Category: News

Launched in July 2025, Smart Ibiruhuko is a joint initiative of MINICT and several partners, designed to provide young people with digital skills during the school holidays through online learning platforms.

Students accessed lessons using computers available in schools and youth centers, while others followed classes from home using their own devices. The program targeted secondary school students, those enrolled in technical and vocational training (TVET), and out-of-school youth eager to acquire technology skills.

At the launch of the program, MINICT emphasized that it aligns with Rwanda’s national ICT vision.

“This initiative is part of the broader government project One Million Rwandan Coders [1MRC], whose goal is to train one million people, mainly youth, in digital skills such as coding within five years,” the ministry said.

Smart Ibiruhuko also supports Rwanda’s National Strategy for Transformation (NST2) by enabling young people to use their holidays productively, gaining essential knowledge for the country’s development in the 21st century.

According to MINICT, a total of 10,245 students participated nationwide. Of these, 2,644 completed multiple courses, justifying why the number of certificates awarded exceeded the number of participants.

Fourteen top-performing students were recognized with prizes, including laptops and tablets.

The courses covered a wide range of skills, including Digital Literacy, Data Analytics, Software Development, Applied Artificial Intelligence, Python Essentials, JavaScript Essentials, Internet of Things (IoT), UI/UX Design, among others.

Students expressed their satisfaction with the program, noting that the knowledge gained would help them pursue further ICT-related studies and apply digital skills in their everyday lives.

MINICT stressed that Smart Ibiruhuko represents an important milestone in Rwanda’s journey to becoming a continental hub for technology and innovation.

Rwanda’s energy story is one of ambition and urgency. The country has made remarkable progress, over 82% of households are now connected to electricity, a leap driven by both on-grid expansion and off-grid solar.

The government’s National Strategy for Transformation (NST2) aims to achieve universal access while promoting clean cooking solutions, diversifying the energy mix, and strengthening resilience. But meeting these targets requires more than infrastructure and technology; it requires capital, trust, and innovative financing.

That’s where the financial sector steps in, and where Bank of Kigali is taking a leading role. With over Frw 61 billion currently invested in the energy sector through facilities supporting projects such as Rukarara VI Hydropower Plant, Gazmeth Energy, Ngali Energy, and EUCL, the bank has positioned itself as a reliable partner for both large-scale generation and community-driven initiatives. Its portfolio spans hydropower, methane gas, solar, and clean energy distribution, mirroring Rwanda’s own diversified strategy.

Beyond this, the BK Foundation continues to be instrumental in community electrification, connecting households, schools, and health centers to off-grid solutions. Energy access is not only about megawatts, but about livelihoods, opportunity, and inclusion.

Still, challenges remain. Rwanda’s energy sector must navigate high capital costs, foreign exchange risks, and the need for longer-term local currency financing. Many projects are small-scale and fragmented, making them less attractive to traditional investors. Clean cooking, which still relies heavily on biomass, faces perhaps the biggest financing gap of all. Addressing these issues calls for blended finance, innovative risk-sharing models, and strong partnerships between government, private investors, and banks.

Speaking at the Energy Week conference, Levi GASANGWA, Bank of Kigali’s Chief Business and Corporate Solutions, emphasized: “To achieve a just and sustainable energy transition, we must unlock investment that balances national ambition with affordability. As a bank, our role is to create pathways that make energy projects bankable, scalable, and impactful.”

For the Bank of Kigali, this is more than an economic opportunity, it is a national duty. By aligning its financing strategy with Rwanda’s Vision 2050 and NST2, the bank is helping to build the backbone of a greener, more inclusive economy.

Energy is the spark that powers industries, classrooms, hospitals, and innovation hubs. Without it, growth stalls. With it, Rwanda can leapfrog into a future defined by sustainability and prosperity.

As the conversations unfold during Energy Week, one thing is clear: financing is as critical as technology in driving Rwanda’s energy transition.

