The incident took place in Kinamba Village, Pera Cell, Bugarama Sector on Sunday midnight.
According to Rusizi District Acting Mayor, Leoncie Kankindi, one victim died instantly while another one succumbed to injuries in Hospital.
The deceased are Claude Ngirimana 30 and Abdoul Sinamenye 32.
At the incident, eighteen-year-old Rachel Tumukunde from Nyange Village was injured and is now at the health Centre, Centre de Santé Islamique.
Kankindi told IGIHE that the shooters are yet to be identified.
“Two have died. We are yet to know shooters, but security personnel have started investigations,” said Kankindi.
The similar incident also took place in Bugarama sector last year when a man threw a grenade in a crowd of people who were in a pub, left one dead and eight injured.
Speaking to IGIHE, the Party President, Dr Frank Habineza said that they are continuing with electing flag bearers ahead of the September ballot.
“Preparations are in high gear; since October last year, we have been going around all districts conducting meetings as well as electing our flag bearers,” he said.
He said that their manifesto will be announced in the party’s general assembly that will take place on June 23rd. In the assembly, they will also announce final list of candidates that will be sent to the National Electoral Commission (NEC).
Habineza says that the party is optimistic that they will get 20% of seats in the Lower House.
“At least 20% seats, means ten MPs. We have got experience from presidential elections we participated in last year,” he said.
He said that they will earn votes from the electorate given their commitment to combating poverty, providing Justice for all and tackling effects of climate change and environment destruction.
Elections are slated for September 2nd to Rwandans in the diaspora while for those in the country will vote on September 3rd.
Organised in partnership with Akagera Business Group as the wine supplier, the second Kigali Marriott’s Wine Tasting Evening was held at the hotel’s Cucina Restaurant on Thursday, attracting a number of business people, members of diplomatic corps, media practitioners and other categories of the Kigali community.
In an interactive sharing with the hotel’s staff, participants tasted 10 neatly selected wine types including Kiwi Cuvee Malbec and Legende Rothschild from France; Kiwi Cuvee Grigio from Italy; Douglas Green Chardonnay Colombard and Franshhoek Cellar Shiraz from South Africa, among others.
At the event, the wines were paired with a selection of delectable antipasti featuring vegetables, cheese, snacks and more. The new types find over 60 more wines on the hotel’s menu.
Kigali Marriott’s Food and Beverage Director, Simon Hodson said the second Wine Tasting event featured wine brands that are enjoyable to everyone regardless of their level of familiarity with wines.
“We have offered a completely new selection of wines tonight and will be on the list in our restaurants and bars. They are very palatable brands that everyone can enjoy; you don’t have to be an expert in wines to enjoy them, you don’t have to take them with a meal, they can be used anytime either alone or with antipasti or dinner. They are mid-priced but enjoyable wines,” he said.
“Today, we have a more informal relaxed approach where you can see different wines and choose any that you like and you can go through all of them, accompanied with food.”
Mr. Hodson said the hotel will keep introducing new products and services to keep guests satisfied, adding that for the rest of this year, the Wine Tasting will take place every two months on the second Thursday of a month.
“We can’t keep serving our customers with the same things. As the leading hotel in food and beverage in the city, we want to keep bringing new things for our guests to enjoy. The guests’ feedback tonight is that they have really enjoyed it and requested to have it monthly instead of every two month. If we see that demand increases and people want it monthly, we will accommodate that need,” he said.
He added that the event mainly aims at informing the public that Kigali Marriott is not for elite only but accessible to everyone, saying that the hotel offers wines starting from Rwf35,000 a bottle and Rwf5,000 a glass.
Having opened its doors in Kigali City centre in mid-2016, the five-star Kigali Marriott Hotel is part of Marriott International which is present in more than 110 countries with more than 6,000 properties globally.
The five year initiative ‘Hanga Ahazaza’, meaning “create the future”, worth US$50 million, will increase economic opportunities for young people while enhancing access to financial services and training so that small tourism and hospitality sector enterprises can expand.
The Tourism and Hospitality Accelerator was officially launched on June 5 at a panel discussion event with experts in the sector.
Speaking during the launch, Ariella Kageruka, Director General of Rwanda Chamber of Tourism, urged entrepreneurs in the tourism and hospitality sector to be unique, “the vision of the country is to uncover unexplored markets in tourism and explore the niches.”
Inkomoko’s Managing Director Nathalie Niyonzima echoed her remarks saying “We see great potential in the tourism and hospitality sector and we believe that this is a sector where Inkomoko can significantly support job creation”.
