He said, “This time movies from the East African region will be invited, not as observers but to compete.”
This year, participating countries will include Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda.
To apply, one must show proof of ownership of a movie he is submitting for the awards. The movie must have been released in 2018 or 2019, for Rwandan movies. For international films, they must have been released in 2019.
This year’s activities will see a Rwandan movie being shown in different towns around the country, take different actors outside Kigali to meet their fans, an exhibition of Rwandan movies, and will take Rwandan movie producers on benchmark visits abroad.
Rwanda Movie Awards was launched in 2012. Submissions for this year’s awards start this Wednesday, January 15, 2020, and the awards will be given on March 7, 2020.
Ron Weiss, the Chief Executive Officer of Rwanda Energy Group (REG) mentioned it on Tuesday, 14th January as he announced new electricity tariffs revising them from Rwf192 per kilowatt-hour (KWh) in 2018 to Rwf 186 per KWh.
Currently, 53% of households (about 1.4 million houses) in Rwanda have access to electricity including 1 million connected to the grid while the remaining 400,000 use off-grid electricity.
“We have up to 2.8 million households with no access to electricity and we have doubled efforts to connect them to the grid. However, we are anticipating that in the next 4 years, a million other houses will be built, meaning we will have to provide electricity to at least 2.4 million households by then. However, the major hindrance we are facing is the large budget required to achieve our objective. We need $850 million to achieve our target.”
Weiss said that with the support of partners in the energy sector, they are confident that 100% of households will have access to electricity by 2024.
Rwanda Development Board (RDB) recently announced that in 2019, Rwanda banked new investments worth $2.46 billion (Rwf 2300 billion). The energy sector accounts for 45% of new investments including the construction of the Rusizi III dam worth $613 million, the Gasmeth Energy Project worth $442 million and the Nots Solar Lamps project worth $72 million.
There are also several other energy projects including Gisagara Peat Power Plant that is expected to provide 80 Megawatts, Rusumo high dam which will provide 80 Megawatts as well and Rusizi IV high dam expected to provide 287 Megawatts that will be shared between Burundi, DRC, and Rwanda.
Wess said that by 2024, Rwanda will have 556 Megawatts which will be enough to supply electricity to all households and industries in Rwanda. To achieve this, he said REG plans on building more transmission lines to ease access to electricity.
On Tuesday, January 14th, 2020, Kamariza Olive, the victim, and wife of Ndabereye wrote a message on her Twitter account showing a picture of herself after Ndabereye violently beat her injuring a large part of her scalp.
She also mentioned several other instances where her husband abused her despite continuous mediation where both her husband’s family and hers tried to mend their relationship. She tagged President Paul Kagame, Rwanda National Police, Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) and several media houses in Rwanda pleading for help and protection from her husband.
Ndabereye was scheduled to appear in court today at 2:30 PM to negotiate potential release while his case is being investigated.
The trial of Ndabereye will be open. Open trials educate the public about the criminal justice system, give legitimacy to it, and have the effect of enabling the public to see justice done.
Gatabazi Jean Marie Vianney, Northern Province Governor replied to her that his trial had been postponed and postponed to January 29th, 2020 at Stade Ubworoherane in Musanze district.
“We are assuring you that with the collaboration of Rwanda National Police, you and your children are safe and justice will be served. Your husband’s trial which was scheduled today has been postponed to January 29th, 2020 at Stade Ubworoherane.”
3)Arafungwa @ProsecutionRw@Rwanda_Justice irabizi nuku itariki 09/10/2020 yaburanye gukurikiranwa ari hanze urubanza ruzasomwa ejo 14/01/2020 nkaba nishinganisha,ngutabariza kuko ejo azanyica ashyire mu bikorwa umugambi yahoranye wo kunyica nkuko yabimbwira
Babo, 18, is well known for such songs as “Ich Liebe Dich” featuring Urban Boyz, “Turn Up”, “Problem”, and the recently released “Number One”.
