The dismissal has been announced through a communiqué released by the Office of Prime Minister, Dr. Edouard Ngirente on Thursday 6th October 2022.
“Today, the 6th October 2022, His Excellency the President has removed Mr. Zephanie Niyonkuru from his duties as the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Rwanda Development Board [RDB] owing to repeated managerial failures,” reads the statement.
Niyonkuru had been appointed Deputy CEO of RDB in October 2019 replacing Emmanuel Hategeka who was assigned to represent Rwanda in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Before his appointment as Deputy RDB CEO, Niyonkuru had worked at the institution as a strategy expert.
Prior to joining RDB, Niyonkuru worked as a Country Representative for the USAID East Africa Trade and Investment Hub.
Hanga Ahazaza is a consortium of partners from the education, development, and private sectors, working together to support small businesses and entrepreneurs in the tourism and hospitality sector through increased access to financial services and training, and by connecting them to young people with the skills needed to be successful employees.
Beneficiaries of this initiative showcased their activities recently on September 28th at the celebration of World Tourism Day.
They attest that it has helped them in daily work, hence making their activities more successful.
Beneficiaries have become professionals running businesses efficiently as a result of knowledge gained from this training program.
Gloria Girabawe, an entrepreneur and Creative Director of Flove, a company which produces eco-friendly bags, said that her business currently needs more training to thrive than simply focusing on money.
“Looking at where my business is right now, we need enhanced skills to improve the quality of our products for our business to flourish because our progress would be almost a no go, if we make substandard bags,” she said.
Hanga Ahazaza is a MasterCard Foundation’s program created to increase employment opportunities for young people in the tourism sector.
Five years after this program started, it has helped many beneficiaries as revealed by the Country Head of MasterCard Foundation, Rica Rwigamba.
“Today, we are proud of our achievements. So far, we have reached 54,000 young people, 2500 projects have been funded, and about eight thousand have got new job opportunities,” she noted.
“It has been a difficult journey, and our partners have also played a big part for their resilience amidst difficult times of Covid-19 pandemic,” added Rwigamba.
In celebration of World Tourism Day, Rwanda Development Board (RDB) unveiled a new digital platform called ‘Gorilla Gram’ that will help visitors to monitor gorillas on social media.
Information about the gorilla’s family will be available on Facebook and Instagram, according to Michaella Rugwizangoga, Chief Tourism Officer at RDB.
She explained that it will help the visitors of gorillas to participate in research, their conservation and have enough information when they want to visit them.
The World Tourism Day is marked on 27th September every year. In light of this, MasterCard held week-long activities to celebrate achievements realized in the sector.
These activities include interactions with the youth, beneficiaries of ‘Hanga Ahazaza’ program.
MasterCard also joined I&M Bank to commend clients in the tourism sector for efficiently utilizing received loans and held the graduation ceremony for 500 beneficiaries of Education First (EF).
Other activities include a walk at Nyandungu Eco-Park that brought together employees from MasterCard and partners.
They toured the eco-tourism park on 1st October 2022 and explored attractive features in the area.
The Country Head of MasterCard Foundation mu Rwanda, Rica Rwigamba commended Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) for having established the recreational facility in the City of Kigali.
“We thank REMA for such a great milestone. This is a quiet and green place helping people to visit nature without moving out of Kigali. We really appreciate the project,” she said.
Rwigamba revealed that they are set to intensify efforts in promoting tourism and offering training to beneficiaries out of Kigali. She also encouraged actors in the sector to adopt technology.
“The takeaway from this week, especially from the youth’s perspectives, is that tourism goes beyond parks and gorillas among others. It presents a lot of opportunities for different people including models and sports enthusiasts. There are also tourists interested in walks to stretch legs,” added Rwigamba.
The Director General of the Rwanda Chamber of Tourism at the Private Sector Federation, Frank Gisha Mugisha hailed MasterCard Foundation for organizing the walk and encouraged more actors in the tourism sector to market the park.
