It is said that the child was seen falling ion the pond by a young girl aged 19 who alerted residents.
According to sources, efforts to save his life remained futile as they retrieved him dead.
Irène Gasengayire, the sector official in charge of finance and administration has said that relevant authorities have launched investigation into the case.
Residents have been urged to stay closer with their children to avoid incidents that could lead to loss of life.
The one meter deep pond is often used by residents fetching water for use in construction activities.
Jean Damascene Habiyaremye was intercepted on Wednesday, January 5, in Gakenke village, Rusagara cell, Gakenke sector with the outlawed non-biodegrable products, which he had concealed in a sack of potatoes.
He was reported by residents as he was boarding a public bus to City of Kigali where he intended to supply the plastic bags, according to Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Alex Ndayisenga, the Regional Police Civic Education Officer (RPCEO) for the Northern Province.
“Residents of Rusagara have been seeing Habiyaremye for the past two days with the same sack trying to board public buses to Kigali, which raised their suspicions and called the Police. When Police officers searched his sack, they recovered over 2000 pieces of polythene bags covered with potatoes leading to his arrest,” said CIP Ndayisenga.
After his arrest, Habiyaremye disclosed that he was buying the plastic bags from dealers in Kamubuga also in Gakenke District.
He added that his alleged suppliers traffic the outlawed bags from Uganda.
CIP Ndayisenga warned against selling outlawed products especially plastic bags which pose negative effects to the environment.
The suspect was handed over to RIB at Gakenke station for further legal process.
Manufacturing, use, importation or sale of plastic carry bags and single-use plastic items are prohibited under article 3 of law N° 17/2019 of 10/08/2019 relating to the prohibition of manufacturing, importation, use, and sale of plastic carry bags and single-use plastic items in Rwanda.
In article 10, any person, who imports plastic carry bags and single-use plastic items is liable to the dispossession of those plastic carry bags and such items, and to an administrative fine equivalent to ten times the value of those plastic carry bags and single-use plastic items.
In article 11, a wholesaler of plastic carry bags and single use plastic items is liable to an administrative fine of Rwf700, 000 and dispossession of those plastic carry bags and such items.
In article 12, a retailer of plastic carry bags and single-use plastic items is liable to an administrative fine of Rwf300, 000 and dispossession of those plastic carry bags and such items.
The IGNITE Food Systems Challenge is a first-of-its-kind initiative to support Rwandan start-ups, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and cooperatives to scale up their solutions, contributing to the economy while addressing different gaps in the food system. The call for applications opened on 5th January 2022 and will close on 4th February 2022.
The programme seeks innovative solutions that contribute to food security in areas such as resilience to shocks and stress, access to safe and nutritious food, improved food supply chains, the empowerment of smallholder farmers, and the advancement of food security for all. Selected ventures will have the opportunity to receive grant funding of up to US$50,000 as well as 6 months acceleration support, including connections to experts, mentors and partners, and other tailored support to address business gaps.
The IGNITE Food Systems Challenge will be simultaneously running in Rwanda, South Sudan and Uganda, and is being made possible with the support of US$2 million from USAID. The initiative comes at a time of worsening food insecurity in the region due to the effects of climate change, natural disasters like droughts, floods, locusts, and the COVID-19 pandemic among others.
Commenting on the development, Mr Jeremie Pigé, the head of the WFP IGNITE Innovation Hub for Eastern Africa said that the biggest challenge for many entrepreneurs in Eastern Africa is not only access to funding, but also technical support that furthers their concepts.
“Through this generous support by USAID, we are confident that we will be able to reach many bright and talented entrepreneurs in the region who might have been left behind,” he noted.
Piloting, implementing and scaling innovative ideas lies at the heart of WFP and Impact Hub Kigali’s work. This programme is expected to have an impact on promoting innovation in the food systems and advancing efforts towards achieving zero hunger in the world.
Mafer Betancourt, the Managing Director of Impact Hub Kigali also underscored that the IGNITE Food Systems Challenge will help to provide tailored support for local entrepreneurs to scale their impact in the Rwandan food system.
“Ventures will undergo diagnostics at the start of the programme and will be able to co-design their own acceleration journey, indicating the support they require, from coaching to peer and expert support such as legal or accounting services, among others,” he said.
