The Congolese registered Toyota Noah, registration number CGO 7097AE/19, was being driven by one Esther Mbabazi, the alleged owner of the smuggled goods, who was also arrested. It was intercepted on Sunday morning at Giticyinyoni as the smuggler entered Kigali from Rubavu District.
Mbabazi had tried to use the cover of the night to smuggle the bales from Rubavu to Kigali, through remote routes but was identified as she entered Kigali, RNP spokesperson, CP John Bosco Kabera, said.
“We have information that Mbabazi has been into this tax fraud for quite sometimes, and working with other people to smuggle bales of caguwa into Rwanda through Rubavu before transporting them mainly to Kigali,” said CP Kabera.
“She had hired this vehicle paying Frw600, 000 per month and using it to transport smuggled goods. Now, her time has come, she is going to lose the money invested in this fraud including heavy fines, the vehicle and the goods will be auctioned as the law provides, and she risks imprisonment,” CP Kabera said.
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A taxpayer, who commits fraud, is subject to an administrative fine of one hundred percent (100%) of the evaded tax. With exception to that penalty, the Tax Administration refers the case to the Prosecution service if the taxpayer voluntarily evaded such tax, like through the use of false accounts, falsified documents or any other act punishable by law. In case of conviction, the taxpayer can be imprisoned for a period between six (6) months and two (2) years.”
Under the East African Community Management Act, which is also applicable in Rwanda, seized smuggled goods under article 199, are auctioned.
The vehicle used in fraud and smuggling, it is also auctioned and the driver slapped a fine of US$5000.
In a press conference on November 16, the Minister of Education, Dr. Uwamariya Valentine, assured that by the end of this month they will have received their salaries and arrears.
“It is normally the district offices that prepare teachers’ salaries; we came to notice that they do not add the 10 % that was agreed upon. Now that we know about this, from this month onward the amount will be added to their salaries including arrears.
The Cabinet meeting held on Monday, January 28, 2019, decided to increase the salaries of primary and secondary school teachers.
High school graduate (A2) was paid Rwf 44,000 per month; a graduate of the first year of university (A1) was paid Rwf90,000, while a university graduate (A0) was paid Rwf120,000.
“We are proud to welcome a record number of Rwandan students to the United States,” said Jeremy Jewett, Deputy Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Kigali. “These talented students are making a positive impact on colleges and universities all around the United States. We can’t wait to see the impact they will have on Rwanda’s growth and development when they return with world-class degrees.”
The new data comes from the 2020 Open Doors report on international educational exchange, an annual report funded by the U.S. State Department and released every year during International Education Week. The report reveals that the United States remains the top destination for international students and hosted more than one million international students (1,075,496) for the fifth consecutive year. This year’s report provides a baseline on the state of international educational exchange prior to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the pandemic has created challenges for travel and international education exchange, U.S. institutions have worked to offer creative solutions and demand remains high.
The U.S. Embassy in Kigali and its EducationUSA student advising office will celebrate International Education Week from November 16 to 20, with virtual programs to encourage future Rwandan leaders to study in the United States. Prospective students are welcome to join free virtual college fairs on Wednesday, November 18 (undergraduate studies) and Thursday, November 19 (graduate studies). More information and links are available on the U.S. Embassy in Kigali’s Facebook page and website.
The United States is home to more than 4,500 accredited higher education institutions, including community colleges and public and private colleges and universities. “This vast range of choices means there are programs available to meet everyone’s needs,” said Richard Kaburente, the embassy’s EducationUSA student adviser. The EducationUSA student advising program offers free guidance and assistance to students interested in learning about or applying to U.S. colleges and universities. For more information, please contact EducationUSAKigali@state.gov.
The statement from the Ministry on Monday revealed that 31 cases were found in Kigali City, from the testing in Nyarugenge Prison, one case was found in Kirehe, one in Nyagatare, and one in Rusizi.
On March 14, 2020, the Ministry of Health confirmed that an Indian, who had arrived in the country on March 8, 2020, from Mumbai, was diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus caused by the new Coronavirus.
Since the first case of COVID-19 was found in Rwanda, 5491 confirmed cases have been identified in 588,534 sample tests taken. Of these, 5,504 have since recovered, while 442 are still active cases; so far, 45 have succumbed to the pandemic.
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 required to continue to comply with government regulations, especially with frequent washing of hands and water and soap, wearing masks when leaving home or in public.
The congress presided over by Nyarugenge District Executive Administrator (DEA) Emmy Ngabonziza, brought together youth coordinators from cell to district level in Nyarugenge.
Present was also the national youth volunteers coordinator, Abdallah Murenzi, as well as the Police, the army and the National Youth Council representatives.
There are about 9,553 members of youth volunteers in Nyarugenge District. Countrywide, the youth group has over 300,000 members.