The Nyandungu Eco-Park is the first public recreational and touristic facility of its kind in Kigali.
The park provides a space for residents and visitors to the city to explore and learn from nature, and is part of Rwanda’s efforts to harness eco-tourism to restore biodiversity and conserve urban wetland ecosystems.
The restoration of the wetland and creation of an eco-tourism park was funded by the Rwanda Green Fund (FONERWA) with support from the UK Government, the Italian Government through the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the UN Environment Programme.
The six-year initiative has restored the Nyandungu wetland ecosystem and promoted the sustainable management of natural resources.
The rapid growth of Kigali and the associated human activities have put significant pressure on the wetlands. Wetlands, including Nyandungu, have been degraded and this led to biodiversity loss. Encroachment has also resulted in downstream flooding as well as increased pollution due sewage outflows.
In 2016, the Government of Rwanda through REMA developed the Nyandungu restoration project to respond to these challenges and demonstrate the potential of wetlands to abate pollution and reduce the risk of flooding in urban areas.
Since then, the Rwf4.5 billion project has restored critical habitats, including a native fig forest and the wetland itself, and rehabilitated streams and ponds to alleviate floods and reed-beds to reduce pollution.
Stretched on 121.7 hectares in size, including 70 hectares of wetland and 50 hectares of forest; the wetland also features a medicinal garden, a Pope’s Garden, five catchment ponds, three recreation ponds, a 10km network of walking and cycling paths, viewing areas, picnic areas, an information centre, and a restaurant among other facilities.
It is home to more than 62 local plant species and over 100 bird species.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon Endurance spacecraft roared off Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at noon Eastern Time Wednesday.
Shortly after the liftoff, NASA confirmed the main engine cutoff and stage separation.
The first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket completed its descent and successfully landed on SpaceX’s drone ship, Just Read the Instructions, off the coast of Florida.
The Dragon Endurance spacecraft has separated from the second stage, and headed to the ISS.
The mission carries NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina to the ISS.
NASA said the crew has safely reached orbit. The spacecraft will dock with the space station at approximately 4:57 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday.
During their time on the orbiting laboratory, the crew will conduct over 200 science experiments and technology demonstrations in areas such as human health and lunar fuel systems, according to SpaceX.
After the Dragon spacecraft docks to the orbiting lab, another four station crew members, the Crew-4 mission, will end their mission and return to Earth just over a week later, according to NASA.
The Crew-4 mission will undock from the space station and splash down off the coast of Florida.
At least 110 people, including 105 in Florida and five in North Carolina, have died due to Ian, according to a tally by CNN on Wednesday.
Florida’s Lee County has reported 55 fatalities while Charlotte County has seen 24 deaths.
U.S. President Joe Biden traveled to Fort Myers, Florida, on Wednesday to survey storm-ravaged areas.
Nearly 300,000 customers in Florida remained without power as of Wednesday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.us.
Last week, Ian made landfall in southwestern Florida, bringing catastrophic storm surges, heavy rains and destructive winds, and dangerous flooding.
Biden previously said that hurricane Ian “is likely to rank among the worst in the nation’s history.”
Estimated losses from Ian’s wind and storm surges are between 28 billion and 47 billion U.S. dollars, according to CoreLogic, a U.S. research firm that estimates losses from natural disasters.
Idris Musa, head of the National Oil Spills Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), said in a statement that the agency on Monday received a report of the fire incidents at the Akaso Wells 14 and 4T Wellheads, two major oil wells operated by Eroton Exploration and Production Limited in the southern state.
Musa said the raging fire had not been put out by the spill control agency, although a situation room was created for effective communication between the affected oil firm and all relevant stakeholders to give a two-hourly update on the incident.
A well-concerted effort is in place to extinguish the blazes, the NOSDRA official said.
According to him, an illegal boat that was suspected to be engaged in oil theft was observed at the location. The boat has been completely burned and the fire on it was extinguished, he added.