Her role models are the American-born Nigerian singer, songwriter, and record producer Davido and the Rwandan singer and songwriter King James.
“My role model in music in Africa is Davido while in Rwanda it is King James. This is because of the way their music soothes to me,” she says.
She says that she discovered her love for music when she was little. Back then, she used to sing while in her room. As she grew up, she says, she decided to make it her professional career as she pursued her studies.
One of her goals is to popularize Rwandan music internationally. She says, “My vision in music is to raise awareness of Rwandan music and develop my motherland. In five years, I want to see myself among the greatest musicians and to develop my country as a Rwandan woman.”
On the question of why there are few Rwandan women in the music industry, she says that women face a lot of challenges that discourage them.
She says; “Women face such problems as a producer asking them money before they work on a project, sometimes the song going unproduced for as long as a year, leaving them disheartened.”
One of the biggest dreams she has had since childhood is meeting President Kagame.
She says: “Meeting President Kagame would please me a lot, for I had that dream since when I was a little child. Also, I can tell him that he is a good and exemplary parent to the nation.”
Babo has been doing music for four years. She is of mixed race, her mother being Rwandan while her father is German.
His death was announced by the state-run Oman News Agency via its official Twitter account. The royal court immediately declared three days of mourning.
The exhibition was to be held at the Kigali Convention Centre bringing together food and beverage vendors, clothes brands, aluminum, and asphalt manufacturing companies and construction companies from Oman.
The exhibition was organized by The Public Authority for Investment Promotion & Export Development (Ithraa) in partnership with The Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (Madayn).
The organizing committee of the OPEX exhibition announced that due to the sudden death of the Sultan and after discussion with Oman government authorities, the OPEX will be cancelled until further notice.
However, the OPEX organizing committee announced that new dates for the exhibition will be announced within the shortest delay.
The OPEX is expected to attract up to 250 vendors and serve as a discussion platform for investors from Rwanda and Oman.
Omani Products Exhibition was launched in 2012 and Kigali will host the 10th exhibition that will showcase a variety of products and services manufactured in Oman and that are exported in more than 140 countries around the world.
Maymuna al Adawi, Ithraa’s Director of Export Facilitation had previously said that Rwanda’s economic performance is impressive given that most income does not provide from agricultural exports but from impeccable service provision that contributes to a continuously improving economy.
“We see great investment potential in Rwanda and we are confident the Omani Products Exhibition will be successful.”
Oman News Agency mourned the death of the 79-year old Sultan in a Twitter message which read “His balanced policy of mediating between rival camps in a volatile region had earned the world’s respect.”
As part of the mourning, Oman flags will be taken down in homage of the late Sultan for 40 days.
The course, the second of its kind, was organized as a requirement and condition by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for all officers working at the airports.
Commissioner of Police (CP) Robert Niyonshuti, Commissioner for Training and Development in RNP, while officially opening the course, said that the aviation industry provides the only rapid worldwide transportation network, which makes it essential for global business and sensitive for security.
“It generates economic growth, creates jobs, and facilitates international trade and tourism; commercial aviation remains an attractive target for terrorists, active shooters… airports are vulnerable to various luggage filled with explosives and weaponized drones,” CP Niyonshuti said.
He added: “Terrorist groups or criminals may recruit airport employees to commit terror acts, to facilitate smuggling of drugs, weapons, and contraband; all these equally make addressing insider threats a priority. Aviation safety and security call for our constant vigilance, and strategic anticipation at all levels, to stay ahead of the threat.”
CP Niyonshuti noted that criminals are developing new concealment techniques and looking at non-conventional weapons to commit crimes, which calls for professionalism and further upgrading skills of security organs.
“Securing our airports requires continuous training of staff and a high level of professionalism. It has come at the right time when our countries are on the right track in the development of the aviation industry.”
The training, he said, will provide added knowledge, technical know-how, and capabilities for airport security.
