In the new changes, Rugaza Julian becomes the City Manager; Asaba Katabarwa Emmanuel, City Engineer; Niyongabo Joseph, Director General of Corporate Services; MUHIRWA Marie Solange, Head of Urban Planning and Rubangutsangabo Jean, Urban Economist.
In Gasabo district, Umwali Pauline becomes the District Executive Administrator and Mudaherwana Regis the Deputy District Executive Administrator.
In Kicukiro, Umutesi Solange is the District Executive Administrator and Rukebanuka Adalbert, Deputy District Executive Administrator.
In Nyarugenge, Ngabonziza Emmy is the District Executive Administrator and Nshutiraguma Esperance, Deputy District Executive Administrator.
Members of families that were resettled in the modern village have told IGIHE that they now have peace of mind and thanked the government for getting them from risky areas.
In 2018, City of Kigali management and other partners made a household survey whereof they established that 13 670 families were settled in high-risk zones especially alongside the hills of Jali, Kigali, and Rebero.
Families that were settled on Mountain Kigali were most affected with 55.4 % being susceptible to risks.
It was thereafter resolved that vulnerable families in high-risk areas be relocated to Karama modern village, seated at 39 hectares.
Other families in Gatsata, Mpazi, and Gashyekero villages at the foothills of Rebero were not relocated but the drainage systems in the said areas were fixed and other infrastructures established to ensure their lives are not in danger in any way.
The first phase of the Karama Modern Village Project that accommodates the 240 families has been completed at a cost of Rwf 8 billion.
It has six blocs, with the first three having 120 semi-detached houses, each with a bedroom, sitting room, kitchen, bathroom, and toilet.
The village is connected with water and electricity, paved roads, water taps, flowers, fruits and vegetable gardens. It also has a school that can accommodate 840 students.
The families have been supported with 7500 chicken, layers, with ample space to grow vegetables for home consumption and for the market.
The Vice Mayor in charge of welfare for the City of Kigali, Ngarambe Wellars, says that it is a great stride in improving the livelihoods of the beneficiary households.
“In the high-risk zones from where they were relocated, they could not have decent sleep because when it rained, they could get immersed in fright, fearing houses could collapse on them any time.”
Their letters of resignation were given to the Prime Minister, Dr. Edouard Ngirente on Thursday evening.
A Prime Minister’s Office’s tweet posted shortly before midnight reads: “This evening the Rt Hon. PM Ngirente received letters of resignation from the Minister of State in charge of Primary and Secondary Education Isaac Munyakazi & Minister of State in charge of Constitutional & Legal Affairs, Evode Uwizeyimana, to be delivered to H.E the President.”
{{Evode Uwizeyimana’s misconduct}}
Uwizeyimana resigns following news that he assaulted a female security guard at Grand Pension Plaza.
On Monday, news spread that he arrogantly pushed and shoved an ISCO guard after she insisted that he goes through the security scanner.
A journalist, Joseph Hakuzimuremyi, took to Twitter and highlighted the unfortunate incident as he saw it, noting that the guard may not have recognized the minister.
Three hours later, Uwizeyimana too took to Twitter to apologize and said that what he had done was unethical.
He wrote: “I deeply regret what happened. It should not have happened to me as a leader and public official. I already apologized to the ISCO staff and I now do so publicly and apologize to the public as well.”
The Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) started investigating the incident and said the outcomes would be released to the public.
On Tuesday, ISCO announced that Uwizeyimana had met Mukamana Olive, the assaulted guard, at the headquarters of the company to apologize over the assault.
{{Dr. Isaac Munyakazi’s dishonesty}}
Dr. Isaac Munyakazi is under investigations over dishonesty he displayed in the 2019 national examination results.
Trusted sources indicate that Munyakazi doctored the ranking of the first ten schools by inserting one that had not even made the first hundred schools’ list in the national examinations.
It is said that he did the incongruous act with the help of staff from the Rwanda Education Board (REB), with a bribe from the principal of that favored school. However, there are other offenses for which he is being investigated.
Dr. Munyakazi Isaac has a Ph.D. in Education Management while Evode Uwizeyimana has a Masters Degree in Law.
