News about his death went to public today morning.
The cause of death has not yet been communicated but he was recently battling COVID complications as people managing his social media accounts have been reporting.
The Bishop of Gikongoro Diocese has told IGIHE that Father Ubald Rugirangoga died last night around 11pm of US time zone.
He was receiving treatment at the University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City.
Through his Facebook account, it was in October 2020 reported that Father Rugirangoga caught coronavirus and was seen on ventilators helping him to breathe at the beginning of this year.
Rugirangoga’s COVID-19 battle began at St. John’s Health Hospital in Jackson before he was airlifted to the larger regional hospital in Utah on Oct. 30 due to declining condition. He initially looked to be recovering and was taken off of a ventilator before his health worsened again.
Before Father Rugirangoga was admitted at the University of Utah Hospital, his friend Katsey Long visited him at St. John’s Health.
Though he was no longer positive for the virus, Long said that his body was dealing with issues stemming from the disease which friends believe he contracted in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he delivered a healing service in early October, 2020.
Doctors are monitoring him for “blood clots, fluids and infections, which are all post-COVID fall outs, and he’s still requiring quite a bit of oxygen,” Long told Jh News, a US based medium.
Father Rugirangoga was renowned for psychiatric initiatives and healing prayers that encouraged Genocide perpetrators to seek forgiveness and survivors to forgive offenders as a healing process from the wounds of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
In 2015, Father Rugirangoga was selected as Protector of Friendship Pact ‘Umurinzi w’Igihango’ for outstanding contribution promoting unity and reconciliation among Rwandans across the country.
He has been a priest for 32 years and dies at the age of 65.
Normally, a Rwandan graduate from foreign schools is supposed to get an academic equivalence certificate to work in the country to corresponding positions.
The issue of graduates at Cavendish University brought mixed reactions recently where they claimed to have been denied jobs in public institutions for failure to possess authentic academic qualifications.
Cavendish university graduates have been serving as teachers and head teachers in different schools in Rwanda but were recently dismissed over failure to present their academic equivalence certificates.
During a press conference yesterday, Dr. Uwamariya explained that these students received Recognition of Academic Qualification but the university where they studied was not licensed.
“It should be understood that we can’t give them ‘Equivalence certificate’ while they studied at unlicensed university. We however requested them to join other universities with faculties of education for support to meet requirements,” she said.
The Higher Education Council (HEC) reveals that Cavendish University recently presented authorization documents as one of accredited universities in Uganda. This prompted HEC to seek truth and wrote letter to Uganda National Council for Higher Education which clarified that the university has not yet been licensed.
Another similar case is reported to students in education department at and Protestant Institute of Arts And Social Sciences (PIASS). They passed teachers’ recruitment exams but were later dismissed because they didn’t carry out internship while at school.
Dr. Uwamariya said that these students used to receive ‘Intermediate Award’ before completion of studies which they used to apply for jobs.
“They were listed as workers who don’t meet requirements because they didn’t complete studies,” she said. MINEDUC says that such teachers dismissed to complete education will start job application from scratch after graduation.
The incident took place last night around 8pm. The school that accommodates students from nursery to ordinary level, is located in Buye village, Butare cell in Ngoma sector of Huye district.
The car hit the students as they crossed the road heading to their dormitories after dining from the school’s refectory. The dormitory is opposite school buildings that students have to cross the road to reach it.
The head teacher of Centre Scolaire Elena Guela, Sister Patricie Mukagahima has told IGIHE that they rushed student to hospital after the incident where one succumbed to injuries.
“We rushed them to health facilities unfortunately one of them died at King Faisal Hospital. Others are attended to at University Teaching Hospital of Butare (CHUB) but four of them have been seriously injured,” she said.
Huye district officials have today morning joining the school’s management to comfort students discomforted by colleague’s accident.
Speaking to IGIHE, some parents with children at the school have expressed worries over restrictions to visit their kids at hospital amidst Coronavirus pandemic but the school’s management has said that parents are getting updates of admitted students’ health via phone.
Police spokesperson in Southern Province, SP Kanamugire Theobald has told IGIHE that the car that hit students has been seized.
“We have seized the car and the driver. It is apparent that the accident was triggered by over speeding. The next step is to make his file and hand him to the Prosecution,” he said.
SP Kanamugire appealed on motorists to drive carefully and abide by traffic rules.