The country has not been registering five deaths in one day for quite some time.
The statement released last night also shows that 1066 people have caught the virus bringing the total number of positive cases to 8053 in seven days.
Rwanda confirmed the first case of COVID-19 on 14th March 2020. Since then, 117,123 people have been tested positive out of 4,093,759 sample tests while 1362 succumbed to the pandemic.
In a bid to mitigate effects of the pandemic, Rwanda has ramped up vaccination efforts where a total of 5, 55,134 have been fully inoculated.
Citizens are also reminded of the critical importance of continuing to adhere to preventive measures including social distancing, washing hands and properly wearing face masks among others.
The new measures have been put in place following the confirmation of COVID-19 Omicron variant identified through genomic sequencing of samples collected from travelers and their contacts.
The new directives released by the Ministry of Health read that all arriving travelers must present COVID-19 negative test results.
Only RT-PCR tests taken within 72 hours are allowed for arriving passengers.
“All travelers arriving in Rwanda must have a negative Covid-19 certificate. The only accepted test is a SARS-CoV 2 Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction [RT-PCR] performed within 72 hours prior to departure (meaning travelers must be tested and get results within 3 days of their first flight).
Other tests, such as Rapid Diagnostics Tests [RDTs], are not accepted. COVID-19 Test is not mandatory for accompanied children under 5 years. Incoming travelers eligible [aged 12 years and above] for Covid-19 vaccine are encouraged to be fully vaccinated before their travel,” reads part of the statement.
As per new directives, all arriving passengers must quarantine for 3 days at a designated hotel at their own cost. A Covid-19 PCR test will be taken upon arrival.
Testing on Day 3 will be both Antigen Rapid Test and PCR Test. People will be released from quarantine on Day 3 upon rapid test results as per the national guidelines while Rapid test will be free of charge.
{{Subsidized COVID-19 testing cost }}
The Government of Rwanda has announced that RT-PCR test at the airport will cost US$60 including US50 and US$10 for specific logistics instead of current cost of Rwf 57,200 for each test..
“In order to facilitate Rwandan citizens to test regularly for Covid-19 and to know their status, including Rwandans returning home for end of year holidays, the Government of Rwanda will subsidize the cost of Covid-19 tests,” adds the statement.
For the mandatory RT-PCR test taken on Day 7, Rwandan citizens will pay Rwf 30,000 or US$30 instead of current cost of Rwf 47,200 for each test.
Among others, all arriving travelers are required to pay the cost of both mandatory RT-PCR tests of arrival and of Day 3 of quarantine on arrivals at Kigali International Airport but sample collection for day 3 tests will be conducted at the designated hotel. PCR Test of Day 7 will be done from designated testing sites at own cost.
All travelers arriving or transiting in Rwanda must complete the passenger locator form and upload the Covid-19 PCR test certificate before heading to the airport.
All travelers transiting for more than 12 hours through Rwanda will be screened upon entry and take a second Covid-19 PCR test on arrival. Sample collection will be conducted at the airport upon arrival and passenger will wait for the results at the designated transit hotel. The Covid-19 Test Results for transiting passengers for more than 12 hours will be fast-tracked so that passengers can get the results before their next flight.
All transiting travelers who are not leaving the airport for less than 12 hours will be screened upon entry and not required to take a second test. However, the latter is not applicable for transiting passengers by land border. In that case, passengers will be tested using RT-PCR Test and waiting for the results from the designated transit hotels before proceeding.
{{Mandatory COVID-19 vaccination certificate for departing passengers}}
The new directives also read that all travelers departing from Rwanda must test negative for COVID-19. The only accepted test is a SARS-CoV 2 Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) performed within 72 hours before departure.
The PCR test must be performed by the Rwanda Biomedical Center/National Reference Laboratory, Provincial or District Hospitals. Other tests, such as Rapid Diagnostics Tests (RDTs), are not accepted while COVID-19 Test is not mandatory for accompanied children under 5 years.
Travelers have been encouraged to book and pay for their tests at least 2 days prior to departure.
