The sporting event serves to make Kigali a green city while promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Rwanda’s Presidency has posted photos and short video on Twitter showing President Kagame along with the mayor of Kigali City, Prudence Rubingisa; the Minister of Sports and Culture, Aurore Mimosa Munyangaju walking different streets including Car Free Zone as part of the bi-monthly sporting event held on Sunday 21st November 2021.
After participating, Kagame shared great moments of the exercise via Twitter handle.
“It was liberating to join Car Free Day today and walk the streets of Kigali after so many months of COVID-19 restrictions. See you all at the next Car Free Day,” he tweeted.
Car Free Day takes place every first and third Sunday of the month, bringing together city dwellers for physical fitness exercises.
The exercise started in 2016, aimed promoting healthy lifestyle among Rwandans and help them benefit from other health activities like screening for non-communicable diseases.
Car Free Day provides a platform to educate people on healthy lifestyle choices in general and creates awareness that roads are not only built for vehicles but also for pedestrians.
Among others, the mass sports helps to reduce air pollution.
Other 182 officers are from the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS). The one-year 17th Police Basic Course intake include 450 females.
The pass out was presided over by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, who promoted the new officers to the rank of ‘Police Constable.’
It was also attended by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dan Munyuza, Governor of the Eastern Province, Emmanuel K. Gasana, Executive Secretary of NISS, Major General Joseph Nzabamwita, and the Commissioner General for Rwanda Correctional Service (RCS), Juvenal Marizamunda among others.
The new Police officers include 135, who are currently pursuing bachelors degree in Law, Information Technology, Languages and Professional Police Studies at the National Police College (NPC) in Musanze District.
Minister Ugirashebuja congratulated the officers for their courage and resilience throughout the training.
He urged them to use the acquired skills and knowledge, in working with other officers to add value to the RNP mandate, be driven by exemplary service while supporting the people and to prevent anything that can taint the image of the force.
Such training programmes, the Minister added, demonstrates the government and RNP’s will to build a professional and capable police force to effectively execute its policing duties of ensuring safety and security of people living in Rwanda and their properties.
“This emphasizes the fact that professionalism is a result of training,” said Minister Ugirashebuja.
He added that although RNP has increased its operations against corruption and related vices, gender-based violence, terrorism, and preventing road accidents, among others; this can be effectively achieved when there is strong cooperation and collaboration with the citizenry.
The Minister commended the impact of RNP in human security and community development activities.
The force has over the years constructed houses for the disadvantaged families, connected thousands of households that are far from the national electricity grid with solar energy, extended clean water to communities, paid medical insurance premiums for the vulnerable, constructed roads connecting communities as well as providing financial support to cooperatives, to mention but a few.
Minister Ugirashebuja urged the force to aim for exemplary service, respect the law and supplement the national development agenda to influencing positive thinking and actions in communities where they are deployed.
He commended the impact of RNP in ensuring homeland security, supporting international peace through peacekeeping missions abroad. He pledged the government’s continued support in capacity development to further enhance the force’s capabilities to provide sustainable security.
The Commandant of PTS, Commissioner of Police (CP) Robert Niyonshuti said that the 12 months of basic training covered varied topics that were meant to develop capacity and skills such as public order management, Police operations, military sciences, road safety, drills and duties, law and community policing.
PC Odette Umutesi was awarded as the overall best student, PC Fiston Intare came second while PC Emmanuel King Kagabo was third overall.
Although pharmaceutical products are currently manufactured in countries like South Africa, Kenya, Morocco and Egypt, Africa currently imports more than 80 per cent of its pharmaceutical and medical consumables.
The shortage stalls the continent’s health sector yet there are untapped investment opportunities to streamline its efficiency while generating huge returns.
Today, Africa registers 375 plants manufacturing pharmaceutical products and vaccines for its 1.2 billion population. The World Bank’s report shows that the continent’s health sector needs an investment between US$ 25 to 30 billion to make health services more accessible.
As he attended Rwanda Global Health Summit 2021, the Resident Representative of Belgian Development Agency, Enabel in Rwanda, Dirk Deprez has emphasized that investing in Africa’s health sector is a profitable business that also contributes to the wellbeing of Africans.