While speaking during the congress, the Nyarugenge DEA thanked them for taking the lead in building their country.
“Everything you do has an impact to the direct beneficiaries and a channel to further build your country. You are setting the tone for other young people to follow,” Ngabonziza said.
Nyarugenge youth volunteers dedicated the month of October to community security and development activities.
Thus, their activities focused on raising awareness against lawlessness, community education on healthy feeding, environmental protection, welfare and community development, among others.
They also built two houses and renovated two others as well as 11 toilets for disadvantaged families; constructed 480 organic gardens to fight poor feeding and educated 741 families on healthy feeding; and planted about 1200 trees.
Currently, they are also constructing three other houses for less privileged families in Nyarugenge.
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During the youth volunteers’ month, they donated about 600 facemasks and conducted awareness campaign on government directives and safety practices for the pandemic containment.
So far, about 370 youth volunteers in Nyarugenge are stationed at 21 sites in markets, bus terminals, stations and in other public places. They support Rwanda National Police in monitoring the implementation of practices meant to prevent further spread of COVID-19 such as physical distancing, hand washing and wearing face masks, among others.
The national youth volunteers coordinator, Abdallah Murenzi, said that countrywide, the youth volunteers activities in the month of October are worth over Frw500 million with over Frw12 in Nyarugenge District alone.
“You cannot equate the value of volunteerism. The value of what you do is found in how it contributes to our country’s progress on security and development fronts,” Murenzi said.
He urged them to be defined by the values of discipline, patriotism, fighting corruption and influencing positive behavioral change.
“Changing the criminal behaviors of drug dealers and abusers, subscribing to health insurance, healthy feeding and healthy living… all spearhead peer teaching and learning. This is what you should strive to do as youth volunteers.
You would not be pleased if wrangles in your communities become fatal or if young people there become drug addicts,” said Murenzi.
The District Political and Civil Education Officer (DPCEO) for Nyarugenge, Inspector of Police (IP) Shadrack Munyakazi lauded the role of youth volunteers in crime prevention activities.
“Your activities have set roots in fighting and preventing crimes through awareness and information sharing on wrongdoers,” IP Munyakazi said.
He added: “Your spirit of volunteerism defines a disciplined and patriotic young people. This is a culture that should be inherited by generations to create a solid branch of our country’s sustainable security and development.”
He urged them to give much emphasis to fighting drugs, GBV, child abuse and corruption, among others.
This is the first time since the first COVID-19 patient was diagnosed with Coronavirus in Rwanda on March 14, 2020, that a large number of people have died in one day.
A statement from the Ministry of Health on November 15, 2020 stated that the victims were three men from 36, 62 and 85 years of age in Rwamagana.
Rwamagana district is among the worst hit by Coronavirus in terms of the number of people killed, as eight people were killed this week alone.
The ministry also said that on Sunday, 61 new cases were recorded out of 1449 sample tests taken; there is one recovery.
The new cases include those removed from Kigali: 55 of the testing in Nyarugenge Prison, Bugesera: 4, Nyamagabe: 1, and Rwamagana: 1.
New cases of inmates and detainees in various prisons, including Nyarugenge in Mageragere Sector, were reported to have infected 27 people on November 11, 2020 and Muhanga, which had 36 people evacuated on November 13, and another 30 on November 13 of November 14, 2020.
New cases are emerging among inmates in various prisons, 27 cases were reported in Nyarugenge in Mageragere Sector on November 11, 2020, and Muhanga, which had 36 people evacuated on November 13, and another 30 new cases were found on November 14, 2020.
In Rwanda, 586,989 sample tests have been taken, of which 5455 cases were confirmed. Of these, 4,995 have recovered while 415 are still active cases.
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 required to continue to comply with government regulations, especially with frequent washing of hands and water and soap, wearing masks when leaving home or in public.
As RRA conducts the Taxpayers Appreciation Month launched on 4th November, one of the key activities for this month is the visit to taxpayers at their premises to understand the nature of their business, discuss tax related issues if any, and take note of their recommendation to improve services delivered to them and tax procedures for a business friendly environment.
Mr Ruganintwali asserted that this year, the Taxpayers Appreciation Month is celebrated under the theme “Support Business for economic resilience” and this support starts by listening, to identify areas of weakness and provide guidance.
Alex Karera Kabuto, the Chief Executive Officer of Shema Power Lake Kivu welcomed RRA’s support and the initiative of reaching out to taxpayers and listening, discussing and advising where necessary.
“The tax administration has for instance facilitated this project by exempting all our imported machinery and other raw materials. On our end, we strive to comply with tax laws and procedures and when a misunderstanding arises, they provide a team to help us to solve the issue,” said Mr. Karera.