Uwizeyimana Evode was appointed at the same time as Minister of Constitutional and Legal Affairs in the ministry of justice (a position that had not existed in the ministry before) on October 4, 2016. Before that, he had served on the constitutional review commission.
Dr. Munyakazi Isaac was appointed Minister of State in charge of Primary and Secondary Education in October 2016. Before that, he had served at the University of Kigali, joining the university as the Director of Academic Quality in 2013 and later on serving as the Dean of the Faculty of Business Management and Economics.
His passion to continuously learn and explore his craft has resulted in an impressive career spanning from the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Asia with previous work experiences that include working for 5-star hotels from the Radisson Hotel group.
In a candid talk with IGIHE, Chef Hassan Massood discussed his wide-ranging experience, creative flair and ardent passion for the culinary arts that made him the ideal chef to oversee and maintain the culinary legacy of the award-winning Radisson Blu Kigali.
{{IGIHE: Would you share your journey with us? }}
Hassan Masood: I started my career at 17 years old, while I was pursuing my studies in college. I started working as a steward in a luxury hotel because in Mauritius when you don’t have a background in hospitality, you have to start from scratch.
I was there for a period of 6 months where I gained experience from great people. In that period, I worked very hard as the hotel had just opened and I eventually got promoted to the ‘Cuisine principale’. I was juggling between stewarding and helping Chefs because sometimes, the chefs were absent or sick and I was the replacement.
I was so keen on learning that I did overnight shifts after school. I worked for 18 hours every day, without a day off. This experience taught me hard work, perseverance and turned me into a self-motivated person.
{{What was the turning point in your career? }}
In 2000, I was an employee of the year in the hotel. I was offered a ticket to go to one of the islands next to Mauritius. It was a one-weekend stay but since I wanted to learn more about hospitality, I refused it and asked that it be converted into a study trip to Italy. I met one lady Chef who trained me. She is one of the people who molded me to become who I am today.
Once I finished my training in Italy, I moved to Dubai. I was 22 years old at the time. That was when I started participating in competitions. One time I was invited to the competition but I didn’t feel ready. My Chef told me he trusted me. I went to the competition that day and won a gold medal. This was very meaningful for someone like me who had just started a career in hospitality.
In 2012, I won the fourth prize for the Young Leader of the Year Award at Radisson. I was 34 years old. In 2013, I was shortlisted for the youngest Executive Chef in the Middle East. I also participated in The Black Box Cooking Competition that challenges students to come up with a salad and entree using surprise ingredients. I won the Art of Hospitality Award in Italy as well.
I have had the privilege to work with famous chefs from around the world and gained insights from them but at the end of the day, it all depends on one’s hard work and passion to make it in the hospitality industry. After my journey in Mauritius, Italy, and Mauritius, I traveled to the UK, rebranding hotels and finally moved back to Mauritius where I helped rebrand two hotels. I have also worked in hotels in Dubai, France, Russia, China, United Kingdom to mention a few.
As a chef, you have to make sure that everywhere you go, you go as a leader and a winner, and that is what made me the person I am today.
{{
When did you start working at Radisson?}}
I started at Radisson in February 2016. I came here four months before Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Centre opened in Kigali just so I could study the environment so that by the time the hotel opened, everything would be impeccable. We opened just in time for the 27th African Union (AU) Summit where we hosted between 6000 and 7000 people. We gained a lot of experience from that.
{{
What has been the secret to your success?}}
Working with people from different nationalities and traveling to many countries shaped me into the person I am today. A lot of people have helped me grow and I can say that success is a team effort.
{{How would you describe your style of cooking?}}
My style of cooking is really just a mix of everything. Mauritius is rich in cosmopolitan cuisine, being an amalgam of knowledge from Indian, European, Asian and Arabic cuisines and this helps me to keep up with the latest trends, wherever I am.
{{You’ve been all over the world, working with various great culinary Chefs. Which one, in particular, inspired you?}}
It is hard to only name one because I have learned something new from every Chef I met and worked with. [He chuckles] But I can name Fabio De poli – the first Chef who took me out of Mauritius, and Marco Aveta among others.
