifa and Uwayisenga) were trafficking narcotics to supply clients in Rugerero trading center. An operation was swiftly conducted and the duo was arrested red-handed in possession of 2kgs of cannabis,” CIP Karekezi said.
Following their arrest, Sifa disclosed that the narcotics belong to his husband whom she only identified as Hubert and that they were sneaked into Rwanda from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The said Hubert was recently released from prison after completing the sentence for the same crime.
About 13 other people were arrested in Muyogoro and Rukira cells of Huye sector, Huye district with 1,030 liters of illicit brew commonly known as Igikwangari.
Another producer of illicit brew called Felicite Mukaremera, 34, was apprehended with 320 liters in Museke Village, Kigoyo Cell, Kanjongo Sector of Nyamasheke District.
The Southern region Police spokesperson, Superintendent of Police (SP) Theobald Kanamugire said that the producers and sellers of illicit brew were identified and reported by residents and local leaders.
The Ministerial order Nº 001/MoH/2019 of 04/03/2019 establishing the list of narcotic drugs and their categorization classifies cannabis in “very severe narcotic drugs” while alcoholic drinks produced without complying with standards and other laws; are on the list of “simple narcotic drugs.”
Article 263 of the law determining offences and penalties in general states that; any person who, unlawfully produces, transforms, transports, stores, gives to another or who sells narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances commits an offence.
Upon conviction for “very severe narcotics,” the offender faces between 20 years and life imprisonment, and a fine of up to Rwf30 million.
In regard to “simple narcotics” the offender faces a term of not less than seven years and not more than ten years and a fine of not less than Frw5 million and less than Rwf10 million.
The statement released last night shows that 1309 people have caught the virus out of 22 818 sample tests while 869 recovered.
Rwanda confirmed the first Coronavirus patient on 14th March 2020. Since then, 61 375 people have been tested positive of whom 43 924 recovered, 16 747 are active cases, 78 are critically ill while 704 have succumbed to the virus.
A total of 418,773 have been vaccinated since Rwanda began countrywide inoculation programme on 5th March 2021.
Coronavirus symptoms include coughing, flu, and difficulty in breathing. The virus is said to be transmitted through the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract.
Rwandans are urged to adhere to COVID-19 health guidelines, washing hands frequently using soaps and safe water, wearing face masks and respecting social distancing.
In a document dated May 28 seen by AFP, Judge Carmel Agius of the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) said he had instructed the court registrar “to transfer Ngirabatware to Senegal for the enforcement of his sentence as expeditiously as possible” after the conclusion of a separate case.
Ngirabatware was the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning between 1990 and 1994.
He was convicted in December 2012 for inciting, aiding and encouraging Interahamwe militiamen in his home district of Nyamyumba in northwestern Rwanda to kill and rape their Tutsi neighbours.
An initial sentence of 35 years was reduced to 30 years in 2014 after the rape conviction was set aside. The sentence was otherwise confirmed in a review in 2019.
In the separate case, Ngirabatware and three others were found guilty on July 25 of having tried to bribe or intimidate witnesses to have his conviction overturned.
Ngirabatware, a Swiss-educated economist born in 1957, is the son-in-law of Felicien Kabuga, a major figure who is accused of having bankrolled the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi. He was arrested in a suburb of Paris in May 2020.
The sentence against Ngirabatware was handed down by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), which closed down in 2015, handed over its work to the UN-backed MICT.
Ngirabatware fled Rwanda in July 1994, finding work in research institutes in Gabon and France before being arrested in Germany in 2007 and transferred to the ICTR the following year.
Touching different districts including Nyagatare, Gatsibo and Kayonza, the park spent approximately 40 years without generating revenues until 1975 when coordinated tourism activities started booming.
It covers a total land area of 1,122 square kilometers but used to cover an area of 2500 square kilometers reduced to about 50% in 1997 when the land was reallocated as a farmland for the returning Rwandans after the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi.
According to the park’s management, the government of Rwanda reduced the size of the park to 1122 square kilometers in 2009 so as to create room for people and then protect wildlife.
Akagera National park is run and managed by Rwanda Development Board (RDB) together with African Parks, a conservation organization from South Africa.
The park is dominated by swamps, hills, acacia, woodland, grassland vegetation and small lakes and is named after Kagera River which flows along the eastern boundary of Rwanda and feed into Lake Ihema which is the second largest lake in Rwanda.
Travelling across the park along 120-kilometer cleared roads can take between six to seven hours.
