According to Ndera Sector Executive Secretary, Francois Iyamuremye, whose identity was not readily revealed, who survived the genocide from inside the Ndera Neuropsychiatric Hospital (Craes) informed them that the hospital compound may contain mass graves.
The girl said that during the genocide, she heard people digging behind the house she was hiding in, and dumped dead bodies there.
Local officials acted on the information from the girl who currently lives in Canada, and exhumation activities started on Monday last week.
“From Monday to Saturday, we have been exhuming and today we have counted remains of 123 victims,” Iyamuremye said.
“We cannot affirm that these are the only victims that were dumped there, because the hospital had been using the pit for rain water harvesting. Possibly, some remains have totally decayed, especially of children. Exhumation activities continue, and there is another pit inside the hospital that we want to open,” he explained.
Iyamuremye said that exercise to search for more remains continues across the sector.
At Iwawa, youth acquired different skills including masonry, carpentry, tailoring, agriculture and veterinary among others.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony on Saturday, the Director General of National Rehabilitation Service (NRS), Aimé Bosenibamwe urged the youth to use acquired skills in developing themselves through working in cooperatives.
“There is a programme to receive those who graduate from here in districts; different officials are working to welcome you and will direct you in projects to establish, as a way to reintegrate you in the society, NRS in partnership with local government authorities will facilitate you in establishing associations and cooperatives through which you will perform income generating activities,” he explained.
After a year of being trained, the youth say that they acquired skills that will help them in future.
“I learnt masonry skills from here which will help me towards development. I abandoned drugs and will encourage former peers to abandon such vices,” said Jean Paul Gacamumakuba from Kicukiro District.
Cesalie Nyirantagorana, a parent whose child was rehabilitated, hailed the programme saying it was not possible for parents themselves to change the behaviors children had developed.
The cohort of 1,974 graduate is the 15th edition at Iwawa. Since the centre was established in 2010, over 15,000 have graduated from there.
Busingye made the remarks yesterday while presiding over the launch of a three-day retreat of the bureau’s senior officials in Bugesera District.
He told the newly established instigation board’s staff that professionalism is essential in handling the suspects.
“Professionalism is a sign of development, attaining the mission peacefully without any violation. People like you should be cooperative, if you detect a person and send them in prison, they should go lighthearted, and when they are released, they should not differentiate whether they were helping investigations or were enjoying a picnic,” he urged.
Busingye told investigators not to use their powers in violating suspects’ rights but provide them with any assistance they might need such as communicating their arrest to friends.
RIB Secretary General, Col. Jeannot Ruhunga said that professionalism will come from training. He said that the retreat will discuss the vision and laws that will regulate the board’s staff.
“We shall discuss a five-year strategic plan of RIB as a new institution and discuss laws that will guide the staff. Laws give them extra powers in their job, if the powers are not legalised and well-disciplined, they can misuse them. That is why we want to share about the laws that will help us implement our responsibilities,” he explained.
RIB was officially operationalised on April 20th and took over the responsibilities that were formerly carried out by Rwanda National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
RIB has the mission of preventing and pre-empting criminal acts by identifying and investigating all kinds of physical or cyber-crimes.
The move follows the launch of the Building Learning Foundations a few months ago, a programme of the Ministry of Education that aims to improve learning outcomes in English and Mathematics of over 2.6 million children in Rwanda.
Addressing the teachers and head teachers in Gasabo District on Thursday, BLF’s team leader Anders Lonnqvist noted that BLF’s priority is to provide all children of P1-P3 with the basics of English and Mathematics.
The three and a half-year programme is aligned with the Competence-Based Curriculum and will work with all district education officials to evaluate the progress of teachers.
“We are still struggling with English, many of us studied in French language and we are required to teach in English. As a remedy, we need learning resources like these to improve our English proficiency,” says Nakure Georgette, Director of Studies at GS Kinyinya in Gasabo District.
One of the resolutions of this year’s National Leadership Retreat was the improvement of the quality of education in Rwanda at all levels. During the education campaign week that started this week, officials from Rwanda Education Board (REB) urged teachers to put in an extra effort to improve their Englis proficiency in as the country’s language of instruction. They said this will have a trickle-down effect on their students.
“BLF has given us self-study learning resources that include a book, an SD card with audio and video materials and each school has been given two smart phones that will support Mathematics and English teachers to improve teaching practice. I am happy that our teachers will be able to prepare lessons without difficulty” Nakure added.