{{What sparks-up your day at Radisson Hotel Kigali?}}
The team of people I work with on a daily basis, who contribute to Radisson Kigali being a top-notch destination in Rwanda. I also like the ingredients that we find in Rwanda that helps us diversify our cuisine.
{{Which special offers is the Radisson Hotel Kigali offering for Valentine’s day?
}}
Filini Italian Restaurant: set-menu + glass of wine and live band entertainment for 40,000 RWF
Larder all-day-dining: Lavish buffet spread for 30,000 RWF
Amani Spa: Couples Aromatherapy massage + dinner for two at Filini Italian restaurant for 120,00 RWF only (offer valid for the full month of February)
Tanzanian and Rwanda governments signed agreements to build the railroad that will connect Tanzania’s dry port of Isaka and Kigali on March 9, 2018. The project was formerly a 532-kilometer railway, budgeted to cost USD 3.6 billion.
On the side of Rwanda, the railway will be from Rusumo to Kigali, having a short jut to Bugesera International Airport, 138 km long at a cost of USD 1.3 million.
In a recent press conference, the Minister of Infrastructure, Amb. Gatete Claver announced that DRC has joined the project.
“DRC has expressed commitment to join the railway project from Tanzania, through Rwanda to RDC. That is our new plan.”
Gatete said that the three countries and the African Development Bank are in negotiations that are slated to have been completed by March 2020.
He added that many private companies are willing to invest in the project.
In June 2019, President Magufuli announced that he had held talks with his DRC counterpart President, Felix Tshisekedi with whom the discussed extending the railway to east DRC.
“I told him about our project to construct a railway that passes from Isaka, through Rusumo, to Kigali. He liked the project and asked that the railway could reach the east of DRC..”
Every year, 1.76 billion worth of goods pass via the Dar es Salaam port from or to DRC. DRC touches the Atlantic Ocean, so it also uses the Port of Matadi for goods coming from or going to the Americas.
It is costly for DRC to import or export goods to Asia.
The railway will help Rwanda reduce transport costs of imports and exports by 40%
Al Baker said that apart from the 49% stake in Rwanda that both parties are negotiating, there are several projects in which Qatar has interest, including the New Bugesera International Airport being built by Qatar Sovereign Wealth Fund.
“We are attracted to Kigali because of its location, the stability of the country and the very favorable business environment that exists. Besides, in Africa there’s a big demand for air travel which today Africa is very poorly connected with. So we always look at the opportunities in our field to do investments,” Akbar Al Baker considered.
The development comes after December last year where the Government of Rwanda and Qatar Airways concluded an investment partnership for New Bugesera International Airport, with three agreements to build, own, and operate the state-of-the-art facility.
Qatar Airways has agreed to take a 60% stake in the project, which as a whole is valued at around $1.3 billion. The new airport will have a throughput of seven million passengers per year, during the first phase. It will be completed and become operational by 2022.
Passenger capacity is set to increase in subsequent phases of the airport expansion.
Rwanda has been tipped as one of the best touristic destinations in the world, apart from positioning itself as the conference hub of meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions.
This is good news for RwandAir and its passengers, as Qatar Airways holds the ‘World’s Best Airline’ in the 2019 Skytrax World Airline Awards. It is the only airline in the competition’s history to win it five times; 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2019.
With a fleet of twelve aircraft including two wide-body, Airbus A330 acquired last year, RwandAir currently reaches out to 29 destinations across East, Central, West and Southern Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.
Rwanda and Qatar enjoy very fruitful bilateral relations. The Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani was in Rwanda last December for International Anti-Corruption Excellence Awards named after him.
Among the 13 arrested are 11 from Musebeya Sector while 2 were arrested in Kibumbwe Sector, Gakanka Cell.
The accused are now in custody at Rwanda Investigation Bureau, Musebeya Station as further investigations get underway.
The Southern Province police, Chief Inspector of Police (CIP) Sylvestre Twajamahoro said that the arrest followed a tip-off from local residents that saw them carry wood and timber from the forest.
CIP Twajamahoro cautioned people to desist from illegally exploiting government forests as it is illegal and punishable by law.
“Cutting down trees or harvesting from public forests is damaging to the environment, negatively impacting economic activities and lives. Whoever is caught in the act of damaging public forests will be punished by law.”
