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  • Fire harms game reserve in northern Tanzania

    Kilimanjaro Regional Commissioner Nurdin Babu said the police were hunting for people who set fire to the game reserve called Namalok, located 50 km south of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak.

    He said this is the second time unknown people set fire to the game reserve, adding that the first time was in May when 21 hectares were destroyed.

    The Namalok game reserve is home to various wildlife and was created in 2004 for conservation.

  • Over 100,000 Ethiopian migrants return home in first 10 months: IOM

    Between January and October 2022, IOM registered over 100,000 returning migrants to Ethiopia, with the majority — more than 71,000 — coming from Saudi Arabia, the UN migration agency said in its latest Ethiopia Crisis Response Plan issued late Wednesday.

    “The alarming number of migrants arrive destitute and with serious medical and psychiatric conditions which challenge the local capacities,” the IOM said.

    It said the conflict in northern Ethiopia has made the situation of migrants even more precarious, with returns to home communities made impossible and migrants becoming stranded.

    According to the UN migration agency, approximately one-third of all returns from Saudi Arabia originate from areas devastated by conflict.

    Noting that the eastern African country is an important departure, transit and destination country for mixed migration flows in the Horn of Africa, the IOM said hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians, primarily youth, migrate toward the Middle East, South Africa, and Europe every year.

    It said forced migration due to climate change has worsened in recent years, exposing vulnerable populations to trafficking in persons and other forms of exploitation.

    Desperate Ethiopian migrants, who attempt to cross the dangerous Red Sea route via the neighboring nation Djibouti, often endure deadly incidents along the Red Sea as well as imprisonment and killings in Yemen.

  • Namibia to introduce zero percent tax on sanitary wear

    The amendments to the Act include the reclassification of the supply of sanitary pads as a zero-rated supply, said Wilson Shikoto, the ministerial spokesperson, in a statement Thursday.

    “This means no VAT is to be charged on sanitary pads as defined in the Amendment Act in January next year. Registered VAT persons and vendors are, therefore, reminded to adjust their sale systems to implement the new provision of the law, and accordingly provide the necessary relief on the cost of these products to consumers,” Shikoto added.

    According to a 2021 report on the Comprehensive Assessment of Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices on Adolescent Girls in Namibia, most girls prefer and use disposable pads. Still, one in four girls cannot afford them.

  • Brazil football legend Pele dies at 82

    The Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo confirmed that the man dubbed the King of Football died at 3.27pm local time “due to the failure of multiple organs, a result of the progression of colon cancer associated with his previous clinical condition.”

    News of Pele’s passing was also confirmed in a message on his official Instagram account.

    “Inspiration and love marked the journey of King Pele, who peacefully passed away today,” it read. “On his journey, Edson enchanted the world with his genius in sport, stopped a war, carried out social works all over the world and spread what he most believed to be the cure for all our problems: love. His message today becomes a legacy for future generations. Love, love and love, forever.”

    Pele, whose given name was Edson Arantes do Nascimento, had been hospitalized since late November for treatment of a respiratory infection and other cancer-related complications.

    On December 21, his eldest daughter, Kely Cristina Nascimento, announced her father would spend Christmas in hospital because he required “more extensive care”.

    Widely considered the greatest footballer of all time, Pele is the only player to win the World Cup three times, having lifted the sport’s most prestigious trophy in 1958, 1962 and 1970.

    His celebrated career included 732 goals in 792 games for club and country. His Brazil record of 77 international goals was equalled by Neymar in the South American team’s World Cup quarterfinal defeat to Croatia in early December.

    In 2000, world football governing body FIFA declared Pele and Argentina’s Diego Maradona as joint winners of its award for the greatest player of the 20th century. He was also recognized by Time magazine as one of the 100 most important people of the last century.

    Pele faced a series of health issues over the past decade, including problems related to his spine, hip, knee and kidneys. Last year, the former Santos and New York Cosmos star underwent surgery to remove a tumor from his colon.

    Among those to pay tribute on Thursday afternoon was France forward Kylian Mbappe.

    “The king of football has left us but his legacy will never be forgotten,” he wrote on Twitter. “RIP KING.”

    The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) described Pele as “the greatest idol of world football” and said the entity would observe seven days of official mourning.

    “The idol’s death is the saddest news reported by the CBF since its founding 108 years ago,” it said in a statement.