Funded by UKaid with £25.3 million (about Rwf26 billion), the BLF will work with head teachers to lead learning and improvement in schools as well as supporting education officials to hold school leaders to account. At least 25,000 English and Mathematics teachers will be trained and over 2,500 school leaders will benefit from the programme.
The hotel which is a flagship of the Marriott International, giant global brand provided jobs to 26 of them in 2016 under its partnership with Women for Women International.
Five former trainees of Women for Women who now work with Kigali Marriott Hotel shared the experience and progress they have attained in a bid to inspire around 100 others in attendance.
The testimonies rotated round the hardships the five went through prior to joining the charity and the hotel and how their lives have quickly changed since June 2016 when they got descent employment which was a dream to women who did not manage to complete secondary school.
Marthe Mukambonera, 58, who is working in Marriott’s housekeeping as a tailor, said she was formerly frustrated by doing home chores while her husband was the only bread winner for the family of four children living in Gikondo, Kicukuro District.
“Women for Women found me among the vulnerable women and gave us training in 2013.We were told in 2016 that the giant hotel brand called Marriott was going to open operations in Rwanda and that they wanted some us who were trained by Women for Women. We were taken to that centre in Kayonza for further training,” she said.
“Joining Marriott has earned me a lot. Together with my husband, we have started developing a house at the budget of Rwf45 million, now standing at the value of Rwf30 million as we continue to finish it. We do not know English language but we do our work properly, we have received credits many times.”
English language is the major medium of communication at Kigali Marriott Hotel.
Adalie Umutoniwase, who is also in housekeeping at Kigali Marriott Hotel, said she lived a miserable life that forced her to drop out of school from senior five and got her hopes for the future swept away.
“I joined Women for Women in 2012 and got trained in doing business. I was a poor woman before securing a job at Marriott but I have now attained good development. I can save money every month after daily expenditures plus my two children’s school fees that total to Rwf80,000 per term. I managed to secure a loan of Rwf2 million, added Rwf2 million that I had saved and bought a house at Rwf4 million recently,” said the mother of two living with her husband in Gitega Sector, Nyarugenge District.
Yulia Bogdanova, the Human Resource Director at Kigali Marriott Hotel who led the delegation to Kayonza, said the Women for Women graduates have emerged among the best performing members of staff at the hotel.
She encouraged other women to save some money out of their earnings, have self-esteem to do great things and told them that, with hard work, they have to keep up hope for better life.
{{Hope for future}}
Expressing gladness over their fellow women’s success, the participants branded the testimonies “inspirational” and committed to follow suit as they have already started the journey under Women for Women guidance.
“With the good leadership of our country that highly values women, my future is good. Despite the fact that I never stepped in class, I have acquired a lot of skills about doing business, saving and family management thanks to Women for Women’s training,” said Latifah Mugorewishyaka, a resident of Mukarange in Kayonza District.
Kayonza Vice-Mayor in charge of Finance and Economic Development, Consolée Uwibambe commended Kigali Marriott Hotel for employing the formerly vulnerable women and taking them back to the women’s centre to inspire and encourage others.
She encouraged women at the centre to increase production of their different products such as Urugo yogurt and pledged advocacy for a wider market.
Antoinette Uwimana, the Country Director of Women for Women International, said the Urugo Women’s Opportunity Centre that started in 2013 has so far trained over 5,000 in different professional courses such as basket weaving, cultural and community tourism, housekeeping, culinary, modern farming, among others.
“We also train women about business and give them toolkits to start out. This is the main centre but we also train women from other centres in seven districts around the country. Most of them create jobs, we help some to find good jobs that get them good capital to quickly change their lives. Like these ones who got jobs at Marriott are developing very quickly because of the good pay,” She said.
Uwimana commended Kigali Marriott Hotel for taking back women who were trained by Women for Women to share their testimonies, saying that it is inspirational and giving others hope that, with commitment and hard work, a good future is possible.
Nestled in Nyarugenge District, the newest three-star property is located within a walking distance from the Kigali City Centre and below 10km from the Kigali International Airport, Rwanda’s primary point of entry.
It is adorned with traditional baskets locally known as “ibiseke” and carvings known as “Imigongo,” plus embellishments in cow dung mixed with soils of different colors and painted in geometric shapes, all making the motif of the interior and exterior features.
Speaking at the launch on Thursday, Samantha Annandale, Regional Operational Director for South and East Africa assured locals and attendants of an essence of character with quality at ONOMO Hotel Kigali.