The cabinet meeting held on 4th January 2021 chaired by Prime Minister, Dr. Edouard Ngirente set new COVID-19 preventive measures requiring institutions (public and private) to operate at no more than 30% capacity of staff while others have to work from home.
To further reinforce the directive, MIFOTRA yesterday released a letter requesting public institutions to operate at 15% capacity of staff.
“Pursuant to health guidelines and measures of the cabinet meeting of 4th January 2021, after realizing the rising COVID-19 cases, we would like to inform you that public institutions will continue activities with a requirement to operate at 15% capacity of total staff while others have to work from home on rotational basis,” reads part of the letter.
“ In this context, MIFOTRA also requests public institutions to produce a list of staff to work from home or office and specify when they should rotate that operating at 15% of staff capacity shall go into effect immediately,” adds the letter.
MIFOTRA has requested institutions to make the list public and encourage staff to respect COVID-19 preventive measures.
Rwanda confirmed the first COVID-19 patient on 14th March last year.
As of today, a total of 9,058 people have been tested positive out of 750,081 sample tests of whom 6940 have recovered, 2006 are active cases while 112 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 urged to adhere to COVID-19 health guidelines, washing hands frequently using soaps and safe water, wearing face masks and respecting social distancing.
During the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, former communes of Muganza, Kigembe, Kibayi and others in the current Gisagara district were home to many Burundian refugees. Some of them are accused of having participated in the genocide.
Bunyenzi Isaïe, a genocide survivor in former Kigembe Commune currently in Nyanza sector has revealed that Burundians conspired with Interahamwe to kill Tutsis.
“Burundians accommodated in this area supported Interahamwe and hunted us from the commune’s office where we had fled. They stoned us with the intention of getting us outside so that they can kill us using spears,” he said.
After the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, several cases involving Burundian refugees were handled by Gacaca courts which ordered some of them to pay reparations.
The mayor of Gisagara district, Rutaburingoga Jérôme has explained that Gacaca courts handled over 31,000 cases but pointed out difficulties for cases involving Burundians.
“We have finalized 31,057 cases but we have over 400 pending cases involving Burundian refugees who were accommodated in Gisagara,” he said.
Rutaburingoga thanked Gisagara residents for role in finalizing cases which he considered a great contribution to unity and reconciliation among Rwandans.
“We appreciate the way the exercise to finalize these court cases was handled and residents contribution because there are some victims who forgave offenders who had to pay damages,” he said.
Genocide survivors in different parts neighboring with Burundi have at different times asked for justice to bring to book Burundians who took part in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
They are often accused to have perpetrated Genocide in Nyakizu, Ntongwe, Kinazi of Ruhango district, Mugina in Kamonyi district, Rilima in Bugesera district; Muganza, Kigembe, Kibayi in the current Gisagara among others.
Speaking to IGIHE towards the end of last year, Faustin Nyakazungu, 77, who lived in former Commune Ntyazo , reflected on neighboring Tutsi killed by Burundian refugees who stabbed one adult woman saying ‘let us see if she can bleed blood or milk as they drunk much milk.’
“I was living in the neighborhood of those Burundians. I am one of people who were not hunted. I know well their deeds. They were characterized by extreme bad characters. They killed an old woman called Nyinawabo Bernadette and another man Jabo Félix. Those killers were with Interahamwe. The old woman was stabbed by a Burundian saying he wanted to find out if female Tutsis bleed blood or milk they drunk. I know many of them,” said Nyakazungu.
In June 2019, the former Rwanda’s Prosecutor General, Mutangana Jean Bosco revealed that the matter of Burundians has been sluggish due to lack of political will.
“We have cases of Burundians who perpetrated Genocide in Rwanda and fled but Burundi showed no political will to help us track those suspects. The issue is persistent. There are many especially in Gisagara, Nyaruguru at the border with Burundi. We issued arrest warrants but got no reply. That’s a problem,” he said.
Mutangana explained that Rwanda is eyeing support from Interpol to arrest the said fugitives.
In August 2019, the Minister of Justice and State Attorney General , Johnston Busingye told parliament that genocide is an imprescriptible crime that files for Burundians suspected for involvement in genocide have been arranged.
“Matters regarding Burundians are often reflected and which goes hand in hand preparation of related files. Action will be taken as relations return to normal but you should know that such cases are imprescriptible,” he said.
Balladur, a rightwing premier under Francois Mitterrand’s Socialist presidency, said in a statement that he opened access “so that everyone can freely see what were our actions and their results”.