“Research carried out by World Health Organization shows that 99% of vaccines used in Africa are imported. Besides, the continent also imports 94% of pharmaceuticals,” he said.
“The continent’s pharmaceuticals’ market share is valued at US$28.5 billion expected to double in 2030. Investors should seize this opportunity in the areas of drugs and vaccine manufacturing. Governments, partners and financial institutions remain committed to support them,” added Deprez.
Dr Dhiren Thakker, the founder of Med Aditus International, a nonprofit corporation that aspires to be a positive force in creating access to medicine for underserved patients in Sub-Saharan Africa stressed that increasing drugs manufacturing plants is the only solution to tackle shortages and become self-reliant instead of sticking to foreign aids and imports.
“After realizing how Africans struggle to access health services, I wanted to make an impact and abandoned my job in 2019 to create a non-profit organization with a view to address the shortage of drugs in Africa. Today, we want to build pharmaceutical plants. Preparations are underway and we are considering Rwanda and Kenya as the first countries where our operations will begin,” he said.
Dr. Thakker also revealed that they mull introducing advanced technology in the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and expressed optimism that it will create new jobs.
The Director General of Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC), Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana has said prioritizing investment in health sector is among lessons learnt from COVID-19 pandemic.
“We would request the Ministry of Finance or other financial institutions to provide funding to buy drugs or build a laboratory. The proposal would be okayed but told that building roads and schools would come first. Building schools is a good idea but the health sector should be given priority because it affects different aspects of life when things go wrong,” he said.
Health experts attending Rwanda Global Health Summit have also called for collaboration between different stakeholders for the continent to bridge the gap in health services.
Kagame made the request following mixed reactions among members of the public complaining about low speed limits with accompanying speeding fines in Kigali city.
The uproar emanated from the recent changes where drivers with the speed above 40km/hr were slapped traffic fines.
As he delivered remarks at the celebration of Tax Payers Appreciation Day 2021, Kagame reminisced on the controversial speed limits which triggered mixed reactions and called on relevant institutions to make adjustments.
“I get updates through the media. I have been following up. The majority of you, got here by vehicles. You might have paid taxes along the road,” he said.
Kagame said, he is aware that people have been complaining about low speed limit that saw many of them fined.
“People have been complaining about excessive traffic penalties for speed limits and paying fines for going beyond 40km/h. That is the same speed as those of us who are used to walking,” he observed.
“I have spoken to National Police. The speed should not be so high that it leads to accidents, nor should it be so low that people never get where they are going,” added Kagame.
He delivered the message on Thursday 18th November 2021 during interactive session in which he took UoK students through youth empowerment programs in the UAE.
Amb. Alqahtani explained that UAE has put much effort in promoting youth inclusiveness as a segment of the population considered the backbone for national development.
He pointed out an example of Shamma Al Mazrui who joined the cabinet at the age of 22. Among others, the youth account for 75% of the taskforce in UAE’s Ministry of Education and are assigned more decision making positions.
The Ambassador highlighted that his country has also established a fund to support youth-led projects and created platforms bringing together the youth to exchange ideas on areas of interests paving the way for their progress.
After taking them through his country’s efforts in youth empowerment, Amb. Alqahtani said that the Government of Rwanda also has ambitious targets to the same cause and called on UoK students to maximize available opportunities.
“I should not leave without mentioning that the Government of Rwanda also has such opportunities. It is up to the youth to grab them. I would like to encourage students and the university’s management to tap into such opportunities and maximize benefits collaboratively because working together will undoubtedly yield big,” he said.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Kigali, Prof. Gustave M. Tombola thanked the UAE Ambassador for sacrificing his time to interact with students.
“We are privileged to have hosted the Ambassador. His visit is of great significance as he comes for the second time. He has reminded us on available opportunities for the youth that need to be fully utilized,” he said.
Prof. Tombola revealed that the university is ready to work with the embassy to advance youth empowerment.
Amb. Alqahtani last visited the university in November 2020.
The Dean of Students at UoK, Julius Twahirwa said the discussions were very insightful noting that they are ready to tap into the huge opportunities.