With its large part being savannah, the park gives a clear view for tourists to watch far-distant animals.
Distinctive flora and fauna and the presence of the big five animals attracts domestic and foreign tourists to consume in the beauty of the park on regular basis.
{{1. Booming conservation efforts}}
Despite expended conservation efforts, the park once seemed extinct due to ineffective management and consequences of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi where activities (poaching) of humans resettled in the park exerted pressure on the harmony of the jungle and culminated into the extinction of some animals while others escaped the park to surrounding areas.
In 1970, Rwanda had some rhinos translocated to the park from Tanzania for the previous 13 years but poaching activities saw them wiped out later.
The park registered between 250 and 300 lion population in 1990 but disappeared in the aftermath of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi as they were hunted and killed by herdsmen protecting their cattle.
The research on Rwanda’s tourism carried out by Dr. Rwanyiziri Gaspard in 2008, indicated that tourism activities in Akagera National Park were dormant in 1998 but increased gradually until 6000 visitors were registered in 2002.
Today, Akagera National Park is among most visited in Rwanda. The park registered 50,000 visitors in 2019 of whom 50% are Rwandans. The number increased from 44,000 of the previous year where it earned Rwf2 billion.
Besides the availability of food which makes the park ecologically ready, conservation efforts have yielded and enabled reestablishment of the park’s equilibrium in the ecosystem with significant increase of animals including herbivores and big carnivores.
Among others, human population has been separated from the wildlife, ensuring the competition for survival between the two communities is lessened.
People who in the past resided in the park have been resettled while the park’s demarcations have been fenced off animals are kept outside human populations.
Also, RDB which oversees Rwanda’s tourism industry in the past introduced a tourism revenue sharing scheme under which 5% of the total revenues from every tourist attraction is given back to surrounding communities through different development projects.
The park is also home to different lakes including Ihema where different animals quench thirst.
{{2. Most visited park}}
The research carried out by Dr. Gaspard Rwanyiziri also shows that Akagera registered between 2500 and 3000 visitors in 1990 who decreased gradually due to security problems the country was undergoing until 1994 when the park had no visitors.
Tourism activities resumed in 1995 to 1997 but the number was below 4000.
In 2004, the park recorded over 15,000 visitors.
The report of the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) released in 2020 indicates that the park registered 321,745 visitors; Virunga National Park which is home to gorillas was visited by approximately 308,333 tourists while Nyungwe National Park recorded 93.528 visitors between 2005 and 2017.
{{3.Home to big five}}
With ongoing conservation efforts, Akagera National Park is currently home to the big five animals including elephant, rhinos, leopard, buffalo and lion.
These rare wild species have a significant impact to attracting tourists and are probably among major reasons making it the most visited park in Rwanda.
Haya Bajnouj, a tourist from Dubai who spoke to RBA after visiting the park in 2019 said he was had most wonderful moments in Akagera since he started visiting parks.
“Visiting Akagera National Park was the first amazing excursion. I am very excited for the good moments I have had in the park where I saw elephant, zebra, and buffalo among other animals. I also visited gorillas recently but seeing the elephant was the most amazing experience,” he said.
Lions and rhinos among other animals that went extinct were reintroduced to the park through the partnership of Rwanda with other countries.
For instance, 7 lions including five females and two males from South Africa were reintroduced in 2015 after 15 years of extinction through RDB’s partnership with African Parks. More two male lions were later reintroduced in 2017.
In 2020, African parks revealed that lion population quadrupled.
Else, 18 black rhinos from South Africa were reintroduced to Akagera National Park in 2017 following 10 years of extinction. The first calves were born in 2018, and five black rhinos translocated from European zoos (Czech Republic) in June 2019 promise to boost genetic diversity.
Elephants have always naturally occurred in Akagera, but poaching wiped them out until an initial reintroduction returned a young group of 26 individuals all under the age of eight in 1975. The founder population has since grown to roughly 100 individuals.
{{4. Diverse animal species}}
Apart from the big five, Akagera National Park is home to over 13,000 mammals and more than 490 bird species.
Following lion and rhino reintroductions, Akagera officially became a “Big Five” park in May 2017. It now boasts thriving populations of lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo, as well as zebra, giraffe, and hundreds of bird species.
{{Predators }}
Before the reintroduction of lions, the park’s only large predators were leopards and spotted hyena. A founder population of seven lions was reintroduced in 2015 after the species was hunted out in the 1990s.