Access will be granted in April, when a panel of historians will submit their findings on France’s role during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi which claimed lives of more than 1 million victims.
President Emmanuel Macron commissioned the panel in April 2019 amid claims by Rwandans that France supported genocidaires.
They point in particular to Operation Turquoise, a UN-mandated French force sent to halt the killings in June 1994 but which many experts say had little effect.
In his statement, Balladur, who served as premier between 1993 and 1995, insisted that Turquoise had a mandate to ensure the survival of victims on all sides and discourage violence.
Hugues Hourdin, a former advisor to Balladur, told AFP the documents “will show that neither the government nor the army has anything to blame itself for”.
“Mr Balladur would like to remove all doubts about the actions of the government he led, and purge this debate that has been festering for 25 years,” he said.
France’s Rwanda commission has already had access to the archives of both Balladur and Mitterrand.
Macron’s decision to form the panel was seen as a groundbreaking effort to confront France’s troubled history in Africa.
While Rwanda was never a French colony, successive French governments cultivated close ties after the country’s independence in 1962, including training its top military leaders.
It also signed military deals with the then President Juvenal Habyarimana.
The fact that France denied its role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi has long impaired relations between the two countries.
As former France President Nicolas Sarkozy visited Kigali genocide memorial in 2010, he admitted that his country committed political mistakes in Rwanda which he didn’t explain.
Things worsened during the leadership of President François Hollande until he was replaced by Emmanuel Macron giving hope to shed light into the country’s involvement in genocide.
In 2018, President Paul Kagame visited France on the invitation of his counterpart Macron.
After meeting in Paris with his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame, Macron said he supported a bid to appoint Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo as secretary general of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).
“The Rwandan foreign minister has every competence to carry out this role,” Macron said. “I will support her.”
In April 2019, Macron unveiled the establishment of the commission made of experts in history and researchers analyzing writings kept in archives of the country indicating France activities in Rwanda between 1990-1994 to come up with the truth on the role of France in the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi.
In 2016, the National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG) released names of 22 France soldiers who took role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Dr. Mpunga made the observation as he explained why the Government has taken stringent measures to contain the spread of Coronavirus.
Since Rwanda confirmed the first COVID-19 patient on 14th March last year, 8848 people have been tested positive out of 741,036 sample tests of whom 6816 have recovered, 1927 are active cases while 105 have succumbed to the virus.
Following the increase of new infections and deaths where half of current death toll was reported in December 2020, the cabinet meeting held on Monday 4th January 2021 has banned public and private transport to and from city of Kigali as well as between different districts.
Among other resolutions, all business establishments including restaurants, markets, shops and malls shall close operations daily by 6pm.
As for transport restrictions, the cabinet meeting decided that travel will only be permitted for medical reasons and essential services. Additionally, vehicles transporting goods will continue to function with no more than two people on board.
Dr. Mpunga explained that there was possibility for tougher measures but the Government considered other aspects of life that would be affected if total lock down is imposed.
“People should understand that we should be in the phase of total lockdown considering the current status of the pandemic. Cabinet resolutions were alleviated because we didn’t want to put Rwandans lives at standstill. We realized that it is not the right time because it would leave people’s livelihoods in critical conditions,” he said.
“The new measures are designed to allow people continue running basic activities where necessary adhering to preventive measures meanwhile doing health assessment on the increase or decrease of the pandemic,” added Dr. Mpunga.
He explained that closing businesses at 6pm is meant to help people return home earlier which can also reduce traffic jam or susceptible accidents as people rush to reach home before curfew hours.
The cabinet meeting has also prohibited movements from 8pm to 4am and decided that inter-district travel will only be permitted for medical reasons and essential services while vehicles transporting goods will continue to function with no more than two people on board.
Dr. Mpunga revealed that permitted medical reasons include medical transfers using ambulances while an individual can take a patient to a health facility with possession of medical test results.
He explained that the decision also concerns people living in the neighborhood of Kigali City returning home every day.
As Dr. Mpunga said, relevant institutions will not prohibit movements for people granted passes.
“Relevant officials will make decision whether a person can be allowed to make inter-district movements for specific tangible reasons. If necessary, an individual will have to go for COVID-19 test before authorization,” he noted.
Concerning employees who had traveled to enjoy festive seasons in different parts of the country, Dr. Mpunga explained that no special arrangement for them because current measures require institutions (public and private) to operate at no more than 30% capacity of staff.