He added that even before cutting down trees from one’s own forest, he or she must seek permission from the local authorities. He asked all Rwandans to share information with the police about those who illegally cut down trees.
Law N°48/2018 of 13/08/2018 of the national gazette on environment, article 44, states prohibits all activities that are detrimental to the environment.
The120-kilometer Liberation History Tourism Trail is a new tourism product consisting of a collection of sites and trails in 29 sites in six districts of the country that were significant in the War on National Liberation that commenced in 1st October 1990 and ended on 4th July 1994. The trail was opened to the public in August 2019.
The training will give the tour guides and partner institutions the ability to contextualize and accurately narrate the facts and history of the trail.
Speaking during the kick off of the training, the Head of Tourism Regulation Department, Emmanuel Nsabimana said:
“The Liberation History Tourism Trail is a monumental part of Rwanda’s history and heritage with potential to grow tourism revenues. We organised the training for the tour guides to improve their knowledge about the trail as it involves both the theoretical part and field visits that will equip them with the knowledge to guide tourists satisfactorily.”
Speaking while officially opening the training, the Rwanda Defence Force, Air Force Chief of Staff, Major General Emmanuel Bayingana said:
“We are happy to work with tour guides to improve their knowledge on the Rwanda Liberation History Tourism trail and help educate the future generation to uphold the cause of the struggle.”
The agreement was signed on Friday, 31 January 2020 by Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Dr. Uzziel Ndagijimana and the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Rwanda Dr. Thomas Kurz.
The Green City Kigali, is a flagship project that will be developed on 600 Ha in Kinyinya sector, Gasabo District estimated at USD 1.5 billion. The Green City Kigali Pilot project is an innovative initiative to enhance a paradigm shift in green urbanisation and create a model community.
The project will demonstrate the viability of green cities in Rwanda, and relevant for replicability for the development of Green Secondary Cities at the national level. Phase I of the Green City Kigali City will pilot the construction of 1,749 house units on 18 hectares with an estimated cost of US$ 103.8 million for five years.
Speaking after the signing event, Minister Ndagijimana said the financing signed today (EUR 10 Million) and subsequent EUR 20 Million to be signed later with Government of Germany will contribute to the financing of the enabling environment/infrastructure part of the pilot phase of the city.
This will include mainly the construction of roads, electricity and water and sanitation supply network to not only leverage and catalyze the private sector investment but also increase the affordability of houses in the Green city.
“Rwanda has decided to fundamentally change the way cities are built by following a holistic and integrated approach to green planning that builds on innovate and future-oriented technologies just as much as on home grown solutions, Minister Ndagijimana said.
The German Ambassador expressed his appreciation of Rwanda’s development results in the past and encouraged them to continue staying ambitious in implementing the new National Strategy for Transformation in partnership with the private sector and civil society.
He emphasized that the strong partnership in planning and implementing this new sustainable and innovative neighborhood in Kigali, offering affordable housing for about 14.000 persons, was essential for the success of the endeavor.
The Division of Labor allows Germany development cooperation programme to be active in Education (including TVET); Decentralization and Good Governance, Private Sector Development and Youth; Public Financial Management (PFM); Financial Development. Germany also supports Regional Projects: Centre of Excellence for Health, Improvement of the Investment Climate, Microfinance sector-MIFSSA, ICGLR and Energy.
Col Faustin Tinka has been appointed Deputy Commander of the Mechanized Division.
Col Joseph Karegire was made the 211 Brigade Commander while Lt Col Geoffrey Gasana was promoted to Col and appointed Deputy Air Force Commander.
Among others promoted in ranks are Lt Col Kitoko Kadida and Lt Col Louis Kanobayire, both of whom were promoted to Col. Colonel Kitoko Kadida was appointed RG Commander while Col Louis Kanobayire was appointed Chief J3.
Lt Col Richard Ndamage was appointed to OPS Officer 1 Division, and Lt Col Ignace Tuyisenge was appointed Deputy Military Police Regiment Commander.
Capt. Danny Gatsinzi was promoted to Lt Col and appointed Chief of OPS in Air Force.
President Kagame assigned Col Karegire new responsibilities after appointing him Chief J3 last November, in 2019.