Bank of Kigali’s role is not only to provide capital, but to be a catalyst, bridging ambition with execution, and ensuring Rwanda’s energy future is both bright and inclusive.

The group, who had been residing in the temporary camp in Goma, returned on September 9, 2025, following assessments by UNHCR staff, the agency’s Director Filippo Grandi confirmed.

The repatriation follows an agreement reached on July 24 between Rwanda, the DRC, and UNHCR during a meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The parties pledged to continue cooperating to address challenges affecting both Rwandan and Congolese refugees, including facilitating voluntary returns for those who wish to go back.

Earlier, on August 25, UNHCR repatriated 533 Rwandans from the same Goma camp, and the agency said it will continue working with both countries to assist others willing to return.

The court said there are substantial grounds to suspect her of corruption related charges allegedly committed during her tenure as the CEO of Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC).

Umuhumuza faces charges including abuse of power, favoritism, and mismanaging public resources.

In the same ruling, the court also ordered the detention of Dominique Murekezi, the former Managing Director of WASAC Development, for 30 days.

By contrast, Vincent de Paul Mugwaneza, who previously managed water distribution projects at WASAC, was released on provisional bail. The court found no strong reasons to keep him in custody.

Mugwaneza had faced accusations including soliciting sexual favors, abuse of power, favoritism, and failure to justify the source of his wealth.

However, the judges concluded there was insufficient evidence to warrant his continued detention and ordered his immediate release following the verdict.

The court reminded defendants that any appeal must be lodged within five days of the ruling being issued.

This development is part of a broader corruption investigation at WASAC, coming after the arrest of former CEO Omar Munyaneza, who is currently serving a 30-day remand on related charges.

In 2023, the IRMCT Appeals Chamber ruled to discontinue Kabuga’s trial, citing that he was unfit to stand trial due to serious health conditions. Since then, he has remained in custody in The Hague, Netherlands.

On 9 September 2025, Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz and his team stated that although Kabuga has repeatedly complained that his continued detention violates his fundamental rights, European countries he sought to be relocated to have refused to host him.

“Yet, two years later, Kabuga remains in limbo, while complaining that his continuing detention violates his most fundamental rights. His preferred European states have proved unwilling to accept him and the Host State is unequivocal that Kabuga ‘cannot be released onto its territory’” reads the prosecution’s submission.

The prosecution further argued that there should be no concerns about transferring Kabuga to Rwanda, stressing that medical arrangements will be made during the flight.

“The Prosecution therefore requests that the Trial Chamber decide on Kabuga’s provisional release,” he noted.

Brammertz and his team also emphasized that further decisions on Kabuga’s case should not be delayed on grounds of medical records, since much of his health information is already public.

Félicien Kabuga, once one of Rwanda’s wealthiest businessmen, has long been identified as a leading financier of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. He is accused of, among other charges, importing massive quantities of machetes that were distributed and used in the killings.

Kabuga was arrested in France on 16 May 2020 after 26 years as a fugitive. In October that year, he was transferred to The Hague to face trial before the IRMCT.

The charges against him included genocide, complicity in genocide, direct and public incitement to commit genocide, attempt to commit genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, extermination, and persecution.

The IRMCT has clarified that the suspension of proceedings did not amount to an acquittal, nor did it establish guilt.

Lt Gen Kabandana was born in 1968. He was among the soldiers who fought in the liberation struggle that began in 1990 and played a role in halting the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Gen (Rtd) Fred Ibingira, who served alongside him, spoke during a memorial evening held on 9 September 2025 to honor the life of Lt Gen Kabandana. He recalled that most of them had joined the army at a young age, driven by the call to bring peace to Rwandans and build a country in which all citizens could feel a sense of belonging.

He reminded the audience that during the struggle, some fighters died, others were permanently disabled, some were lightly injured, while others recovered. Yet, he emphasized: “What we all fought for whether those who passed away, those permanently wounded, or others—was this country. And indeed, the country was liberated… Kabandana accomplished everything he was meant to do in his youth.”