“Until spring, we should only meet in Brussels,” Peter Liese, member of the European People’s Party (EPP) group in EP, told Bild newspaper. He also raised his concern in a letter to EP President Roberta Metsola.
“Heating and lighting two building complexes at the same time in Brussels and Strasbourg is a mockery of taxpayers,” Moritz Koerner of the liberal Renew Europe group said, arguing that the Strasbourg offices should be sent into an “energetic hibernation immediately.”
Although Strasbourg is the EP’s official seat, its committees and political groups meet in Brussels. Only 12 four-day plenary sessions are held in Strasbourg each year.
The European Commission is currently discussing binding requirements for member states to save energy. “There is a global scarcity of energy. So, whatever we do, one thing is for sure: We have to save electricity,” Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said last month.
In view of the energy crisis, the EU has just decided that benefiting energy companies will have to pass on part of their surplus profits in the future. This is intended to curb electricity price increases. “We have agreed on good and effective instruments to curb the rise in electricity prices,” Germany’s Minister for Economic Affairs Robert Habeck said last week.
“Hopefully, the current crisis will lead to a rethink,” the General Secretary of the Taxpayers Association of Europe, Michael Jaeger, told Bild. The commute between Brussels and Strasbourg is a “traveling circus” and “an ecological and economic disaster.”
“Today in Kibugabuga, President Kagame received a US Congressional delegation at his farm. The delegation is led by Senator Jim Inhofe accompanied by Senator Mike Rounds and John Boozman.
“The trip to Rwanda is Senator Jim Inhofe’s last CODEL [Congressional Member Delegation] visit before his retirement. The cordial meeting discussed regional and global affairs and the existing bilateral relations between Rwanda and the United States,” reads the tweet.
Born in 1934, Jim Inhofe is a senator in US Congress who has been representing Oklahoma State.
Inhofe, 87, is the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee and its past chairman. He served previously as chairman and ranking Republican of the Environment and Public Works Committee.
Inhofe recently announced that he would retire effective January 3, 2023, after 35 years in Congress and a career in politics spanning over 50 years.
On Thursday 15th September 2022, Rwanda’s Embassy in the United States hosted a breakfast at the US Capitol in appreciation of Senator Jim Inhofe’s career and friendship with Africa and Rwanda, in particular.
In a message he sent at the time, President Kagame commended Senator Jim Inhofe for his dedication to cement relations between Rwanda and the United States throughout his tenure as a senator in US Congress.
“We have watched you invest in learning about and understanding Rwanda and other African countries. We have also watched you educate your peers on the importance of Africa and countries like Rwanda as worthy global allies,” he said.
“You have shown that a productive relationship with the United States is mutually beneficial for our people and contributes to greater security and stronger economies,” added Kagame.
Speaking at the event, Senator Inhofe also appreciated the warm welcome he is always given whenever he travels to Rwanda.
The 6-youth led local SMEs will receive intensive business skills training sessions, communication and advertising platforms, The identified businesses from the 6 finalists are:
{{Roumeza Limited (Misozi brand):}} They manufacture sportswear in Rwanda, they sell sportswear and sporting accessories like gym bags proudly made in Rwanda.
{{The Kandid}} makes decorative candles from natural waxes such as coconut wax, and beauty products including body butter made from shea butter and plant oils.
{{Flove ltd}} is also a Fashion and textile. This is a startup that manufactures eco-friendly and reusable bags with a drive of empowering teenage mothers in Rwanda by providing them with employment opportunities.
{{Kayko }} deals in ICT solutions with an android application that allows micro-businesses to record their sales, expenses, and credits, and accept digital payments.
{{VUGA UKIRE INITIATIVE}} offers online Psychotherapy and psychoeducation while {{Real Brothers LTD }} produces mushrooms and mushroom tubes (seeds).