Rwandans travelers eligible (aged 12 years and above) for Covid-19 vaccine departing from Rwanda must also be fully vaccinated while travelers are not allowed to go to the airport without negative COVID-19 PCR test results.
Latest statistics form the Ministry of Health show that over 116,000 people have caught COVID-19 while 1362 succumbed to the virus since it emerged in Rwanda in March 2020.
Citizens are reminded of the critical importance of adhering to instituted health guidelines namely; washing hands, proper wearing of face masks and keeping social distancing among others.
“The worshippers belong to different religious denominations and had come from the sectors of Tumba, Mukura, and Gishamvu in Huye District and Kansi Sector in Gisagara District,” said SP Theobald Kanamugire, the Police spokesperson for the Southern region, said.
The congregation was headed by one Jean Nzabonayo, 40, from Pentecostal church, who was also arrested. Eleven of them were also children.
“Being fully vaccinated is one of the requirements for one to go to church, and I am not vaccinated. This is why we decided to meet in the forest to pray together since we cannot be allowed to enter into our churches,” claimed Nzabonayo.
The mayor for Huye District, Ange Sebutege, while speaking to the violators, warned against such inappropriate practices and urged residents to abide by the government directives to prevent the spread of the pandemic.
“Get vaccinated and go to your respective churches that were allowed to resume services. This is unacceptable and anyone that engage in prohibited practices will be held accountable. Vaccination is for your safety from Covid-19,” Mayor Sebutege said.
The violators were tested for COVID-19 at own cost and fined accordingly.
The Regional Police Civic Education Officer (RPCEO) for the Northern region, Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Alex Ndayisenga said that Sagamba’s vehicle had a broken windscreen and had been asked to replace it before he is given a certificate.
“Sagamba himself knew that the fore windscreen damaged. Instead of fixing it, he approached a police officer who was inspecting vehicles at the center, tried to seduce him with a bribe of Frw15,000 so as to ignore the status of the fore windscreen and give him the inspection certificate. Sagamba was arrested red-handed given the bribe after the officer reported to his superiors,” CIP Ndayisenga said.
He warned against such criminal tendences, which can contribute to accidents and loss of lives.
“Police services are provided in a transparent process, so if you are legally allowed a service, you will get it. If you attempt to influence officers to give you a service through illegal channels, you will be arrested to face the law,” the RPCEO said.
Sagamba was handed over to RIB at Muhoza station for further legal process.
Under article 4 of law n° 54/2018 of 13/08/2018 on fighting against corruption, any person who solicits, accepts or receives, by any means, an illegal benefit for himself/ herself or another person or accepts a promise in order to render or omit a service under his or her mandate or uses his or her position to render or omit a service, commits an offence.
Upon conviction, he/she is liable to imprisonment for a term of more than five years but not more than seven years with a fine of three to five times the value of the illegal benefit offered, solicited or received.
Penalties provided under this article also apply to a person, who offers or promises to offer a benefit, by any means, an illegal benefit for him/ herself or another person to have a service rendered or omitted.
Former senator Zephyrin Kalimba breathed the last at King Faysal Hospital in the night of Sunday.
Senate President, Dr. Augustin Iyamuremye has condoled with the bereaved family and comforted them during these difficult times.
“He was a dedicated senator who also worked with organizations advocating for human rights and improved wellbeing of citizens particularly historically marginalized people,” he said.
“He was a zealous senator who performed his duties with diligence that everyone admired him,” added Dr. Iyamuremye.
{{Indelible memory to colleagues}}
The Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement (MINUBUMWE), Dr. Jean Damascène Bizimana is among officials who sent condolences to stand in solidarity with the bereaved family.
He has via Twitter handle described Kalimba as an honest man who always shared constructive ideas.
“I remember the truthfulness that characterized you in Senate and sharing of ideas constructive to Rwanda. May your family stay strong during these times of sorrow. We stand in solidarity with you,” Dr. Bizimana said.
Tito Rutaremara also worked with late Kalimba for eight years.
They also worked together in the Senatorial Standing Committee on Political Affairs and Governance.
They were both part of RPF Inkotanyi environment protection committee since 2019.
Rutaremara described him as a zealous man who was keen on finding a solution for citizens’ concerns.
