The Presidency has via Twitter handle revealed that both Heads of State met ahead of the International Conference on Sudan and the Summit on Financing African Economies.
DRC Presidency revealed that Kagame and Tshisekedi discussed areas of focus the African Union had to present during the meeting.
Among others, DRC Presidency explained that Kagame commended his counterpart’s efforts to restore peace in Eastern part of his country and promised support to the cause.
On 16th May 2021, Kagame also held talks with Kristalina Georgieva, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and his counterpart of Ethiopia, Sahle-Work Zewde ahead of the conference on Sudan and Summit on Financing African Economies.
According to a statement released today, the funds are meant to support the expansion of the hospital’s outpatient facilities in a 6-year primary forfaiting transaction.
KFH is a multi-specialty 160-bed quaternary hospital providing a range of specialized health care in Eastern and Central Africa. In addition to the new outpatient clinic and doubling of the hospital’s outpatient facilities capacity to 45 consultation rooms, TDB’s financing will support the renovation and construction of the outpatient block’s education and research centre, day care premium facilities, electric substation, safety ramps, and main entrance and lobby.
Additionally, patient flow and experience will be quicker and better, and each specialty clinic will now have a dedicated triage and consultation space.
KFH contributes greatly to the realization of Rwanda’s Health Sector Strategic Plan IV priorities and targets, in turn which support the achievement of SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being in particular, as well as other goals indirectly.
Admassu Tadesse, TDB Group Managing Director and CEO has said that the expansion of King Faisal Hospital will enhance much-needed access in the region to quality healthcare services and support the health and well-being of Rwandans.
“This transaction is an example of TDB’s growing financial support to the health sector in this more challenging market environment marked by the Covid-19 pandemic,” he stated.
Michael Awori, TDB Deputy CEO and COO explained that TDB worked with the sponsor of the project, the contractor and Bank of Kigali Plc (BK, delivering liquidity to enable the project to continue its implementation, unlocking additional impact, especially given the premium placed on liquidity during COVID.
“Furthermore, apart from direct SDG-3 benefits, this project will contribute positively to the country’s balance of payments, via new receipts from regional medical tourism in Rwanda, and savings from Rwandan medical tourism abroad,” he noted.
Prof. Miliard Derbew, King Faisal Hospital Chief Executive Officer welcomed the contribution of TDB which comes at a time when the hospital’s primary focus is to improve patient experience and the application of cutting-edge medical technology.
“The construction of the education and research block will create an enabling environment for clinicians to develop innovative research projects that address Rwanda and the region’s unique clinical conditions and disease burden. This would also promote continuous capacity development for our medical practitioners, train in highest level specialties and have a fully established research center,” he said.
TDB has been active in Rwanda since its establishment in 1985, providing support to the Government and to corporate clients alike, across various sectors – at the service of the sustainable development of the country.
This transaction builds on a donation of portable patient monitors to Rwanda Biometric Center (RBC) made last year as part of TDB’s Covid-19 Emergency Response Programme (CERP), in support of the Ministry of Health’s efforts to combat the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.
These meetings are scheduled on 17th and 18th May 2021.
It is expected that French President Emmanuel Macron will chair the meeting discussing how Sudan can be helped to restore good reputation at the global scene.
President Kagame has met with Kristalina Georgieva , the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and his counterpart of Ethiopia, Sahle-Work Zewde ahead of scheduled conference on Sudan and Summit on Financing African Economies.
Jeune Afrique recently revealed that Kagame is also expected to meet with former France military officers deployed on working mission in Rwanda between 1990 and 1994 during the liberation struggle.
Rwanda, France have been going through the journey to revitalize worsened relations due to the lack of willingness to admit complicity during the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi.
In 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron commissioned a team of expert researchers and historians to review archives on Rwanda, France relations between 1990 and 1994 analyzing the country’s role during Genocide against Tutsi.