“Inkomoko’s comprehensive approach to business development will support promising young entrepreneurs in a priority sector,” said Rica Rwigamba, Program Manager at the Mastercard Foundation. “We are excited to work with Inkomoko to ensure small businesses in the tourism and hospitality sector can expand and create more employment opportunities for young people.” She added
According to Kenn Munyeki, General Manager of Ubumwe Grande Hotel, “Rwanda almost surpasses Cape Town and Addis Abeba” in the tourism sector.
During the next three years, 300 businesses will participate in the Inkomoko Accelerator, helping them become more professional and successful in this demanding sector. Businesses will receive finance, operations, and sales support depending on their needs during the six-month program, consisting of trainings, a thorough business assessment, one-on-one consulting, and often access to finance.
Any business that qualifies as a tourism or hospitality business can join the Accelerator, as long as they are registered with RDB and have been operating for minimum six months.
“I am excited to join the Inkomoko program, and I am looking forward to improving my finance and accounting skills as well as having the possibility to access financing at a later stage. I’ve chosen to work with Inkomoko because of the strength and diversity of their team and the intensive trainings offered,” said Wilson Habimana, the CEO of Wilson Tours and a new participant in the Accelerator.
Inkomoko’s offering this Accelerator at a 60 percent discount. To join the program, contact Christian Kitumaini, Inkomoko’s Client Relationship Manager, at [christian@inkomoko.com->christian@inkomoko.com] or +250786779012.
The construction works of the centre that will receive 500 women was launched yesterday and are expected to be completed by December 2018.
Worth Rwf2.9 billion, the centre will also train women on vocational skills.
“This centre will have been completed by December. The current one has old premises and receives one gender. We also need to rehabilitate girls and women. We will also train them in vocational skills so that they will be able to create businesses to support their well-being,” said Aimé Bosenibamwe, the Director General for National Rehabilitation Service.
Speaking at the event, the State Minister for Socials Affairs in the Ministry of Local Governance, Dr. Alvera Mukabaramba said that the number of street women is smaller than that of male and added that they were committed to ensure no one will remain on the street.
“In other categories, the number of female has been higher than that of male, but for street cases, it is so smaller, but we whatever number is there, we need to curb, rehabilitate and trained them so that they develop themselves and the country,” she said.
A study by National Rehabilitation Service shows that there is a total of 2000 street children and the target is to get them off the streets in two years.
One of the entrepreneurs is a twenty-three year old Samantha Ahirwe, the head of Posh Creative, a handicraft company that weaves shoes and handbags.
The university graduate in Civil Engineering started business in 2017. The idea came from ill-treatment and domestic violence she observed women in her community were experiencing for being dependents on the household heads.
“Those women usually depended on their husbands. I thought of doing something that could help them contribute to financial growth of their families. That’s where I started making designs of shoes. I approached these women, trained and then employed them,” she explains.
Currently, Ahirwe permanently employs five women and one part time woman and man. All employees are paid depending on production capacity. She says that the whole business is worth between Rwf3.5 and Rwf4 million.
She says that she started her business using the money she got from a paid training she attended in US.
Ahirwe says that currently, she is focused on company branding by using social media.
“The main challenge I faced is visibility and market access,” she says. She says that they import all raw materials from Kenya.
Like Ahirwe, different young entrepreneurs running start-up businesses have shared entrepreneurship experiences.
A one day seminar that brought together students from University of Rwanda and youth in business in Kigali on Wednesday, youth were made aware of the many opportunities in the communities they live.
Ahirwe urged youth to avoid fear of starting business when they have ideas.
Alexandre Nshimiyimana another young entrepreneur making soap and body lotion from avocado was awarded by Rwanda Development Board as outstanding young entrepreneur in 2017.
Another was a twenty-two year old Yvette Ishimwe, the entrepreneur behind Iriba Water Group, a company that distributes clean water in Kayonza District.
Each young entrepreneur has own success story. For example, Ishimwe was awarded by Queen Elisabeth II for her impactful project.
For the Burera District based Nshimiyimana, having a successful business does not need to be established in urban area.
“When investing, you don’t need to think that the successful business will be established in Kigali, you need to invest in business that solves societal problems,” he said.
Ishimwe urged students to concentrate on one business idea and ensure that it is effectively implemented despite challenges.
According to Ishimwe, she was inspired by challenges her family faced after relocating from Kigali to Kayonza Distirct.
“We found ourselves settled in a community where you could hardly find clean water. We used to pay Rwf300 for one Water Can,” she said.
“So, with those challenges, I sat down and browsed on internet different water treatment systems which led me to successful business. So, that’s why I urge you to turn all challenges around you into businesses,” she urged.
Scovia Mutesi, the head of These Numbers Have Faces, an organization that empowers young entrepreneurs which also organized the seminar said that discussions help students with business ideas realize ways to shape them into businesses.