“He was a courageous and committed worker who sympathized with citizens. Kalimba was far sighted with wide experience to dig deeper into root causes of problems affecting communities, “he said.
Apollinaire Mushinzimana who also worked with Kalimba revealed that continuously advocating for citizens prompted the Senate to conduct thorough research to identify problems affecting historically marginalized people.
“He was much concerned about problems facing rural communities. Kalimba often drew attention on climate change effects that hinder farmers from increasing agricultural yields,” he stated.
Rutaremara further disclosed that some members of the public including those who could not afford Mutuelle de Santé would meet Kalimba at the parliament to file their concerns.
“He used to give attention to citizens with different concerns every morning. These include people seeking support, women failing to cater for school fees or spouses mired in disputes. Kalimba would follow up on these issues despite other heavy duties he had to perform at the Senate.
There are citizens who used to seek financial support from him, some of whom had children in need of medical attention while others had expiring community based health insurance. He would often use his money to support them because he was a Good Samaritan,” he said.
{{Brief history}}
Zephyrin Kalimba held different positions before and after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
He worked for gendarmerie, para-military policing unit during the pre-Genocide period and led the Rwandese Community of Potters.
Kalimba is among activists who advocated for the rights of historically marginalized people.
He headed the International Alliance of Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the Tropical Forests in 1997.
Kalimba was among eight senators appointed by President of the Republic in 2012 and held the position until his tenure ended in 2020.
Kalimba died at the age of 63. He leaves a woman and nine children.
He was born in Ruhango district in Southern Province where he studied and pursued secondary education at Karubanda Junior Seminary.
In 1978, he became a gendarme (paramilitary police officer) at the regime of President Juvenal Habyarima for four years and eight months and later worked in the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Kalimba later founded associations that advocated for human rights, particularly, the historically marginalized people.
He also established different schools and organizations supporting people with vulnerable backgrounds particularly historically marginalized ones.
Kalimba will be laid to rest on Thursday 6th January 2021.
The laptops were handed over on Tuesday 4th January 2022 to all cells executive secretaries of Bugesera district during an event graced by the Governor of Eastern Province, Emmanuel Gasana.
After receiving laptops, the grass root leaders revealed that the lack of laptops would delay or hamper services like civil registration, classification of residents in Ubudehe social class categories among others.
“Received laptop will help me place residents in social classes and provide work report on time,” said Leatitie Murebwanayo, the executive secretary of Kabeza cell in Rilima sector.
The executive secretary of Cyintambwe cell located in Rweru sector, Jean Marie Vianney Hategekimana said that received laptop will help improve service delivery and commended President of the Republic for his visionary leadership.
The Governor of Eastern Province, Emmanuel Gasana has underscored that these laptops will help beneficiaries to save documents electronically.
“The world is going digital that we need to adapt to emerging technologies to improve services. These laptops will be helpful to efficiently keep identification related data electronically and enhance services in daily assignments,” he said.
These laptops will be mainly used in civil registration and finalization of court cases electronically among others.
Sinamenye was stabbed to death on Saturday 1st January 2022 in Taba village, Bubangu cell of Murambi sector in Rulindo district.
Preliminary investigation identified Dusanganywinema as the prime suspect who has been at large since the crime was committed.
Two days after a manhunt was launched against him, Dusanganywinema who worked as a griller was arrested in Kamatamu cell of Jabana sector in Gasabo district.
Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Alex Ndayisenga, the Political and Civic Education Officer in Northern Province has thanked relevant authorities involved in the process and members of the general public who provided information that led the arrest.
“It is true that the man has been arrested in collaboration with relevant security organs including Police, Rwanda Investigation Bureau [RIB] and citizens who provided tip off leading to his arrest. He has been handed over to RIB for further legal process,” he said.
CIP Ndayisenga has urged residents to abide by laws and stand against criminal acts that could result into similar incidents.
The Law Nº68/2018 of 30/08/2018 determining offences and penalties in its article 107 stipulates that anyone killing a person intentionally commits a crime. Upon conviction, he/she is liable to life imprisonment.
The article 111 of the same Law stipulates that killing a person unintentionally attracts between six months and two-year jail term and a fine between Rwf500,000 and Rwf2 million.