“It is a great honour to receive the Ambassador from a developed country. We have leant a lot from his tips. We have pledged to follow his advice to achieve our aspirations and contribute to national development,” he noted.
UAE has been partnering with Rwanda to advance quality education over the years.
Since 2002, the UAE through the Al Maktoum Foundation has supported Rwanda’s education by funding two secondary schools, the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Girls Secondary School for Sciences in Muhanga and the Hamdan Bin Rashid Kimisange Secondary School. Students from these schools have been performing well in national examinations.
For the last at least 10 years, the UAE through the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation has also been 100% supporting the Islamic Secondary School for Sciences whose students have also been performing well in national examinations.
Within the framework of joint action in order to support the education sector in Rwanda, the UAE Government provided scholarships to outstanding students in different UAE universities, through the UAE Technical Assistance Program.
Since 2018, 20 male and female students from Rwanda received UAE Government scholarships at the UAE University in the disciplines of Architecture, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Biology, Biochemistry, and Computer Science.
Among others, 10 Rwandan students were given full scholarships to pursue bachelor’s degree programs at Sorbonne Abu Dhabi University in 2019.
The UAE has established an excellent and diversified system of higher education in a very short period.
Founded in 1976, the UAE University led higher education in the country. Since then, the UAE currently has 76 public and private institutions of higher education and they include universities, colleges and vocational & technical institutes, both local and international campuses, such as the Sorbonne Abu Dhabi University, New York University and American University of Sharjah.
The development to host the conference due in Kigali, Rwanda and virtually from 17-20 July 2023 was announced on Thursday 18th November 2021 during an event that brought together over 2,000 gender equality advocates gathered virtually.
Women Deliver convenings catalyze conversations with stakeholders from around the world, breaking barriers, addressing challenges, and identifying opportunities to advance gender equality, including sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), to improve the health, rights, and wellbeing of girls and women, in all their intersecting identities.
In July 2023, WD2023 will convene thousands of decision-makers from diverse fields, including civil society, government, the private sector, and international agencies, alongside women’s rights organizations and movements, youth-led and LGBTQIA+ organizations, and advocates representing the intersectional identities of girls, women, and underrepresented populations in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), to identify solutions and drive progress for gender equality.
Commenting on the development, Rwanda’s Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, Minister Jeanette Bayisenge, who is also Chair of the WD2023 Host Country Committee said: “For the very first time, the Women Deliver Conference will be held on the African continent. It is an honor for Rwanda to be the next host of this convening as it affirms that the ongoing efforts in-country around gender equality by the Government of Rwanda are gaining the desired traction.”
She expressed optimism that gender equality will be achieved once all people have equal access to power, dignity, justice, rights, health, and opportunities that will enable them to network, develop skills, share knowledge, access funding opportunities, and participate in conversations that contribute to the global agenda setting on gender equality.
At the event, Joshua Tabah, Director General, Global Health & Nutrition, Global Affairs Canada, symbolically passed the baton – the Women Deliver arrow – to Bayisenge and said: “With more than 8,000 advocates from over 165 countries on-site and more than 200,000 people joining around the world through satellite events and the virtual program, the Women Deliver 2019 Conference (WD2019) was one of the most impactful and influential convenings for gender equality in the world.
The last Women Deliver Conference connected grassroots advocates and decision-makers, fueled over USD one billion in global and country-level investments, and shined a global spotlight on the importance of gender equality. The Women Deliver 2023 Conference will once again promote a robust civic space for feminist action, organizing, and mobilization. The work that started in 2019 must continue and we are honored to pass the arrow to Rwanda.”
As a part of a US$ four million programming investment around gender equality, WD2023 will serve as a critical policy moment and an opportunity for stock-taking and accountability at the midpoint of the United Nations’ Generation Equality Forum’s five-year process for global gender equality action, to achieve irreversible progress towards gender equality by 2026, founded on a series of ambitious actions. In effect, WD2023 can provide advocates and Action Coalition Leaders alike the necessary platform to re-convene, evaluate progress, and reconfigure actions, as needed, to ensure these transformative gender equality commitments will be realized by 2026.