Speaking at the press conference held at the MTN Headquarters on Wednesday, MTN Rwanda Chief Executive Officer, Mapula Bodibe said: “We are thrilled to be announcing the finalists of the second season of Level Up Your Biz. SMEs account for 41% percent of all private sector jobs in Rwanda.
By supporting youth-led SMEs, we re-affirm our commitment towards them for they play a critical role in creating jobs for Rwandans and an impetus for a robust economic growth. We believe that such an initiative will go a long way in boosting these businesses and giving them the momentum required for healthy growth.”
Level Up Your Biz was first launched in 2021 and is geared at empowering and providing youth-led businesses with the right entrepreneurial skills and knowledge that will strengthen their innovative capabilities amidst an evolving digital world.
“Level Up Your Biz is a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs to gain business skills from Inkomoko and digital tools from MTN. Inkomoko is more than proud to support Rwandan youth-led businesses in creating opportunities in fast-growth sectors that contribute to the country’s economic development,” said Aretha Mutumwinka Rwagasore, Rwanda Managing Director, Inkomoko.
The announcement and subsequent support of the selected SME’s is part of MTN Rwanda’s commitment to the economic growth of the nation and as an enabler for SMEs to thrive.
{{About MTN Rwandacell }}
MTN Rwandacell Plc (MTN Rwanda) is the market leader in mobile telecommunications in Rwanda. Since 1998, it has continuously invested in expanding and modernizing its network and leading digital solutions for Rwanda’s progress.
The telecom also offer various services to subscribers, including innovative propositions such as personalized voice and data offers for individuals and corporates with a clear vision to lead the delivery of a bold, new digital world to customers.
{{About Inkomoko}}
Inkomoko is an organization that supports micro and small enterprises across East Africa so that they can grow to create jobs, improve livelihoods and create thriving communities.
It began operations in Rwanda ten years ago and has now opened offices in Kenya and Ethiopia. Inkomoko provides entrepreneurs with business development services, including bookkeeping and other financial management training.
It offers them one-on-one consulting, so they can put these lessons into practice.
Through in-house investment fund, Inkomoko offers financing to grow these businesses. Ultimately, its work seeks to help some of these tremendous entrepreneurs throughout Africa improve their lives, create jobs for others in their communities, and most importantly, be strong economic contributors to their communities.
The call was made on Tuesday by different officials at the launch of a workshop organized by the Rwanda Institute of Cooperatives, Entrepreneurship and Microfinance (RICEM) in collaboration with Land O’Lakes Venture, a non-profit organization with headquarters in the United States (US).
Land O’Lakes Venture37 helps people around the world to grow financially by increasing the quantity and quality of agricultural produce as well as connecting them to markets.
As an institution that has the responsibility of increasing the skills of cooperatives’ managers through training, RICEM organized the training under theme “Promoting Rwandan cooperatives through innovation and entrepreneurship.”
The CEO of RICEM, Dr. Olivier Mukulira has explained the main reason behind the organization of the workshop and anticipated outcomes.
“It is a training that we organize every year in collaboration with the American company-Land O’lakes in order to increase managerial skills for cooperative leaders based on what is needed. This year’s focus centered on fostering the cooperation between cooperatives and entrepreneurs,” he said.
Mukulira went on to say that there are some cooperatives that work alone without sharing or seeking information from others about market prices, how they can work with entrepreneurs and where to find partners. He explained that these are among reasons why cooperatives are encouraged to work together.
The workshop was officially opened by the Director General of Rwanda Cooperatives Agency, Prof. Jean Bosco Harelimana who emphasized that participants will gain an insight into the advantages of collaboration between farmers’ and buyers’ cooperatives.
“This training is held in the right time because we had a problem where we would find that the cooperative of farmers and the factory processing the produce do not coordinate. That is what we aim to completely eliminate and instill the culture of cooperation,” he noted.
This training program is an annual event that RICEM organizes based on identified needs of the cooperatives. Held for the third time, this year’s edition will last four days.
It has attracted over 100 representatives from different cooperatives across the country.