The report presented to Macron on 26th March 2021 revealed that France bears “heavy and overwhelming responsibilities” over tragic history that led to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi which took lives of over 1 million victims.
The Government of Rwanda welcomed the report saying it “represents an important step toward a common understanding of France’s role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi”.
Recently in April 2021, Prof. Vincent Duclert who headed the team of expert researchers and historians who analyzed French Government’s official archives presented the report to President Paul Kagame in Kigali.
On 19th May 2021, Rwanda released own report showing France’s role during the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi.
Bob Muse, a partner at Levy Firestone Muse presented findings of the report to the Government of Rwanda during a special cabinet meeting that convened at Village Urugwiro.
The 600-page report is entitled “A Foreseeable Genocide: The Role of the French Government in Connection with the Genocide against the Tutsi.”
Appearing on RBA talk show in April, the Minister of Justice and State Attorney General Johnston Busingye explained that the report ‘is a great milestone’ that emphasizes facts spoken about France for so long and observed that its findings complement ‘Duclert report’.
President Kagame delivered the message today as he addressed the official opening of the Confederation of African Football Executive Committee Meeting.
The meeting was also attended by the President of the World Football governing body (FIFA), Gianni Infantino and CAF President, Patrice Motsepe.
President Kagame said that there is convergence between politics and other duties which requires great perfection to serve interests of citizens.
“I do politics for a living, but I also make sure that I have to do or get involved with good politics. It is not just politics, it is good politics. And because of that background, I find almost in everything, politics or there is convergence between politics and everything else,” he said.
Kagame observed that what the development of sports requires is similar to what is taking place across the political spectrum and stressed need for team work to achieve maximum results.
“…And that is not by accident, it is because there are similarities irrespective of whatever sector you are looking at. If you look at sports, sports teams, clubs, whatever from football to any other sports, builds on a number of things. And becomes similar to everything we do in politics. Whether it is Government or any other kind of politics,” he said.
“It is about leadership. You need to have leaders, you need to have vision, and then when it comes down to details, you find that we want to work as a team in our daily exercise of duty. Whether it is football, any other sports, or Government, and so on. In the same exercise of duty, we want also to be humble about it. That is what will give us maximum results,” added Kagame.
The President told participants to work together not only as teams that are involved in doing whatever specific task but also think about others beyond specific teams.
“If you have Government […] you see all that through it. It is a Government and team, but a team serving what purpose? It is for the citizens of our country,” he noted.
Kagame told gathered participants to set ambitious targets, strive for inclusive development leaving no one behind to achieve a desired level of satisfaction.
“Apart from the vision therefore, you also have to have an ambition. You need to have a drive you want to achieve. In this achieving, there is no body excluded including you. Achieving gives you a level of satisfaction,” he stressed.
“But do you want to achieve alone, be satisfied alone. Then you will have breached certain rules of the principles I was talking about. Because you can’t be happy alone until members of the team and beyond are also happy. You need to be thinking of others,” emphasized Kagame.
The President also reminded participants of their duties to promote football on African continent.
“If we carry in our minds the convergence we are talking about, we have duty to football, to Africa and Africans as well. So what do we aspire in delivering our mission as representatives, leaders of football and sports but also what does that mean to our continent. No one of us here doesn’t know our problems whether it is in politics but I will not talk about that for today. In fact, that means, we also have problems in our football organizations and we affect each other. Again there is that convergence,” he noted.
“For football, we know what we represent and what we want, what is our mission, what we feel as individuals that you should be looking at or be doing differently for us to be able to deliver our mission of improving politics or particularly football on our continent. I guess this is our task,” stated Kagame.
The main items on the Executive Committee Agenda relate to the implementation of the Pan-African Schools Football Championship, the CAF/FIFA Refereeing Agreement and the FIFA-CAF USD 1 billion Infrastructure Development project.
Amongst some of the matters under discussions are 2022-2024 competitions calendar and the challenges relating to the pre-match Covid-19 testing.