“The Women Deliver 2023 Conference comes at a time when support for the health, rights, and wellbeing of girls and women is more critical than ever. The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately burdened girls and women, threatens to roll back hard-earned gains in gender equality progress, and has disrupted global convenings. Yet, on the heels of this year’s landmark Generation Equality Forum, we know sustained advocacy and investment in gender equality, plus opportunities to evaluate progress, over the next five years will be vital to realize the many commitments made for girls and women at the Forum.
Therefore, Women Deliver is proud to launch WD2023 with an Advisory Group of over 60 expert global stakeholders who will co-create the most inclusive and accessible Women Deliver Conference with us and build momentum to the main stage in July 2023,” said Kathleen Sherwin, Interim President and CEO of Women Deliver.
Consisting of over 30 organizations based in all major geographic regions in the world and representing all six GEF Action Coalition leaders, civil society, philanthropic organizations, governments, media, UN Agencies, the private sector, and youth, including the Women Deliver Young Leaders, the WD2023 Advisory will provide strategic advice and input on the development and implementation of the Conference and Global Dialogue by co-leading and co-creating the Conference’s theme, design, and programming. For the first time, one-third of the Advisory Group members were selected via an open application process, and 60 percent of WD2023’s Advisory Group members belong to organizations based in LMICs.
In the coming months, the Advisory Group will come together to begin designing the details of WD2023. New Conference program elements will be previewed to the public this spring and registration will open during the official WD2023 one-year-out launch event, hosted by and held in Kigali, Rwanda, in July 2022.
Ultimately, WD2023 will create a space for gender equality advocates and decision-makers to come together to engage in critical dialogue, knowledge sharing, and networking. By engaging in the next Women Deliver Conference, Women Deliver hopes that advocates will be inspired to take action and harness new knowledge, skills, and connections to achieve their advocacy goals. It is only in partnerships – and as a result of the contributions of many – that gender equality will be realized.
{{A new global dialogue led by regional convening partners }}
Six months prior to WD2023, a Global Dialogue will be launched to equip advocates around the world with the knowledge and skills they need to address the most pressing challenges around gender equality and SRHR in their own communities, countries, and regions. The Global Dialogue will include webinars and workshops and will be carried out locally while remaining globally accessible. Satellite events will also be held in local communities around the world, hosted by a wide range of partners, including civil society, the private sector, governments, and youth advocates.
Additionally, WD2023’s Regional Convening Partners , which already include the Governments of Colombia and South Africa, will lead the mobilizing and convening of advocates within their geographic regions to advance the conversation around gender equality before, during, and after the Conference as part of WD2023’s expanded Global Dialogue.
Claudia López, Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia and WD2023’s Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Convening Partner, shared, “WD2023 and the Global Dialogue are opportunities for the Latin America and the Caribbean region to showcase the work, the solutions, the innovations, and the policies that are making a difference in the lives of girls and women here. More than half of women in Latin America work in informal jobs or in jobs that were affected during the pandemic in higher frequencies than men. We are looking forward to working with stakeholders in the region and identifying and reaching out to partners across sectors and issue areas, including those who may be unlikely allies. It will take us all working together to achieve gender equality and the city of Bogotá pledges to be a leader in that work.”
“We are excited that WD2023 will be hosted in Africa and look forward to working with our colleagues in Rwanda to highlight the solutions and the progress made on gender equality and the SRHR of girls and women across the continent,” said Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities in South Africa and WD2023’s African Regional Partner. “We understand that transformative change, specifically economic empowerment, can only happen when we collaborate to back our girls and women through entrepreneurship and by activating cross-border trade across the continent. By providing a platform at WD2023, we will be able to have conversations that will help us reach the Sustainable Development Goals.”
The Regional Convening Partners, as part of the Global Dialogue, aim to present new evidence and knowledge, promote solutions, and engage a broader spectrum of voices than ever before to catalyze action for all girls and women in the lead-up to WD2023, and connect diverse communities and sectors by linking previously disparate organizations and movements to drive collective action on gender equality and SRHR. Through the addition of regionally-led convenings, WD2023 will have greater global impact.
