The cabinet meeting also approved the Ministerial Order to promote 4483 personnel of RNP including non-commissioned officers and constables.
Four of the officers have been elevated from the rank of Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) to Commissioner of Police (ACP). These include CSP Sam Bugingo, CSP Aloys Munana Burora, CSP Rutagarama Kanyamihigo and CSP Edmond Kalisa.
Three officers at the rank of Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) have been also promoted to Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), two are promoted from Superintendent of Police (SP) to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) while 100 have been elevated from Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) to Superintendent of Police (SP).
The Ministerial Order related to these promotions shows that 266 have been promoted from Inspector of Police (IP) to Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) as 638 are promoted from Assistant Inspector of Police (AIP) to Inspector of Police (IP).
A total of 56 non-commissioned officers have been promoted from Senior Sergeant (SSGT) to Chief Sergeant (CSGT), 355 from Sergeant (SGT) to Senior Sergeant (SSGT), 928 from Corporal (CPL) to Sergeant (SGT) while 2,240 are promoted from Police Constable (PC) to Corporal (CPL).
Among others, 481 have been dismissed from RNP. These include 40 non-commissioned officers and 441 with the rank of Police Constable.
The remains of Genocide victims current buried at Muhoza Memorial are expected to be relocated to the new decent one before April 2022.
The new memorial is being constructed at the former premises of Ruhengeri Court of Appeal where Tutsis from the former Bisengo Sub-Prefecture currently in Gakenke district and others from Commune Kigombe in Kinigi were killed as they sought protection.
They were lured there by leaders of the former Ruhengeri Prefecture as part of the strategy to gather Tutsi with intent to easily kill them.
They were killed on 15th April 1994 by Interahamwe militiamen on instructions issued by the then sous-préfet, Dismas Nzanana.
Victims were dumped in a mass grave behind the court’s premises.
Musanze district vice mayor for economic affairs, Axelle Kamanzi has said that the remains of Genocide victims from Muhoza will be relocated to Musanze Memorial nearing completion before Rwanda begins the 28th Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi.
“We expected to move remains from the Muhoza memorial with poor state to the new one if everything goes well. The new memorial is decent and features two sections; one for hosting remains of victims and the second dedicated for Genocide history particularly in the former Ruhengeri Prefecture,” he said.
Kamanzi requested Genocide survivors not to sink into tragic history they went through but rather strive to become resilient and prosperous.
He highlighted that the district remains committed to stand with them to preserve Genocide history and prevent reoccurrence.
Once completed, Musanze will be the third and main memorial in the district. Others include Kinigi and Busogo memorials.
Construction activities started in May 2021. It is expected to be completed in January 2022 at a cost of Rwf596, 630,277.
The measures are part of resolutions of the cabinet meeting that convened at Village Urugwiro on Wednesday 26th January 2022 chaired by President Paul Kagame.
The previous resolutions were released on 14th December 2021 where the country took stringent measures after confirming new cases of COVID-19 Omicron variant.
At the time, the Government prohibited movements from 10 p.m until 4a.m while concerts were put to halt.
The new measures to take effect starting Thursday 27th January 2022 follow the reduction of new cases and increased number of COVID-19 vaccine recipients. They will be reviewed after one month upon health assessment.
The cabinet meeting has also resolved that public offices will continue with essential staff at no more than 50% capacity, while other employees continue working from home on a rotational basis.
Private offices will continue with essential staff at no more than 75% capacity.
Motorbike and bicycle taxis are permitted to carry passengers in adherence with COVID-19 preventive measures. Operators and passengers are obliged to be vaccinated or, face penalties for non-compliance.
Social gatherings have been also allowed to resume without exceeding 50% for indoor and 75% for outdoor venues.
Services held at places of worship must not exceed 75% maximum occupancy, restaurants are allowed to operate with 75% occupancy limit. Church goers and clients must be vaccinated.
Among others, night clubs and live bands shall resume progressively upon assessment and approval by Rwanda Development Board.
IGP Munyuza was accompanied by Rwanda’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Amb. Eugene Kayihura, who is also accredited to the Kingdom of Lesotho.
The five-day visit is a move in the right direction to further strengthen ties between Rwanda National Police (RNP) and Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS), which is guided by the cooperation pact signed between the two police institutions in August last year, in Kigali.
The two Police Chiefs discussed ways to continue to reinforce the existing cooperation and to explore other areas of partnership against transnational organized crimes and capacity development.
Commissioner Molibeli thanked his Rwandan counterpart for honouring the invitation adding that the cooperation will continue to add value to policing.
IGP Munyuza is also expected to officiate at the pass-out of the Lesotho Police Basic Course, this Friday.
“Our visit to Kigali in August last year resulted in the of signing the cooperation agreement, which will benefit all of us. We will continue to build from that to ensure security of our people,” said Commissioner Molibeli.
IGP Munyuza, on his part, said that Rwanda values cross-border cooperation to effectively respond to the emerging security threats including violent extremism.