The Former Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger who currently serves as the world football body FIFA Chief of Global Football Development also attended the meeting in which he shared an insight into prospects to promote football.
The Minister of Health, Dr. Daniel Ngamije was also present during discussions held at Urugwiro Village.
On the same day, Michel Sidibé held talks with the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Clementine Mukeka.
Michel Sidibé once served as the Minister of Health in Mali. He commended Rwanda’s contribution to support the establishment of African Medicines Agency.
The African Union adopted treaties establishing AMA in February 2019. At least 15 countries need to endorse these agreements for the implementation phase to begin.
President Kagame is among Heads of State that support the establishment of AMA.
During the recent meeting on how African continent can begin manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines, he rallied African Heads of State to endorse these treaties.
AMA is expected to address challenges in the health sector particularly reinforcing the manufacturing of medicines of African continent to avoid heavy reliance on imports.
Africa registers 375 plants manufacturing medicines which produce between 10 and 30 percent of medical products needed on the continent.
AMA is also expected to address the production of medicines that do not meet international standards.
African Medicine Agency coincided with COVID-19 related crisis whereby wealthy countries are contending to hoard vaccines.
On 11th February 2019, the AU Assembly, during their 32nd Ordinary Session in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, adopted the treaty for the establishment of the AMA. The treaty was then unanimously adopted by the African Ministers of Health gathered at the 71st World Health Assembly in Geneva .The AMA was expected to be launched in 2018, with efforts being made to ensure that the agency capitalises on already existent mechanisms, experiences and technologies to work in an effective manner towards the accomplishment of its objectives.
It has been estimated that in the first 5 years, a total of US$100 million will be required to fund the AMA with portions of this amount funding human resource costs, infrastructure and operational costs.
The AU Member States have also agreed to provide contributions in kind to the AMA by way of dedicating part of the time of their National Medicines Regulatory Authorities (NMRA) staff for the work of the Agency. This is to ensure that the AMA has a small critical mass of competent staff to enable the work of the experts, and that of their respective committees.
Rukundakuvuga replaced Dr. Kalimunda as president of the Court of appeal while Mukamurera replaced Emanuel Kamere at the head of Commercial High Court.
Mukamurera also served as a member of the High Council of the Judiciary from 2008 to 2015. Rukundakuvuga worked as a commissioner at the Rwanda law reform commission in 2018. In 2019, he was appointed judge at the Supreme Court.
Addressing his remarks, Kagame urged them to ensure that justice system supports growth of a culture of playing by the rules.
“Members of the judiciary should be the first to play by the rules for Rwandans to feel comfortable that they have a justice system in which they can place their trust and continue with their daily lives,” he said.
Kagame also reminded them to deliver on expectation, uproot corruption, build on existing achievements to do more and consolidate gains.
“If the public, whatever size of it, perceives the judiciary or another justice institution as corrupt, inefficient, ineffective or influence able we are all safer assuming that the perception is founded, work to find out why it exists and what needs to be done,” he said.
Among others, Kagame stressed that the upcoming initiatives around promotion of mediation should be expedited ‘as they present a real alternative to litigation that practically places disputants at the centre of the resolution of their own dispute, and does so faster’.
He told sworn-in members of the judiciary that Rwandan society and economy have grown in size, dynamism and expectations and requested them to support the growth.
“The justice system needs to keep watching this evolution and to continually play its rightful role in support of this growth,” noted Kagame.
Hailing from the United States of America (USA),Bobby Pittman, was appointed the Board Chairman of BRD on 1st July 2020.
Discussions with Kagame were also attended by the CEO of BRD, Kampeta Sayinzoga; the Minister of State in Charge of National Treasury at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MINECOFIN), Richard Tusabe and Urujeni Feza Bakuramutsa, the Director of Cabinet in the President’s Office.