{{About Women Deliver 2023 }}
WD2023 will leverage innovative ways to host both 6,000 participants on-site in Kigali and an estimated 200,000 participants virtually through a hybrid convening model. This model aims to enable communities often underrepresented at global convenings to be able to participate meaningfully. Women Deliver will continue to closely monitor the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that the next Conference is safe and accessible, both for those attending in-person and those attending virtually.
“Women Deliver Conferences have traditionally gathered advocates from around the world with the aim of galvanizing momentum towards collective action with and for all girls and women. These Conferences have resulted in diverse stakeholders making political and financial commitments and improving policies and programs which advance gender equality and SRHR. It gives me great pride to be part of the Women Deliver 2023 Conference announcement and to support the preparations for what promises to be Women Deliver’s most inclusive, accessible, diverse, and consultative Conference to-date,” Helen Clark, Former Prime Minister of New Zealand and Women Deliver Board Member, said.
“Young people have and will continue to play a critical role in advancing gender equality. Since the very first Women Deliver Conference in London in 2007, Women Deliver Conferences have recognized that a gender-equal future relies on the meaningful engagement of young people in the policies and programs that impact their lives and communities. As an alum of the Women Deliver Young Leader Program, I’m honored to continue working with Women Deliver as they embark on a journey to Rwanda. I look forward to seeing young advocates like me represented in pre-Conference planning activities and all aspects of Conference programming — from plenary sessions to side events. And, I look forward to WD2023 being one of the most diverse and inclusive gender equality conferences yet, as Women Deliver addresses the intersectionality which exists in our communities,” said Zanda Desir, Saint Lucian activist and Women Deliver Young Leader Alum.
Women Deliver and partners have worked to ensure that the next Women Deliver Conference is inclusive, diverse, accessible, and consultative — from day one. In 2020, Women Deliver conducted an online survey with nearly 4,500 advocates to better understand impact and outcomes from the WD2019 Conference.
Google is an American multinational technology company that specializes in Internet-related services and products, which include online advertising technologies, a search engine, cloud computing, software, and hardware among others.
Rwanda’s vibrant economy is an ideal launch pad for future innovation in Africa, with focus in four key areas: affordable and universal access to connectivity; adoption of digital platforms; Digital Skilling for All; and fostering a pan-African innovation ecosystem.
According to a joint statement, Rwanda-Google collaboration is one of several initiatives to advance the above key areas. It will also include support for a progressive policy framework and contribute to an open digital payment ecosystem through the Mojaloop platform.
Initially, the partnership aims to support a Training of Trainers (ToT) pilot for Rwanda’s Digital Ambassadors, a national program to increase digital literacy among Rwanda citizens by recruiting digitally-savvy youth to deliver digital literacy training; upskill 500 developers through Google’s developer training and community support programs and pilot a fintech incubation program for early stage fintech companies, starting with 15 companies in collaboration with Kigali Innovation City, and delivered by a Google for Startups partner.
Among others, the partnership will see Rwanda and Goodle workign together to accelerate e-commerce growth by supporting 3,000 Small and Medium Businesses to go online as well as equipping 1,000 iWorkers, bring Rwanda to the world through Google Street View by enhancing digital maps of key urban centres, digitise Rwanda’s cultural assets and provide access to heritage through digital storytelling in collaboration with the National Museums of Rwanda.
Rwanda’s Minister of ICT and Innovation, Paula Ingabire has said that the partnership complements existing efforts to drive digital transformation.
“We are pleased to launch this partnership with Google to complement existing efforts to drive digital inclusion, skilling and support the growth of the innovation ecosystem in Rwanda. Growing the digital economy is critical and will continue to drive Rwanda’s economic transformation in line with the country’s vision to become a knowledge-driven economy,” she noted.
Commenting on the development, Agnes Gathaiya, Google’s Country Director for Eastern Africa has explained that the collaboration with the Government of Rwanda is an important milestone ‘after our CEO’s commitment to the continent to support Africa’s digital transformation’.