The execution time for SPLK is estimated to be 36 months. For the last 12 months, the project has paid around Rwf 4 billion in taxes. Mr Karera states that when the project becomes operational, it will be generating an estimated Rwf 5 billion monthly income, with 56 megawatts produced regularly.
Taxpayers’ visits started in Kigali City with BAKHRESA GRAIN MILL (AZAM), VOVA PRODUCTS (Matelas Dodoma), and SPERANZA, then extended in Eastern province when the management visited IMANA Steel. These visits are intended to strengthen relations between the revenue body and taxpayers and thereby improve on the level of tax compliance.
All activities comprised in the Taxpayers Appreciation Month will be concluded by celebrations at the National level on 20th November, 2020 at Kigali Convection Center.
Nyirakabanza was arrested on Tuesday, November 10, in Ryambungira Village of Gakingo Cell in Shingiro Sector alongside her casual employee called Emerence Muragijimana, 22.
Muragijimana was allegedly helping Nyirakabanza in searching for customers and delivery. Muragijimana was also, at the time, negotiating with a guised buyer of the very severe drugs.
Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Alexis Rugigana, the Police spokesperson of the Northern region, said that ANU trailed Nyirakabanza after getting information that she is a major drug dealer and mainly supplying retailers in City of Kigali.
“A community policing partner in Kigali told ANU about Nyirakabanza’s suspected criminal dealings. ANU later learnt that she had a new consignment of cannabis, they trailed her to Musanze where she was arrested alongside Muragijimana with a bundle containing 6,500 pellets of the drug,” CIP Rugigana said.
“A guised buyer was supposed to pay FRW1.2 million for the 6,500 pellets of cannabis when ANU reined in and arrested the duo red-handed,” he added.
Nyirakabanza, a resident of Musanze, disclosed that she is supplied by big dealers from Gisenyi, Rubavu District before she also distributes to other cannabis retailers in Kigali.
It is said that Nyirakabanza and other members of her family have been dealing in the “very severe drugs” for a while now. A court in Musanze District, last year, convicted Nyirakabanza’s daughter for the same crime after she was found with 300 pellets of cannabis.
CIP Rugigana hailed the community policing spirit of the informer, who facilitated the successful operation.
“Increased successful operations against major drug dealers are facilitated by credible information shared by members of the public. We remind drug dealers that the ultimate price for drug dealing is long term imprisonment if they don’t quit the criminal business of poisoning people, especially the young ones, who constitute the majority of victims,” said the spokesperson.
Cannabis is listed as a “very severe drug” in Rwanda, alongside cocaine, opium and heroin, under the Ministerial Order No. 001/MoH/2019 of 04/03/2019 establishing the list of narcotic drugs and their categorisation.
Article 263 of the law determining offences and penalties in general specifies that anyone convicted for “severe narcotic drugs” faces a life imprisonment and a fine of between FRW 20, 000,000 and FRW 30, 000,000.
Speaking at the opening of 11 November 2020, when he visited the center of the Islamic Cultural Center home to the ESSI Nyamirambo, where he met with students studying in the fifth and sixth in the different branch, ambassador Alqahtani encouraged the students to work hard as there are many opportunities awaiting them, including being awarded scholarships to study at various universities in the UAE.
“The UAE government provides scholarships to Rwandan students to study at some of its local universities, such as the UAE University and the Sorbonne University of Abu Dhabi, and this opportunity is given to promising students in secondary schools,” he said.
He also emphasized that his country has invested heavily in education and made it easier for its people to access affordable education services.
“The UAE believes that education is the right of every citizen, as evidenced by its founder, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who said that the most important thing to create wealth is to invest in a knowledgeable people,” he said.
He said that the UAE government has for years been implementing education programs for all in order to ensure that there are no more uneducated people.
The United Arab Emirates, he said, is focusing on improving science, technology and innovation in the curriculum, with the aim of becoming world leader in science and innovation.
The Director General of the Islamic Cultural Center, Abdellatif Oulad Aouid, in his remarks thanked Ambassador Hazza Alqahtani, saying that their center is ready to benefit from the experience of UAE education.
“The Islamic Cultural Center in Kigali is ready to benefit from the UAE’s experience in education and practical skills, and we hope that your visit here is a sign of a better future,” he said.
He added that the UAE-Libya-based education center, made education its primary goal at its inception in 1979; now it is one of the most well-established schools.
Some of the students of ESSI Nyamirambo who participated in the discussion expressed their desire to get more help in their studies so that they could be at a better level and also compete on the international stage.
Some of those present at the event told IGIHE that the message given to them by the UAE Ambassador left them inspired to grab the opportunities.
Uwineza Raissa, a sixth-year student in Mathematics, Chemistry and Biology, MCB, said: “they told us there are many opportunities for Rwandan students to go study in the UAE. I was encouraged to study even harder so as to be among those lucky ones.”