Two additional males were translocated to the park in 2017 to increase genetic diversity and the park’s lion population has since quadrupled in size. Small predators are also abundant: serval, side-striped jackal, and several mongoose and viverrid species are thriving.
{{Primates}}
Of the primate family, olive baboons and vervet monkeys are common in Akagera.
Far rarer is the secretive blue monkey that, until a few years ago, was believed to be extinct in the park.
{{Herbivores}}
Elephant, rhino, giraffe, and hippopotamus are the largest mammals found in the park. They join several naturally occurring large plains game species, including buffalo, topi, zebra, defassa waterbuck, the elusive roan antelope, and the statuesque eland. Smaller herbivores include duiker, oribi, bohor reedbuck, klipspringer, bushbuck, and impala. The endangered Masai giraffe was introduced to Akagera from Kenya in 1986, and the current population contains an estimated 78 individuals.
{{Avifauna}}
Over 400 bird species have been documented in the park. Akagera is an important ornithological site, with rarities such as the shoebill and papyrus gonolek, both restricted to papyrus swamps as well as the localised red-faced barbet and the swamp flycatcher. Six vulture species, including the lappet-faced and white-backed, were documented a rare find for the park.
More bird species likely to sight are, fish eagles, Cattle Egret, Hamerkop, Sacred and Hadada Ibis, Augur Buzzard, Long-crested Eagle, and Pied Crow. Black-headed and Viellot’s Black Weavers, Grey-backed Fiscals, Fan-tailed Widowbird and Caruther’s Cisticola.
{{5. Largest National Park}}
Created in 1934, Akagera National Park Akagera was initially stretched to 2500 square kilometers (sq km).
In 1997, the park was downsized by two thirds due to land pressure from returning Rwandans after the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi. The park currently covers the land area of 1122 sq km but it still boasts an impressive biodiversity despite its reduction in size and remains the largest park in Rwanda followed by Virunga National Park with 160sq km and Nyungwe National Park with 150sq km.
In 2019, the three national parks registered 111,136 visitors.
{{Akagera National Park’s flora and fauna in pictures}}
The Spokesperson of RCS, SSP Pelly Gakwaya Uwera has told IGIHE that the funds are part of annual budget allocated for similar activities.
“We have been granted Rwf750 million to continue renovations and build new modern blocks. Detention facilities to be renovated this year include Rubavu Prison [Nyakiliba], Rwamagana, Nyamagabe, Nyarugenge [Mageragere] and Rwamagana Training School,” she revealed.
“We want to go with the current development and replace old structures with modern ones,” added SSP Gakwaya.
Nyanza is the only detention facility in Rwanda meeting international norms.
The latter houses different inmates including war-crime convicts from Sierra Leone transferred to Rwanda in 2009 based on existing agreements between both countries.
SSP Gakwaya has explained that the country plans to have many prisons with similar standards giving a boost to inmates’ welfare.
She highlighted that old structures had no passageways for disabled persons, an aspect to be considered during planned renovations.
Rwanda has 14 prisons including Nyagatare Juvenile Rehabilitation Center in Eastern Province.
The Government of Rwanda plans to reduce the number to nine and move them from towns to rural areas to take advantage of available land for farming activities.
SSP Gakwaya stressed that the exercise has started where Nyarugenge prison built in 1930 was relocated to Mageragere. Others include Rubavu prison relocated to Nyakiliba while Rusizi prison is expected to be moved to Nyamasheke.
Latest figures show that Rwanda’s prisons accommodate over 71,000 inmates.
They are Marcel Twahirwa, 24, and Valens Dukuzumuremyi, 39, who were arrested on Wednesday, July 21, at about 3a.m in Kageri Village, Kora Cell in Bigogwe Sector.
CIP Bonaventure Twizere Karekezi, the Police spokesperson for the Western region, said that the two suspects belong to a group of eight smugglers.
“Six of them were at the time carrying the bales of Caguwa while two others armed with machetes were protecting them. The group had just picked the bales from the house of one Nyiraneza, the alleged owner, in Bugeshi Sector and they were taking them to Kora market in Bigogwe Sector,” said CIP Karekezi.
He added that the group attempted to resist arrest but fearing security personnel, who were also armed, they dropped the bales and tried to flee but two of them were arrested in the process.
The arrested suspects said the bales were sneaked into Rwanda from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through Bugeshi sector.
In article 199 of the East African Community Management Act, which is also applicable in Rwanda, any automobile used in smuggling and seized smuggled goods are auctioned while the driver is fined US$5,000.