    CBF President Ednaldo Rodrigues added: “I am deeply saddened by Pele’s departure. The CBF will pay all possible tributes to the greatest athlete of all time. Pele is eternal and we will always work to preserve his history and perpetuate his legacy.”

    Neymar, currently Brazil’s best player and the team’s No. 10, dedicated a heartfelt message on social media alongside a photo of Pele wearing a crown.

    “He turned football into art, into entertainment,” the forward wrote. “He gave a voice to the poor, to black people and, above all, he gave visibility to Brazil. Football and Brazil have raised their ‘status’ thanks to the King!.

    “Before Pele, ’10’ was just a number. I read that phrase somewhere, at some point in my life. But that beautiful sentence is incomplete. I would say that before Pele, football was just a sport. Pele changed everything.”

    Neymar’s Paris Saint-Germain teammate, Lionel Messi, also took to social media with a brief message alongside a series of images, including a photo in which he is embracing the Brazilian great.

    “Rest in peace, Pele,” Messi wrote.

    People stand near the Israelita Albert Einstein Hospital where former Brazilian football star Edson Arantes do Nascimento, Pele, died in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Dec. 29, 2022. Pele, three-time World Cup champion, died on Thursday at the age of 82 in the hospital, victim of colon cancer, his doctors officially reported. (Xinhua/Rahel Patrasso)

  • President Kagame commends hard work, professionalism of Rwandan Defence and Security Forces

    The Head of State voiced the appreciation through end of year message to Rwandan Defence and Security Forces in which he also extolled them for addressing pressing issues of human security as the bedrock of sustainable peace.

    {{Below is the full message:}}

    {On behalf of the Government of Rwanda, and on my own behalf, I wish the officers, men, and women of the Rwanda Defence and Security Forces, and your families, a Happy New Year 2023.

    As we approach the end of 2022, I wish to commend your exemplary service, hard work and professionalism in delivering your core duty of defending the people and territory of Rwanda, and addressing pressing issues of human security as the bedrock of sustainable peace.

    Beyond our borders, Rwanda’s Defence and Security Forces have participated in tackling challenges in partner countries in Africa through bilateral cooperation, particularly in fighting terrorism in Mozambique, and contributing to peace and stability in the Central African Republic.

    Our peacekeepers deployed under United Nations missions continue to be good ambassadors of Rwanda, consistently representing the best values that we stand for.

    I wish to express my sincere appreciation to all of you for making our country proud.

    It is not easy to be separated from loved ones at this time of year, for those deployed away from home. Rwanda appreciates this invaluable spirit of dedication.

    I pay tribute to our departed comrades who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our nation and the world in 2022. I offer my heartfelt condolences to the families of the fallen, and assure you that the leaders and people of Rwanda stand firmly with you.

    The beginning of a new year is an opportunity to renew your pledge to protect our country against all threats, so that we can sustain Rwanda’s hard-earned economic and social progress.

    Let me conclude, once again, with best wishes for the New Year.

    May God bless Rwanda.}

    President Kagame has commended the hard work and professionalism of Rwandan Defence and Security Forces.

  • Rusizi man suffocated by piece of meat

    The incident happened around 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday 28th December 2022.

    Sources indicate that Sibibugingo was an employee of Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASAC).

    The executive secretary of Giheke Cell, Caleb Nigihe has told IGIHE that details about his death emerged around 7h: 30 in the night of Wednesday.

    He explained that the young man shared drinks with friends before they went to the home of his colleague to eat meat.

    “Witnesses including two motorcyclists indicate that they had spent the day sharing drinks and later went to visit a co-worker who had prepared boiled meat and carrots. He was suffocated by the first piece of meat which got stuck in his throat,” said Nigihe.

    He went on to explain that his friends rushed him to Giheke Health Center which provided first aid and called an ambulance to take him to Gihundwe Hospital.

    Unfortunately, the young man had died by the time the ambulance arrived.

    Nigihe disclosed that the body was taken to Gihundwe Hospital as investigation is underway to confirm the circumstances of his death.

  • Parliamentarian Ernest Kamanzi resigns

    The Vice Chairperson of the Lower House of Parliament, Sheikh Musa Fazil Harerimana has confirmed to IGIHE that Kamanzi submitted his resignation letter on Wednesday 28th December 2022 ‘citing personal reasons’.

    However, sources reveal that his resignation comes after he was reported in a drunk-driving case.