Commenting on new measures, the Minister of Justice and State’s Attorney General, Johnston Busingye has via twitter handle reminded Rwandans to adhere to preventive measures that things otherwise worsen.
“Happy New Year Rwandans. 2021 starts but Coronavirus is biting. 105 have succumbed to the pandemic, half of whom died in December 2020. Not a small number is critically ill. Current Covid-19 news is disappointing. You understand what next if inter-district lockdown is not successful. Let us protect ourselves willingly,” he said.
As he featured in a talkshow on local TV and radio stations, the Minister of Health, Dr. Daniel Ngamije recently on 13th December 2020 said that the high level of complacency and individual behaviours is spreading the virus leading to increase in daily infections, thus derailing the national response efforts.
“The surge in the number of cases in the last two weeks has caused concern; the rate of infections is high, we are now seeing infections in many parts of the country and in various groups of people,” Dr. Ngamije said.
Other factors connected to spread of the virus, include some hotels and restaurants that have been reportedly turned into bars while bars guise as restaurants so as to sell alcohol. Police also revealed that some people conceal bottles of alcohol in envelopes or pour alcohol in cups while some hotels have turned into night clubs.
The Minister of Local Government, Prof. Anastase Shyaka recently said that the partnership between the Police and local authorities created a big impact especially between July and September 2020, which partly gave room for the resumption of some services.
“In October and November, many services resumed, lockdown lifted in all places, but unfortunately people misinterpreted this as an indication that the pandemic has been defeated. They became complacent and started disregarding the safety measures,” Prof. Shyaka said.
He further warned of stringent measures against the so called ’the informed’, elite group and leaders, who violate the prevention measures.
According to Prof. Shyaka, about 9600 hospitality establishments have been closed since March for breaching the national prevention directives, with 347 of them closed between December 1-9, 2020.
Appearing on local TV station towards the end of December 2020, Dr Sabin Nsanzimana, the Director General of Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), related new cases to activities allowed to reopen and complacency against COVID-19 preventive measures.
“Of course, the increase of new patients is related to reopened activities including schools one hand. Secondly, the up surging number is driven by complacency against preventive measures among Rwandan residents. It has been observed that some people relented on some measures including proper wearing of face mask, social distancing. Thirdly, we are assessing the impact of cold weather conditions during this rainy season on spreading the disease,” he said.
Dr Nsanzimana highlighted that attendance to ceremonies for the past three months has also been among causes for increasing cases that people tended to behave as if they were in normal situation.
The resolution is part of other stringent measures taken to control the up surging COVID-19 cases and deaths.
The meeting held at Village Urugwiro was chaired by Premier, Dr Edouard Ngirente.
Since Rwanda confirmed the first COVID-19 patient on 14th March last year, 8848 people have been tested positive out of 741,036 sample tests of whom 6816 have recovered, 1927 are active cases while 105 have succumbed to the virus.
Following the increase of new infections and deaths where half of current death toll was reported in December 2020, the cabinet meeting has set stringent measures to control the pandemic.
Among other resolutions, all business establishments including restaurants, markets, shops and malls shall close operations daily by 6pm.
As for transport restrictions, the cabinet meeting decided that travel will only be permitted for medical reasons and essential services. Additionally, vehicles transporting goods will continue to function with no more than two people on board.
Other measures include prohibiting movements from 8pm to 4am, domestic and international tourists may travel across districts but must possess negative COVID-19 test results, institutions (public and private) will operate at no more than 30% capacity of staff while other employees shall continue to work from home on rotational basis.
All social gatherings and events including religious weddings ceremonies, receptions, meetings and conferences are prohibited, public gyms and swimming pools shall be restricted from the public with exception of testes guests staying at hotels.
Attendance at wake/vigil (ikiriyo) should not exceed 15 people at any one time while funeral gatherings should not exceed 30 persons.
These measures take effect starting Tuesday, January 5th 2021 and will be reviewed after 15 days upon a health assessment.
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 urged to adhere to COVID-19 health guidelines, washing hands frequently using soaps and safe water, wearing face masks and respecting social distancing.
Traders explain that extended curfew hours reduced time exhibitors and clients had to spend at the expo ground in Gikondo and some banned activities all reduced the propensity to buy.
Kalisa Umri who was showcasing decorative accessories explained that many buyers used to visit the expo after working hours but for this time would find grounds closed around 6pm.