“Working closely together as security institutions is one of the best ways to counter security threats, which destabilize our countries and our continent in general,” IGP Munyuza said.
The pact signed in Kigali last year outlines key areas of cooperation, including partnership against terrorism, organized and transnational crimes; capacity building in community policing; exchange of information and expertise; as well as training opportunities and expertise development.
Other areas include development and exchange of training materials and curricula, combating proliferation of small arms and light weapons, timely exchange of information on criminals and criminal activities, and joint operations.
He made the revelation on Tuesday 25th January 2022, during the annual Article 8 Dialogue that took place at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Kimihurura.
The dialogue seeks to share information to promote mutual understanding and facilitate the establishment of agreed priorities and shared agendas.
The latest dialogue was held in February 2019. In 2020 and 2021, representatives from both countries did not meet physically due to COVID-19 related restrictions.
Rwanda started the deployment of 1000 troops of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) and the Rwanda National Police (RNP) to Mozambique on 9th July 2021, to fight rebel groups linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
The group sometimes calls themselves al-Shabaab, although they do not have known links with the Somali al-Shabaab.
The situation started worsening in October 2017 when armed extremists linked ISIL launched an insurgency in the Cabo Delgado region of Mozambique.
Since then, Mozambique Defence Armed Forces have been battling the extremists while many civilians were displaced by the fighting.
The joint operations between Rwandan and Mozambican troops yielded big where different regions including Palma, Awasse, Mocímboa Da Praia, Quionga, Tete, Maputo, Nhica Do Rovuma, Quelimane, Chinda and Mumu were seized from rebels.
As at 5th September 2021, Rwandan and Mozambican troops who were joined by the military mission of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) had captured almost all areas of Cabo Delgado Province where the remaining work was predominantly about launching offensives to quell enemy pockets from their hideouts and help displaced citizens to return to their homes.
Rwanda initially sent 1000 troops to Cabo Delgado honoring the request of Mozambique to support efforts to quell terrorist groups.
The troops had increased to nearly 2000 by the end of the year 2021.
Cabo Delgado is rich in natural gas resources that lured French Firm, Total energies to bring an investment worth US$20 billion under a project dubbed ’Liquefied Natural Gas’.
The project was put to halt due to insecurity in the area.
The project’s resumption of operations in Mozambique will be good news not only for the company but also for French and EU as well.
Amb. Nicola Bellomo has said that such dialogue is a good platform to share ideas on areas of cooperation between Rwanda and EU including trade and investment, governance, unity and reconciliation among others.
He also reminisced on cooperation with EU and the African continent, integration efforts and foreign policy.
“In this context, I will refer to operations in Mozambique. I am confident this dialogue will provide additional elements to inform the ongoing discussion on possible EU support to Rwanda and to identify new avenues to promote and preserve peace and security on the continent,” he said.
Amb. Bellomo also commended Rwanda’s response to COVID-19 to save lives and mitigate the pandemic’s effect to national economy. He assured that the EU has also designed plans to support the health sector and social protection programs.
Amb. Bellomo welcomed Rwanda’s endorsed recommendations to respect human rights noting that EU and country members will continue discussions with Rwanda along the process to implement the recommendations endorsed during the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).
Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Vincent Biruta said that, significant changes have taken place around the world since the last dialogue in 2019. He however highlighted that the collaboration between Rwanda and the EU remained strong, ‘especially with this pandemic and the need to work together to overcome it’.
He appreciated the support received from the EU since the beginning of the pandemic including vaccine donations and the strong contribution from the EU towards Rwanda’s efforts to produce vaccines locally.
Among others, Minister Biruta revealed that Rwanda is in the process to start implementing a new EU country strategy which is aligned with Rwanda’s Vision 2050 and the National Strategy for Transformation (NST1) NST1.
He said that the country looks forward to continue working closely with Team Europe on key priority areas including: education, skills and jobs for the youth; a green deal for inclusive development (with a focus on agriculture and urbanization), as well as political and economic governance, including support for private sector development.
Despite losing the match 4-2, it was all joy for the over 1585 young people currently undergoing rehabilitation at the centre, the vast majority for drugs, who have found an alternative to good and healthy life through sports and vocational training programmes.
Why addressing the youth, CP Bruce Munyambo, the commissioner for Community Policing in RNP, urged them to stay focused to the health and skills development programmes offered at the rehabilitation centre to live a positive life away from drugs and other criminal practices.
Iwawa isolated at the island in Lake Kivu, is one of the three national rehabilitation centres in the country.
It was established by the Government of Rwanda in 2010 with a mandate to rehabilitate delinquents of over 18 years old, who exhibit deviant behaviours.
Since then, the centre has graduated more than 27,000 former drug addicts, who were reintegrated into communities.
The nine-month rehabilitation programme offers pyscho-social health, education and TVET services to treat and transform the addicts into skillful people ready to start income generating activities when reintegrated into their communities.
“You have a chance to change your lives here, take this advantage. Draw lessons from the life you lived as addicts and focus on the new path.