Gen (Rtd) Ibingira noted that in the 35 years he spent alongside Lt Gen Kabandana, he witnessed him survive multiple gunshots.

“Kabandana was a man who had survived mulltiple bullets. Death, therefore, coming like a stray dog, should not have taken him. The Chief of Defence Staff, present here, commands troops that should have been deployed to shield Kabandana. However, death strikes unexpectedly,” he said.

{{Near-death experiences}}

Gen (Rtd) Fred Ibingira recalled that on 21 and 22 December 1990, Lt Gen Kabandana was injured at a place called Nkanda—now part of Kiyombe Sector—when the enemy surprised them between midnight and 1 a.m. The soldiers, exhausted and hungry, woke up to find themselves under attack while trapped between two hills.

In the process of retreating through the thickets, Lt Gen Kabandana was wounded for the first time, but he recovered quickly.

“What I want to say is that a person dies on their destined day. That day was meant to be Kabandana’s last, and many died there. But Kabandana was slightly injured and later healed,” he explained.

Gen (Rtd) Ibingira went on to recount that in 1991, when the RPA troops fought in Ruhengeri, Cyanika, and Muremure, Lt Gen Kabandana—then still a junior soldier—was already demonstrating exceptional strength and courage.

In May 1991, the commander of the operation distributed 10 machine guns to the soldiers of Bravo and Mike battalions. These heavy weapons were meant to be carried by only the strongest and bravest soldiers. Kabandana was selected among those entrusted with a machine gun.

The two battalions were tasked with moving out of the Virunga mountains to block the Rusumo road.

Gen (Rtd) Ibingira recalled: “That was when I came to know Kabandana very well. We gave them the guns in the evening, still wrapped in plastic and covered with grease. It required the soldiers to carefully clean them and prepare them for use.

“Kabandana carried his gun down the mountain. Since I was the commander, I stayed at a designated place. At one point, one of the soldiers challenged him, saying: ‘Who do you think you are to pass here?’ He then confronted some of the strongest soldiers, struck them down, and they panicked and fled.”

One of Gen (Rtd) Fred Ibingira’s bodyguards once came to him and reported that there was a soldier who had gone wild and beaten them all. The next morning, Gen (Rtd) Ibingira asked his soldiers who had assaulted his guards.

Kabandana immediately admitted it, saying: “Do they love you more than we do? They attempted, … then I beat them.”

According to Ibingira, it was there that Kabandana earned his very first military rank, Corporal.

On 18 May 1991, during a march toward the park (in eastern province), the battalion led by Gen (Rtd) Ibingira was at the front. He instructed his soldiers to rest while Bravo Battalion stayed behind to provide security. However, the enemy manoeuvered and attacked those who had fallen asleep in the bushes.

He recalled: “We were taken by surprise by heavy gunfire. Among the young soldiers who fought to rescue their comrades was Kabandana. He emerged from the bush with his machine gun and began firing at the enemy without anyone commanding him or telling him what to do. That gun had tremendous power, and because of it, many soldiers managed to get out of the bushes and regroup to fire back. I remember that on that date Gen Musemakweri was shot, along with many others.”

The enemy force numbered about 900 soldiers, while their battalion had only 200 poorly equipped men facing the government army.

On 21 May, Gen Ibingira was wounded and taken abroad for treatment. He returned to the battlefield after a year and a half, rejoining Kabandana in the same battalion.

At that time, Kabandana served as deputy in charge of political affairs within their unit, while also actively fighting on the frontlines.

Gen (Rtd) Ibingira recalled: “In 1994, during the struggle to liberate our country and stop the Genocide against the Tutsi, Kabandana and I were together from Mutara all the way to Butare. He was among those seen in Karubamba on social media carrying an infant who had survived the killings at that parish.”

He emphasized that Kabandana narrowly escaped death during events in which very few soldiers survived. In 1994, when they reached Ruhuha in Bugesera, Kabandana joined Gen Mubarakh Muganga. He drove a Daihatsu vehicle and returned with about 12 survivors.