    Kamanzi becomes the third parliamentarian resigning in less than two months over drunk driving incidents.

    MP Harerimana has said that leaders should model good conduct to citizens they were entrusted to represent.

    “Normally, parliamentarians are exemplary citizens selected to represent others. They should mirror virtues to the society,” he said.

    Kamanzi cannot be replaced because he only had less than a year to complete his term.

    Before joining the parliament in 2018, Kamanzi headed the National Youth Council in Southern Province between 2017-2018 and served as a member of Kamonyi District Advisory Council.

    Parliamentarian Kamanzi has resigned citing personal reasons.

  • 26 Rwandans repatriated from Mozambique

    The repatriates arrived in Kigali in the night of Wednesday 28th December 2022. They had fled to the Southern Africa country at different times where some of them left Rwanda during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

    Upon arrival, the Rwandans were received by the Ministry of Emergency Management (MINEMA).

    As they landed in Kigali, the repatriates expressed delight for being able to return to their motherland and pledged to join the rest of Rwandans to build the nation.

    Repatriated Rwandans had left the country at different times.
    Some of the repatriates had fled the country during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
    Repatriates pledged to join the rest of the population to build Rwanda..

  • Should we expect that a shrink will solve everything for us?

    A therapist, counselor, psychologist, shrink, however you refer to a certified mental health practitioner, is not in any way supposed to solve whichever reason you come to them with.

    They can help you get in touch with your true self but not erase your painful memories. They can guide you in digging deep to find the root of a certain habit but
    they cannot force you to behave in different ways.

    And most importantly, they cannot read your mind as some have neither come to believe nor can they clear your past.

    Many who have had sessions with counselors have different experiences because each of us is different and certainly reasons that bring us to those professionals are not similar but you can count on them to do their best to provide you with the help you need. What I like most about it is the confidentiality that the relationship brings where you are allowed to be free and speak your mind without worrying that there will be any sort of gossip outside of what you said during the sessions.

    Some have the excuse that these professionals are hard to find in Rwanda but that is false. Clinics are available with trained and licensed counselors ready to help you at any time, and those worried about how much it will cost, know that it is all worth
    it and most of these centers accept several insurances. So, do not let that be the reason you do not get help.

    There are also virtual ways to get mental health care like Positive which is one of the apps that you can download and seek an appointment with a counselor for free as it is a platform that volunteers and give time and skills to be there when you need help.

    So, go to therapy with an open mind and be ready to do the work with the help of your therapist, and be the best you that you can be.

  • Nyagatare: Stolen motorcycle recovered, two arrested

    Gilbert Byiringiro and Emmanuel Hasengimana were arrested red-handed with the motorcycle Bajaj Boxer type, registration number RE 519D, in Remera Village, Nyendo Cell of Rwimiyaga Sector.

    The motorcycle was reported stolen in the night of December 25, after suspected thieves broke into the house where it was kept.

    Superintendent of Police (SP) Hamdun Twizeyimana, the Police spokesperson for the Eastern region, said that the ring involves three people, with the third member yet to be arrested.

    “Suspected thieves broke into the house of the victim located in the same village of Remera, at about 03:00 a.m on Sunday.

    The victim realized the criminal act later that night and called the Police, and the search for the motorcycle and suspected thieves was immediately commenced,” SP Twizeyimana explained.

    He added: “On Tuesday at about 10p.m, a resident in the same village of Remera called the Police reporting three people, who were traveling on the same stolen motorcycle. Police intercepted the trio, two of them were taken into custody but the third member fled in the process, and the search for his whereabouts is still underway.”

    At the time, the ring was looking for a buyer. The suspects were handed over to RIB at Rwimiyaga station for further legal process.

    Article 166 of law determining offences and penalties in general states that; any person convicted of theft is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than one (1) year and not more than two (2) years and a fine of not less than Rwf1 million and not more than Rwf2 million, community service in a period of six (6) months or only one of these penalties.

    In article 167, the penalty for theft doubles if the offender committed the crime through burglary, climbing or possession of keys other than the owner; the theft is carried out during the night or the theft is carried out by more than one (1) person.

    SP Twizeyimana thanked the resident, who facilitated the recovery of the motorcycle and arrest of the suspected thieves.

    “Community policing and neighborhood watch in particular, through swift information sharing, is central to fighting and preventing crimes,” said SP Twizeyimana.