“Many people have business ideas and need to be taught on ways they can be implemented. Though they are university students, some might have profitable businesses,” she said.
Marie Aimée Niyonshuti a first year student in University of Rwanda’s College of Science and Technology said that discussing with successful people helps them to open their minds about business sector and realize opportunities.
“They told us challenges faced and ways they overcame them. So, I learnt from them how to run a successful business and most particularly for female how to overcome gender disparity,” she said.
Through organisation’s yearly Accelerator Academy programme, different youth are trained on business plan and are linked with investors.
The feasts sharing held on Wednesday as part of the Kigali Marriott’s spirit to serve the community saw the hotel’s 21 employees joining the Muslim community at Mar’wa Rah’Man Mosque in Rwarutabura, Nyamirambo Sector.
Kigali Marriott’s Human Resource Manager Aisha Nante Mambo, who led the delegation to Nyamirambo, told IGIHE that they chose the mosque in Rwarutabura because there are members who do not have the privilege to enjoy festivities like Ramadhan.
“In line with Ramadhan, we saw that the best way to serve the community is to share iftar with the Muslim community. Some of our associates who pray from this mosque told us that there are women and families who do not have enough to share iftar; so instead of taking the meal to the city where everyone can afford, we decided to share with the people who are really in need,” she said.
Encouraging everyone especially Muslims to keep supporting the disadvantaged, Mrs. Mambo said, “Being a Muslim myself, we should not stop giving and supporting one another.”
Imam of Mar’wa Rah’Man Mosque, Sheikh Daoud Niyigena appreciated Kigali Marriott’s support for the iftar, saying that the selection of beneficiaries considered most their members in need.
“We really appreciate Marriott Hotel for sharing iftar with us. It is a support and good gesture as they join us to share the meal. The one who gives iftar to somebody receives additional rewards from Allah. We are very happy and pray Allah to give you rewards for the support,” he told the visitors quoting in part the Prophet Mohammed.
Millions of devout Muslims around the world observe the holy fasting month of Ramadhan every year. For this year, the month started on May 17 and is expected to end on June 14. During the month, Muslims observe fasting and break it at sunset.
According to witnesses, the fire at the plant located in Gatsata Sector of Gasabo District was started by a security guard.
Witnesses told IGIHE that the plant’s guard started fire when he was trying to harvest honey from nearby hives and the fire transmitted to the plastic raw materials which the plant was using to make shoes locally known as ‘bodaboda’
The Plant Manager, Samuel Maina told IGIHE that the fire gutted a total of 90 tonnes worth Rwf197 million. He also said that the fire was started by the guard.
“Though it is not easy to calculate the value of all damages, I can confirm that 90 tonnes of plastic raw materials worth Rwf197 million were burnt down,” he said.
Police intervened to extinguish the fire, but most of properties had been razed down.The guard has been arrested as investigations get underway.
“I will not go back on my word. Our mandate ends in 2020,” Nkurunziza said in a speech in front of supporters and diplomats in the central Gitega region.
The constitution, approved on May 17 by a majority of voters around the densely-populated central African country in a referendum, allows Nkurunziza to run for office twice more in seven-year terms from 2020.
“History is being written in the centre of the country at Gitega, the head of state Pierre Nkurunziza has just put his signature to the new constitution of Burundi,” the official presidential Twitter account announced at 10:30 am
The former rebel leader first came to power in 2005 after a bloody civil war between ethnic Tutsis and Hutus.
The call was made yesterday when the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Johnston Busingye was meeting RIB senior officials at RIB headquarters in Kimihurura.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, RIB Secretary General, Col. Jeannot Ruhunga said that the bureau still has some challenges including a small budget that hampers the institution from successfully meeting their targets.
“For us to successfully execute our responsibilities, we need some basic requirements. That’s why we requested him advocacy for increased budget so that it can help us attain our mission,” he explained.
“We receive many people, but have a small place. We need more offices for investigators. Currently they are fused in few offices and don’t work comfortably,” he added.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Busingye said that RIB started on the good note. He commended the institution for the achievements and promised Government support on the few challenges reported such as small workplace among others.
Busingye called on RIB leaders to embrace team work, timely sharing of information and professionalism in delivering on their mission and objectives.
He acknowledged that the institution has a big staff with few offices and promised them on extended place.
“They have 50 office rooms with a big staff which needs a least 90 office rooms. Under the partnership with other institutions, we promised them more office space activities,” he said.
“Budget issue is common, but aspects which can affect implementation of their mission shall be seriously considered,” he said.
Rwanda Investigation Bureau has powers to arrest and detain suspects in criminal cases; restrict access to an area or set up a roadblock for the purposes of maintaining security, preventing and detecting crimes.