{{Tax fraud}}
A taxpayer, who commits fraud, is also subject to an administrative fine of one hundred percent (100%) of the evaded tax and a likely imprisonment of between six months and two years.
The statement released last night shows that 925 have caught the virus while 1104 recovered.
The majority of new cases were found in Kigali: 122, Gicumbi: 58, Musanze: 45, Ngororero: 45, Rutsiro: 44 and Burera: 43.
Rwanda confirmed the first Coronavirus patient on 14th March 2020. Since then, 60 066 people have been tested positive of whom 43 055 recovered, 16 318 are active cases, 74 are critically ill while 693 have succumbed to the virus.
A total of 413,427 people have been vaccinated since Rwanda began countrywide inoculation programme on 5th March 2021.
Coronavirus symptoms include coughing, flu, and difficulty in breathing. The virus is said to be transmitted through the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract.
Rwandans are urged to adhere to COVID-19 health guidelines, washing hands frequently using soaps and safe water, wearing face masks and respecting social distancing.
They were showed to the media on Wednesday, July 21, at the Police metropolitan headquarters in Remera, Gasabo District.
The ring include the trio of Claude Dusabimana alias Eric, 25, Alphonse Biziyaremye also known as Micheal, 37, and Jean Claude Rusigariye guising as Tuyizere; whose role was to identify and to steal motorcycles.
Others include Jean Claude Bitondeyiki, a broker, who was charged with searching for buyers, and Oscar Hagenimana, one of those who were buying stolen motorcycles.
One of the thieves, Alphonse Biziyaremye, a resident of Kanyinya Sector, Nyarugenge District, narrated that they would lure a taxi-moto operator to an ambush, assault him before disappearing with the motorcycle.
The theft operation, he added, would be executed either late in the evening or in the wee morning hours.
“We had different roles; Tuyizere Rusigariye was responsible for identifying luring the taxi-moto operator from Amashyirahamwe house in Nyabugogo to an ambush near Metafoam factory in Kigali Sector Nyarugenge District. Me and Dusabimana, would mount the ambush,” Biziyaremye explained.
He added that as soon as the motorcylist stopped at the agreed spot, Tuyizere would hit him on the head with an object. Biziyaremye and Dusabimana would also jump out of the bush to help him in the assault before disappearing with the motorcycle leaving the victim unconcious.
This was also corroborated by Dusabimana, who added that after hitting the motorcyclist with an object and falling down, he would be shielded by Biziyaremye and Dusabimana to grab the moto and ride away.
According to Hagenimana, a motorcycle mechanic, he bought three motos from the trio. He added that they were connected to him by Bitondeyiki.
“I bought the first one from them for Frw270, 000, the second one at Frw280, 000 and paid them Frw290, 000 for the third moto. I was disassembling all the motorcycles, sell spare parts or use them to fix other motorcycles,” said Hagenimana.
The suspects were handed over to RIB for further investigations and legal process.
One of the victims identified as Jean Pierre Sayinzoga, a resident of Mageragere Sector in Nyarugenge District, narrated the ordeal.
“On May 29, I picked a passenger (Tuyizere) at Amashyirahamwe house in Nyabugogo, who told me that he was going to a place near Metafoam factory. As we approached the factory about 100 metres away, he told me to stop and at that moment he grabbed me and tried to strangle me,” Sayinzoga narrated.
“Two other people appeared from the bush and also started assaulting me targeting mainly the upper part of the body until I was unconcious and they left, probably thinking that I was dead.”
RNP spokesperson, Commissioner of Police (CP) John Bosco Kabera said that this was a two-month operation to identify and arrest people behind the series of violent motorcycle theft in Kigali.
“There has been several cases of motorcycle theft in Kigali as reported by victims. In response to these series of theft, Police arrested these five suspects, who were playing different roles, and recovered three out of the five motorcycles that were stolen through the same scenario,” CP Kabera said.
He warned people, who think that Rwanda National Police is much taken by the current Covid-19 period and enforcement of the directives, and perceive this as an opportunity to commit crimes.
“Police enforces all laws and directives; if you think that there is a window for you to implement your evil plans, think twice and think wisely,” CP Kabera warned.
Real time information sharing on the theft or crime, he added, facilitates early response and timely successful operations.
Theft under article 166 of the law determining offences and penalties in general, attracts an imprisonment of between one and two years and a fine of not less than Rwf1 million but not more than Rwf2 million, a community service of six months or one of these penalties.
However, in article 167, the penalty doubles if the crime was committed at night or by more than one person.