During the three weeks, participants will cover civil aviation skills, an overview of international civil aviation security, access control of people and vehicles, recognition of explosives and other restricted articles; search procedures; patrol and guarding airport, screening and searching passengers; luggage and protection of aircraft, among others.
This followed the merger between former Commercial Bank of Africa Limited (CBA) and NIC Group PLC (NIC Group) which took effect on 1st October 2019 and resulted into NCBA Group PLC (the “Group”) as the holding company of Commercial Bank of Africa (Rwanda) PLC.
Subsequently, on the 31st December 2019, The National Bank of Rwanda (BNR) issued the Bank a new operating license under the name NCBA Bank Rwanda PLC.
Ms. Lina Higiro, CEO of NCBA Bank Rwanda PLC said, “We are delighted to adopt a new name and brand identity, which will enable our bank to leverage on the strengths, values and historic legacies of the merged entity – NCBA Group PLC”.
“Our new brand identity sets us apart in a bold and distinctive way that resonates very well with our customers. With the financial strength, expertise, regional connectivity and expanded range of products and services, NCBA Bank Rwanda PLC is set to become a market leader in Corporate, Retail, Asset Finance and Digital Banking within the region.” says Ms. Lina Higiro.
NCBA Group PLC operates a network of more than 100 branches in five countries including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Ivory Coast. Serving over 40 million customers, the NCBA is the largest bank in Africa by customer numbers.
The public is advised that the bank will finalise the rebranding process over the next one month.
In Rwanda, drugs are sold only in pharmacies and other qualified institutions under the supervision of a healthcare professional. Pharmacists are trusted mainly as they are intensively trained for 4 to 5 years in Rwanda, in which they gain an extensive knowledge of prescription medicines and their effects on patients.
However, as any lucrative business, some pharmacists are more focused on earning profit.
The law stipulates that most medicines can only be sold or supplied against a prescription at a pharmacy under the supervision of a pharmacist. However, pharmacists across the country continue to sell over-the-counter drugs despite prohibition.
Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are medicines sold directly to a consumer without a prescription from a healthcare professional.
Even though some medicines do not require medical prescription, several reports condemn pharmacists in Rwanda who sell drugs to patients with no prescription whatsoever and that calls for stricter legal controls to address the issue.
Prof Kayumba Pierre Claver, a pharmacy expert from the EAC Center of Excellence for Vaccines, Immunization and Health Supply Chain Management told IGIHE that selling over-the-counter drugs is an alarming issue that must be dealt with through stricter regulations.
“Medicines should never be sold anyhow and patients should know drugs components have different side effects depending on the patient and hence should never be consumed without the advice of a health professional. As for pharmacists, dispensing medicines without the written prescription of a medical practitioner should be considered a criminal act and a violation of pharmacy regulations.”
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The illegal sale of prescription drugs has surged recently and is identified as one of the major causes of over-the-counter drugs. Normally, licensed health care professionals, such as doctors or pharmacists should be the only ones to sell medicines.
Some pharmacy owners reportedly instruct pharmacists on the counter to make money in every possible way rather than practicing as professionals.
The issue is exacerbated by the overcrowding of pharmacies in one area which leads to competition and a relentless race to earn profit hence increasing deceitful practices.
In addition, a shortage of qualified practitioners adds to the workload of physicians and pharmacists who are unable to exercise their functions as should be. Also, some pharmacies sell medicines that are close or past their expiry dates just to get rid of stockpiles of expired pharmaceuticals.
The international drug prohibition law states that any drug that has exceeded ½ of its duration should not be sold or allowed to pass the borders of any country.
The Ministry of Health and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) are required to impose stricter sanctions on the sale of unlicensed controlled substances including prescription drugs as the current regulations are seen to be too lenient.
Practitioners are also recommended to observe the legal framework for drug trafficking to address the sale of over-the-counter drugs.
Currently, one pharmacist in Rwanda cares for up to 14,000 patients per year. The objective is to reduce the number to one practitioner for 1 patient by 2025.