“We were obliged to leave by the time clients usually visit the expo. It didn’t go well compared to the previous exhibitions. For instance, I paid Rwf 7 million for a stand expecting to get Rwf 10 million from sales but recovered Rwf 2 million only. This evidences how exhibitors experienced huge losses,” he said.
Manirareba Theophile, an employee at TECNO mobile also highlighted that the directive to close the expo at 6pm reduced clients’ participation and buying potential.
“Generally, there was minimal participation but those who got time to visit our stands left some coins. Things didn’t go well like the previous year but we understand the reasons considering the current context when Coronavirus has hit the world affecting many activities,” he said.
Entertainment activities were banned at the 2020 expo as part of COVID-19 preventive measures. Manirareba explained that such activities would attract large number of visitors coming with kids and later visited different stands to shop.
He said the directives also reduced expected number of visitors.
The spokesperson of the Private Sector Federation (PSF), Ntagengerwa Theoneste said the federation should not be blamed for losses noting that some exhibitors made sales that they have started booking stands for the next edition.
“Based on feedback from exhibitors we spoke to, no one claimed huge losses that would push them to close down businesses. Only beer companies and others providing entertainment services were affected but we interacted with them that no one can attribute his loss to PSF. He/she might have earned minimal profits but without losses,” he said.
The 23rd International Trade Fair that ran runs from 11th to 31st December 2020 was attended by 382 exhibitors including 73 foreigners.
It was organized under strict COVID-19 control measures that banned the attendance of beer companies.
All expo goers were required to pay by digital means; children below 12 were not allowed to attend while physical entertainment activities were also prohibited as part of ongoing measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.
On Saturday around 4 am, gunfire was heard in the northern part of Bangui capital city as rebel groups attacked Damara county, 76 kilometers away from Bangui.
It is reported that rebels attacked Damara town in the wee hours, confronted CAR forces which failed to repel them back until nearby RDF soldiers intervened and killed some of them.
CAR Defense Minister has revealed that many attackers lost lives but did not precise the exact number. IGIHE has learnt that over 30 attackers were killed on ground while 2 of CAR soldiers died during the attack.
Following an hour of fighting, the rebels were defeated that the situation returned to normal and brought calm in the region.
CAR Defense Minister, Koyara has thanked the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame for commitment to secure CAR citizens against attackers who wanted to kill them and disrupt elections.
“As you know, our military is rebuilding. With fast response, this partner country [Rwanda] through existing agreements, committed to help fellow soldiers to protect civilians. I can’t find enough words to explain gratefulness except vote of thanks, voicing appreciation to President of the Republic and Rwandans for the act of humanity that other African countries should learn from,” she said.
Minister Koyara explained that existing forces serving under the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) were not enough compared to the enormity of the country that pushed for the need to request reinforcement among countries including Rwanda.
“You know that MINUSCA has over 10,000 peacekeepers, the country has a total land area of 627,000 square kilometers and our military is rebuilding. This is a good opportunity to let you know that some sanctions against CAR military are still valid. The military without enough equipment cannot protect its citizens adequately,” she noted.
Koyara revealed that MINUSCA forces alone cannot secure the country alone considering its vastness yet there is a presence of rebel armed groups across its borders and the fact that neighboring countries are engulfed by political chaos or experienced it recently , thus worsening the situation.
As she said, leveraging agreements with partner countries was the option to deal with the situation with emergency.
“It is under that context that we tapped into such cooperation agreements whereby we sought support from Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC). Lucky enough, Rwanda was the first country to provide support. You have witnessed that despite the presence of MINUSCA, we need support from Rwanda friends to repel armed groups’ attacks,” explained Koyara.
Serving with the example of recent Saturday attack, Koyara highlighted that rebels would not be defeated without support of Rwanda’s soldiers.
“Damara is a prestigious town to us. With the support of Rwanda’s soldiers and other forces reinforcing national troops, we repelled back the enemy,” she said.
“It is a victory to our troops and forces from Rwanda who rushed to support our military still subject to sanctions amidst heavy duties to protect the nation and civilians,” added Koyara.
He explained that many attackers lost lives even though two CAR soldiers lost lives during the fight.
“The enemy was immensely shaken that tens of attackers lost lives during the fight. This should leave a lesson to such groups to stop intentions to destabilize the country seeking to restore peace,” said Koyara.
MINUSCA has 12,870 peacekeepers of whom 11,650 are soldiers.