Kaffé sports café at the Kigali Arena will not only cater to visitors to the Kigali Arena but also the entire Kigali community.
This new development comes following a seven-year management agreement that was signed between QA Venue Solutions and the Government of Rwanda to manage the Kigali Arena.
Born in Burundi, Chef Coco Reinarhz, worked as a chef in Belgium, DR Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, and South Africa. He currently owns a top-rated fine dining restaurant called Épicure by Chef Coco in Sandton, Johannesburg.
Inspired by cities in Africa, different styles of dining and diverse palates Épicure restaurant boasts 160 seats including terraced tables and a 40-seater private dining. Épic Bar and Cure Deli compliment the culinary chic.
Following the signing of the agreement between Kigali Arena management and the restaurateur, Chef Coco Reinarhz said:
“We will be able to cater for all kinds of guests, from fusing some of the best African and global cuisines to offering tasty fast foods. My goal is to work with local talents and partners to provide holistic dining experiences. We want people to come with their families and friends and enjoy the overall experience.”
In addition to the sports café, Chef Coco Reinarhz will partner with other food and beverage vendors at the Arena to provide world-class hospitality at the facility.
“Our goal is to have as many people coming here to receive the best quality services. This will keep the Arena vibrant,” he noted.
On his part QA Venue Solutions Director, Kyle Schofield, said:
“This agreement between the Kigali Arena and Chef Coco Reinarhz, is a fulfilment of the promise that we made as QA Venue Solutions to bring world-class amenities to the community that the Arena serves.
As an iconic African Arena, we believe that Kigali Arena deserves facilities that showcase it in the best possible light and we are confident that the partnership with Chef Coco Reinarhz will be a testament to our vision for the Arena.
We want to further invite local, regional and international businesses to partner with us to find the right opportunities to further their business growth through the Kigali Arena.”
QA Venue Solutions Rwanda has partnered with local companies and continues to encourage businesses in Rwanda to engage with the management team regarding opportunities in the venue.
Who is Chef Coco Reinarhz
Coming from two generations of accredited chefs, Coco Reinarhz attended the École Hotelière de Namur in Belgium and Institut Supérieur de Gestion Hotelière in Namur. He then worked in Belgium, Holland, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast and South Africa. He is the owner of Sel Afrique Pty Ltd.
Chef Coco Reinarhz philosophy is that of a modern world culinary citizen who is also an African by birth and choice. He combines classical French training and skill with the panorama of spectacularly expressive but previously overlooked African food in a modern, sophisticated, and utterly delicious manner.
He earned recognition as one of the top restaurateurs in the world. His restaurant ‘Sel et Poivre’ was selected as the American Express Fine Dining restaurant and he also earned the Platinum Award Wine List from Diner’s Club in 2008. He then earned Diners Club Diamond Award for Sel et Poivre Restaurant in 2013.
A member of the elite Chaîne des Rôtisseurs and Disciple de l’Ordre d’Auguste Escoffier, Chef Coco Reinarhz has also co-authored an award-winning cookbook titled ‘To the Banqueting House, African Cuisine and Epic Journey’.
He has shared his passion on SABC1, SABC3, E-tv, CNN, TV5 and BBC Food. He has also been a celebrity chef on hit show ‘Master Chef-South Africa’ and was the main judge for the LB Cook-Off Show on SABC3.
About QA Venue Solutions
QA Venue Solutions was established by an experienced, dynamic group of people whose philosophy is based on developing a new model of venue solutions across the African continent and beyond.
The company comprises a team of proudly African individuals who together possess decades of experience in the events, entertainment, and hospitality industry, in addition to venue management, design and operations.
QA Venue Solutions is proud to have been at the forefront of major sports events in Africa. QA Venue Solutions Director, Kyle Schofield worked with NBA (National Basketball Association) and NBA Africa as Head of Event Operations for the continent, leading the 2017 and 2018 NBA Africa Game Operations.
As the Venue Management for Sun Arena|Time Square – Menlyn-Pretoria – Sun International, a 8,500 -10,500-Seater multi-purpose Arena in Pretoria, QA Venue Solutions managed the calendar, contracts, operations, technical, safety and security aspects of all shows being hosted at the venue.
In 2018 QA Venue Solutions was directly involved in the venue operations for the 2018 NBA Africa Game at the Sun Arena. QA Venue Solution consulted for Stadium Management South Africa (SMSA) to ensure the smooth running of the FNB, Orlando, Dobsonville and Rand Stadiums and as experts in large event production, QA Venue Solutions provided technical direction for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, 2010 FIFA Football World Cup as well as the 2014 African Cup of Nations Cup.
Under QA Entertainment Technology Consultants (Pty) Ltd, QA Venue Solutions has been, and is still involved in, consulting on venue concepts, commercialization, feasibility, operations, and technical requirements for various venues throughout Africa and internationally.