There are no definite statistics that show the effects of prescription drug abuse but the misuse of medication such as painkillers can have dangerous consequences.
For example, opioids can cause choking, changes in mood, decreased cognitive function, interruptions in the menstrual cycle, infertility and slowed breathing. The misuse of anti-depressants, sedatives or tranquilizers can cause severe addiction problems, lead to coma or death.
She lived in Kigenge Cell, Giheke Sector, Rusizi District, and was killed around 7 p.m. on Saturday, January 11, 2020, on a road that runs through a forest in Rwamiko village of the Kigenge Cell. She was returning from a visit to her children who live in Kamashangi Sector.
The executive secretary of Giheke Sector, Hagenimana Jean de Dieu told IGIHE, “She [Bayavuge Béatrice] was coming from Kamashangi but as she reached near her home, at the forest, she met criminals who strangled her using a scarf she wore. We suspect that they also raped her. The investigations are still going on.”
Bayavuge Béatrice’s body was taken to Gihundwe hospital for autopsy. Meanwhile, the authority said that no one has yet been arrested for the crime.
Residents in the area have asked authorities to install road lights in the area to check crime.
The green bank will be created to promote green investments in Rwanda and sensitize institutions across the country to finance green projects.
Doreen Nakure, communication specialist at Rwanda Green Fund (FONERWA) told IGIHE that FONERWA will be in charge of coordinating the activities of the green bank and has already hired a team of experts to design the blueprint of the bank incorporating all the functions the bank will execute.
“We have already launched a ‘Coalition for Green Capital’ study that will determine all the major processes the bank will undergo and the initial capital to be invested.”
The Coalition for Green Capital (CGC) is a non-profit organization that aims at accelerating the growth of clean energy markets through the creation of Green Banks.
Since 2009, CGC incubates local clean energy finance organizations, often called Green Banks and structures public, private and mission-driven capital for investment through those organizations.
It has not been communicated if the Bank will be owned by the Government of Rwanda or a private institution. However, Nakure says ownership will depend on many factors but what is more probable is that the Bank will be private-owned.
The main objective of CGC is to drive greater clean energy investment and creating a 100% clean energy platform, especially in developing countries.
The prospective creation of the Green Bank was announced during the UN Climate Change Conference COP 25 that was held in Spain from the 2nd to the 13th December 2019. The conference served to build ambition ahead of 2020, the year in which countries have committed to submit new and updated national climate action plans.
The decision comes after the Development Bank of South Africa (DBSA) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) created a Climate Finance Facility with an initial capital of $100 million.
During the COP 25 conference, Dr. Anthony Nyong, Director of the Bank’s Climate Change and Green Growth Department at AfDB mentioned that technologies play a large roll in emission reduction for mitigating climate change.
“As a measure to reduce air pollution and tackle climate change, AfDB partners with various financial institutions to identify ways in which the effects of climate change can be reduced.”
The Government of Rwanda created FONERWA, an engine for green growth in Rwanda to support Rwanda’s commitment to building a strong green economy. Since its creation in 2013, 138,0000 green jobs have been created.
In 2017, 21,847 Hectares of land had been secured against erosion and 12,998 Hectares of watersheds and water bodies were restored. In addition, 41,116 hectares were prepared for Agroforestry while 65,430 families were connected to off-grid clean energy.
At the time, FONERWA had invested $100 million to support green institutions.
Rwamagana Power Plant which produced 8.5 megawatts is a great example of projects funded by FONERWA.
Vision 2050 anticipates that Rwanda will be a developed climate-resilient, low-carbon economy by 2050.
![Barbara Teta [Babo], one of Rwandan emerging musicians who sings mainly in German language has such big dreams as taking Rwandan music to the world](https://en-images.igihe.com/IMG/jpg/babo_avuga_ko_ashaka_guteza_umuziki_imbere_ukarenga_urwego_uriho_uyu_munsi-88562.jpg)