Pittman is also the Managing Partner at Kapunda Capital, a platform to create, capitalize and scale pan-African companies. He was previously the Vice President of Infrastructure, Private Sector and Regional Integration at the African Development Bank (AfDB). The Africa Fund Manager magazine named Pittman to its inaugural ‘Power 50’ list of industry leaders who are shaping investment trends in Africa.
Following his appointment, Pittman reiterated commitment to drive BRD to the next level.
“I am incredibly proud of BRD’s accomplishments over the past 53 years of its existence especially the recent half century. BRD has indeed established itself in the marketplace as an efficient development finance institution. I am confident that the Team’s leadership will continue to grow and expand the impact and we look forward to leveraging our strategic networks of Stakeholders, who – along with our Team – are all united in the desire to successfully steer the Bank to make an even greater contribution to Rwanda’s socio-economic development. I also look forward to working closely with the BRD Executive Committee as well as our experienced and dedicated Staff,” he said.
BRD Plc. has been a key part of Rwanda’s development since its establishment in 1967 and is Rwanda’s only Development Finance Institution (DFI).
“Happy Eid al-Fitr to our Muslim brothers and sisters in Rwanda and across the world. Wishing you a joyful and safe celebration. Eid Mubarak,” he said in a tweet.
Eid al-Fitr is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.
In Rwanda, the holy month started on 13th April 2021.
The national event has been celebrated at Stade de Kigali in Nyamirambo attracting minimal participation of Muslims to contain the spread of Coronavirus.
Addressing lawmakers, Minister Tusabe noted that policies and strategies over the medium term are guided by the National Strategy for Transformation (NST1) program.
He however underscored that as Rwanda is still dealing with the effects of COVID-19 pandemic, the Government will continue to accommodate COVID-19 spending and the cost of the vaccination rollout program core for economic recovery.
“Our outlook is for a gradual recovery in economic activity from the drop of 3.4 percent in 2020. The economy is projected to grow by 5.1 percent in 2021, 7.0 percent in 2022 and on average by 7.8 percent in 2023 and 2024. This growth projection reflects the actions already in place or that will be put in place by Government to mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19, by providing support to vulnerable households and stimulate employment by supporting investments from the private sector.” Minister Tusabe said.
{{Proposed Budget}}
Minister Tusabe told parliamentarians that the budget for fiscal year 2021/22 will reflect medium term fiscal path which allows for an increased spending to reach NST1 goals while maintaining public debt at sustainable levels.
The total resources projected for the fiscal year 2021/22 is Rwf3,806.9 billion, made up of domestic resources amounting to Rwf 2,543.3 billion (comprising of Rwf 1,717.2 billion from tax revenue) and Rwf1,263.7 billion from external resources.
On the expenditure side, key priorities will include; access to quality health, increasing agriculture and livestock productivity, scaling up social protection coverage, improving the quality of education, and supporting businesses (through the economic recovery fund and the manufacturing, build to recover program) to invest for recovery.
BFP is a document outlining government economic policies over the medium term that helps lay the foundations of the next fiscal budget. It is prepared in accordance with article 32 of the Organic Law on State Finances and outlines the Government’s macroeconomic and fiscal policy stance as well as the budget policy over a 3-year horizon. The 2021/22-2023/24 BFP provides basis for the preparation of the 2021-22 budget which will be read in June 2021.
In a statement released by RDF today, Brigadier General Joseph Demali has been appointed Defence Attaché to Turkey, Lieutenant Colonel Stanislas Gashugi has been elevated to the rank of Colonel and appointed Defence Attaché to Rwanda’s embassy in Tanzania.
Major Ephrem Ngoga has been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and appointed Defence Attaché to Rwanda’s embassy in Kenya while Major Eustache Rutabuzwa has been appointed Defence Attaché to Rwanda’s embassy in Canada.
Among others, 665 officers have been promoted from the rank of Lieutenant to Captain while 319 have been promoted from Second Lieutenant to Lieutenant.
RDF statement shows that new appointments and promotions take immediate effect.