On their way back along the Nemba–Nyanza road, which had been heavily mined, the vehicle exploded after hitting a mine. All those he had saved were killed instantly.

Kabandana himself was severely burned but miraculously survived. “Kabandana fought in all these battles, he even went abroad to confront terrorists and provide security and still did not die. Yet in the end, it was illness that took him,” Gen (Rtd) Ibingira said.

He stressed that Kabandana’s legacy will never fade, as he left behind his children, the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), and the country he fought for.

“I often hear some of the Interahamwe saying that heaven will receive them. If that is true, then we shall be the first to be welcomed into heaven. There is no way heaven could exist and not welcome Kabandana, a man who gave his youth, his strength, who worked without pay, without seeking honor, but served the people of Rwanda.

“For four years on the battlefield, he fought without a salary. Religious leaders who found churches today receive offerings immediately, yet he belonged to a ‘church’ that paid no salary, only rewarding truth, life, and spirit,” Gen (Rtd) Ibingira recounted.

“We know some of our comrades who betrayed this cause and chose selfish interests. Whatever rewards they received, they know them, but they will not die with honor.”

Lt Col (Rtd) Naramabuye, who is also Lt Gen Innocent Kabandana’s brother-in-law, thanked the national leadership for doing everything possible to ensure Kabandana received the medical care he needed.

“We lived through many stages together from preparing to defend this country, to fighting on the battlefield, and later working in the South where he guided the youth and others preparing to serve the nation. At that time, [the military leadership will remember this] a decision was made for some soldiers to pursue higher education at the University of Rwanda and elsewhere,” he noted.

Lt Col (Rtd) Naramabuye, then a student at the University of Rwanda, joined Kabandana in counseling young people and comforting those fearful of being blamed for their relatives’ involvement in the Genocide against the Tutsi.

He noted: “Just think of the energy our country gained from this. Leaders sent him to teach love to people, including those who had committed crimes. I also remember the lessons we gave to youth survivors studying at the university. I still wonder where his strength came from. But, as we discussed in the family, a person is made up of three types of strength: spiritual strength, intellectual strength, and physical strength. Everything else arises from these three.”

He affirmed that Lt Gen Kabandana lived by these strengths, particularly those of spirit and intellect: “These are the foundations of all human action. They were built on love, as our elders always reminded us that love is the first weapon we must use, even before we could access other weapons. Love works, and it will always work. It is a weapon that can never be defeated.”

He concluded by stressing that Lt Gen Kabandana used this weapon of love to mentor young people: “From the few examples I have shared—and there are many more—he achieved his goals and became a role model for countless people. We have no doubt that God has welcomed him. This is not emotion speaking; his actions speak for themselves.”

{{Lt Gen Kabandana’s legacy to the youth}}

Lt Col (Rtd) Naramabuye urged young people to follow in the footsteps of Lt Gen Kabandana, who was known for his love, selflessness, and many other virtues.

“My request to the youth is that you live by his good example—love one another, work in ways that bring dignity to yourselves and to your families. As you grow, you will realize that the world we live in is, for the most part, not guided by love but by personal interests.

“It often discourages those who try to build their nations on love. But we will never be defeated. We endured very difficult times, yet the good leadership of this country and the foresight of our army have shown that as long as we walk in the strength of spirit, love, and wisdom, God will remain with us, protect us from all dangers, and keep us strong,” Lt Col (Rtd) Naramabuye said.

He recalled that in 1994, churches, once seen as sanctuaries and houses of God, became sites of mass killings and urged the public to stand for the right cause.

“We must put into practice the teachings we constantly preach, just as Lt Gen Kabandana so often demonstrated through his own example. He fought many battles, he confronted evil directly. He never feared evil, he never feared to speak the truth. Even when it challenged the interests of some, he told them: ‘These interests will not last.’ To you, young people here today, and to your peers, we beg you as parents: if you walk in that path, you will prove that you truly loved and will always honor Lt Gen Kabandana.”