Leave the past behind, do not leave here and again engage in abusing or dealing in drugs; leave here as reformed people ready to drive change, to inspire others still involved to stop it and to work with the police and other institutions to fight drugs and other criminal acts,” CP Munyambo told the youth.
He pledged the RNP support to practice what they will learn, when they are reintegrated back into their communities.
Triphose Murekatete, the Mayor for Rutsiro told the youth that the government will continue to monitor their development projects to ensure that they become successful.
She, however, pointed out the responsibility of families in supporting their reformed children not to reunite with their bad past but to follow the new beginning to productive life.
The mayor added that some young people are influenced to leave their homes because of domestic conflicts and they end up indulging in abusing drugs.
The event was also characterized by testimonies from some of the youth, who are undergoing rehabilitation.
“I wasted so many years in drugs and I became an addict. I am happy that Iwawa is giving me a new and meaningful life to take care of my wife and our two children,” said Frank Shema.
TVET courses offered at Iwawa Rehabilitation Centre include carpentry, masonry, tailoring, agriculture, literacy to illiterate youth and motorcycle riding.
Alphonse Niyongoma, 44, and Dieudonne Muhoza, 38, were arrested at Kigali stadium in Nyarugenge District where they had gone for provisional driving test.
The Deputy RNP spokesperson, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Africa Sendahangarwa Apollo said that the suspects were identified at the gate where Police officers were checking documents for the registered driving candidates.
“Before candidates start the driving tests, Police officers have to check all their papers to ensure that they fulfill all the requirements, and negative Covid-19 test is among those requirements. That is how the two candidates were identified with altered Covid-19 test results,” CSP Africa said.
The suspects, both from Gasabo District, had not gone for Covid-19 test. They altered the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) messages sent to them by those who had done the test.
CSP Sendahangarwa said that police is still searching for their accomplices who sent them the RBC messages that were altered.
Article 276 of the law determining offences and penalties in general states that any person, who in any manner, forges or alters documents by forged signature or fingerprint, falsifying documents or signatures or impersonation, forging agreements, its provisions, obligations, or discharged obligations, commits an offence.
Any person who, with fraudulent intention, produces a false written document, causes to write false statements or produces a conflicting declaration, is considered to commit the offence of forgery.
Upon conviction, he/she is liable to imprisonment for a term of not less than five (5) years but not more than seven (7) years and a fine of not less than Rwf3 million and not more than Rwf5 million or only one of these penalties.
Mukamurenzi was appointed by the Cabinet Meeting held on 14th December 2021 and was later approved the Senate on 28th December 2021.
She took the oath on Tuesday 25th January 2022 in a ceremony held at Village Urugwiro. It was attended by different Government officials.
As he officiated the ceremony, Kagame said that Mukamurenzi has experience in the justice sector which she will leverage on to serve Rwandans and the nation efficiently.
The President explained that the sworn-in official will be assuming heavy responsibilities because justice is among major pillars on which Rwanda’s development is entrenched.
“Our country’s history teaches us many lessons. One of them being not to tolerate injustice. It is important that we take initiative to fight injustice in any form, no matter where it comes from,” Kagame said.
The Head of State said that liberation was meant to get rid of injustice and stressed the need to keep soldiering on to fight it.
The Court of Appeal, he said, is one of the entities that were established to expedite the adjudication of court cases, for Rwandans to get justice in a swift manner, remarking that “justice delayed is justice denied.”
Kagame also urged all concerned organs to work together to dispense justice efficiently and promised support to the newly sworn-in judge to fulfill her duties.
The symposium is a forum that brings together Air Chiefs from militaries on the African continent to discuss regional and continental issues, enhance relationship and increase cooperation among African Air Forces.
While addressing the participants of the symposium, Kagame urged African countries to prioritise partnerships. He said that many of Africa’s emerging security challenges are transnational in scope and no one country has the resources to respond to them alone.
The President said that strategic airlift is a critical component for the maintenance of peace and security on the continent, particularly for peacekeeping operations.
The US Ambassador to Rwanda, Peter H.Vrooman emphasised that collaboration is vital to solve security concerns and shape a better future for African continent. He said that strategic airlift is very critical and partner nations should work together to provide each other airlift capabilities to address growing needs for the respective countries on the continent.
The AACS is being co-hosted by Rwanda Defence Force in partnership with the United States Air Forces Africa under the theme “Strategic Airlift”. The symposium attracted 30 member states of the Association of African Air Forces.
Minister Gatete made the promise as he inspected infrastructures in Southern Province.
The bridge collapsed in 2019 when a truck carrying sand fell off.
Minister Gatete said that the bridge is set to be renovated for residents to resume trade without disruptions.
“I visited the bridge this week to assess the situation. There is a path for pedestrians and motorcyclists but buses cannot cross it. This negatively impacts trade between Kamonyi and Ruhango,” he said.
Amb. Gatete revealed that the study the Engineering Brigade has completed the study of the project pending implementation which is expected in the near future under the budget being revised.
He assured that plans to rehabilitate more bridges are underway.