“This collaboration with the Government of Rwanda is an important milestone for us coming soon after our CEO’s commitment to the continent to support Africa’s digital transformation. We will help build a Digital Rwanda by up-skilling the youth, digitally accelerating small businesses, supporting start-ups and developers, improved maps and navigation, digitising Rwanda’s cultural heritage as well as supporting a progressive policy framework. We look forward to deepening our collaboration with the Government of Rwanda,” she said.
Google is expected to continue working with the Ministry of ICT and Innovation to increase its efforts to support Rwanda’s digital transformation.
Google seeks to organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. Through products and platforms like Search, Maps, Gmail, Android, Google Play, Chrome and YouTube, Google plays a meaningful role in the daily lives of billions of people and has become one of the most widely-known companies in the world. Google is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.
The deportees including 25 men, 7 women and 11 children arrived in Rwanda on Wednesday 17th November 2021 through Kagitumba One Stop Border Post in Nyagatare district.
They have told RBA that they were arrested on their way to Rwanda accused of illegal entry to the country.
Deportees have also narrated their ordeal where they endured torture and dispossessed of their belongings in detention facilities.
In October 2021, Rwanda received more 47 nationals expelled from Uganda on similar allegations.
The recent deportation follows series of circumstances under which Uganda has been expelling Rwandans after enduring torture in its detention facilities accusing them of being spies yet they had traveled to the country to run businesses or visit relatives among other reasons.
In the past few months, Uganda handed over bodies of two Rwandans killed in the country.
The deceased include Theoneste Dusabimana, 52, hailing from Rubaya sector and Paul Bangirana, 47, from Kaniga sector. They were respectively killed on 30th August and 1st September 2021.
Rwanda, Uganda relations worsened since 2017. Rwanda has been expressing concerns over Rwandans who travel to Uganda for business purposes but are abducted, imprisoned and tortured accused of being spies.
Rwanda also accuses Uganda of hosting dissidents posing threat to national security.
In March 2019, the Government of Rwanda officially advised citizens not to travel to Uganda for their security following testimonies of over 1000 Rwandans tortured and deported from Uganda.
In August 2019, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame signed memorandum of understanding ‘Luanda Agreement’ in a bid to solve conflicts between both countries.
Despite efforts to sign the agreement between both heads of state witnessed by mediators including the President of Angola, Joao Lourenço and Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the situation is still worsening as Uganda continues with arbitrary detention of Rwandans who are subjected to torture in its facilities.
These investors have been taken through available opportunities and expressed interest to invest in Rwanda’s agriculture, technology and manufacturing sectors among others.
“We want to change Africans’ mindsets to prove that the continent can do great things through concerted efforts. We ate interested in working with Rwandans given that President Paul Kagame’s visionary leadership has led the country to remarkable progress. We consider him as our role model giving an inspiration to change Africans’ mindsets,” said the Chairperson of Angolan Private Sector Federation, Isabel E. Soares da Cruz.
“We, Angolans want to invest in agriculture and fish production. We have learnt that Rwanda imports fishes from China under difficult circumstances yet Angola has large fish production. We are confident that we can do a lot of great things together. We are waiting for the signing of cooperation agreements in fish production,” he added.
Isabel explained that Rwandans can also invest in Angola as well to streamline transport and service sectors.
Angolan Ambassador to Rwanda, Filomeno Barber Leiro Octavio has said that the visit is of great significance because it provides room for both country’s people to exchange best practices and discuss untapped opportunities.
He explained that both countries’ relations are on good progress as they continue signing cooperation agreements in different areas.
Philip Lucky, Senior Investment Promotion Officer at Rwanda Development Board (RDB) revealed that the country has several investment opportunities that Angolans can tap into.
“The delegation is comprised of representatives from Angola’s private sector coming to Rwanda to explore available investment opportunities and forge cooperation with their counterparts. We have taken them through opportunities in the areas of agro-processing and manufacturing. They have also expressed willingness to invest in Rwanda,” he said.
The visiting delegation was also enlightened on opportunities in the manufacturing of construction materials among others.
The Vice Chairman of Rwanda’s Private Sector Federation, Eric Gishoma has said that ongoing discussions increases Rwandans’ interest to invest in Angola.
Both countries also plan to sign 13 cooperation agreements in the new future.