“With so many international companies exiting in Africa and investment leaving our shores, it is encouraging to see that our group has a fully focused African strategy. We have exceptional confidence in Rwanda and generally Africa, especially in the hospitality space and with our strong development pipeline, we aim to become one of the leading hotel chains in Africa, for Africa.” she added.
ONOMO Hotel Cape Town’s Director of Sales and Marketing and facilitator at ONOMO Hotel Kigali, Sherri-Lee Kriedemann told IGIHE that the hotel has come to bridge a gap in the Rwandan hospitality industry
“We’ve come as a three-star property with four-star facilities to close the gap in the market and become an affordable yet world-class travel end for those visiting Kigali with a budget that can’t afford five-star facilities,” she said.
She noted that regardless what market segment it is, the hotel stands out to attract visitors from all over the world, be it for leisure or corporate purposes.
ONOMO Hotel Kigali is the 10th hotel of the group in Africa.
Operating across the entire African continent, ONOMO Hotels Group is on track to create its planned pan-African network of over 20 hotels by 2023, situated in the African continent’s major cities. The group has already spread a footprint to Dakar, Abidjan, Libreville, Bamako, Lome, Conakry, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and its most recent opening in Kigali, establishing the Group’s expansion into the East Africa.
During the visit on Thursday, Vrooman was received by Minister Jeanne d’Arc Debonheur.
MIDIMAR statement says that Vrooman extended his condolences to the Government of Rwanda especially to the families whose members have been killed by the recent disasters.
“Through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), we have authorised over Rwf43 million for immediate emergency response to the destruction caused by heavy rain storms since January, 2018,” Vrooman said.
“The aid was provided to CARE International Rwanda to assist the government in replacing emergency relief supplies for households in Kirehe and Rubavu Districts which are most affected by disasters,” he added.
The supplies that will be provided under the emergency funds from U.S. Government include items such as sleeping mats, saucepans, blankets, mosquito nets, mattresses for pregnant women, jerrycans and hygiene products.
Debonheur commended US support and contribution to the well-being of the Rwandan population and those on its soil.
“We thank the U.S Government for their support to the Rwandans. We also commend their partnership with the Rwandan people and specifically the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugees towards the mitigation of disaster effects and improving the refugees’ wellbeing,” Debonheur said.
The statement says that both officials discussed the general situation of refugees in Rwanda, main challenges in humanitarian response and durable solutions for refugees issues. On this, Minister Debonheur informed Vrooman about the security normalisation process in Kiziba Refugee Camp.
The families comprising 122 people were relocated and sheltered in a church in Birama village.
Kimisagara leaders say that they have registered over 9,000 houses in high risk zones and owners were told to relocate.
Unarguably, officials decided to forcibly relocate families who have been living in places which seemed to be highly affected by effects of heavy rains.
Most of relocated families had been living in rent.
Speaking to IGIHE, the Executive Secretary of Kimisagara Sector, Charles Havuguziga said that relocating them was the first help they were able to provide.
“It is true, we forcibly relocated them because it was the first help we could give them, to have them out of these houses. Some houses were putting lives of people in danger,” he explained.
He encouraged people living in high risk zones to approach other families for shelter and called for support from other institutions because the evicted are more disadvantaged to the extent that some families lack basic needs including meals.
Evictees cry foul
Different people who spoke to IGIHE expressed their concerns saying that they are unable to find new houses.
Sarafine Uwimana said that they cannot afford money to pay expensive rent in good places.
“We have nowhere to go, we cannot even put food on table now, my husband is a street vendor; the relocation is turning the matter worse,” she said.
Ten villages out of 49 in Kimisagara Sector are located in high risk zones but officials are sensitising people to leave the areas.
The Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs announced recently that a total of 183 people were killed by disasters since January to April 30th and properties worth Rwf4 billion were damaged.
The last weekend downpours killed 26 people across the country, 18 among them were from Rwankuba Sector of Karongi District.
The 14th edition of the marathon is scheduled for May 20 at a tune of Rwf73 million, reflecting a decrease by Rwf17 million from the last year’s spending.
According to Jean-Pierre Ndacyayisenga, the technical director of the Rwanda Athletics Federation (RAF), over 8,000 athletes including amateurs and professionals are expected to participate in this year’s marathon.
The participants will either compete in full marathon in a 42.195km distance or run for fun in 10km.
During the launch of the registration that took place at Kigali Cultural Village, the local athletics governing body’s representative, Fidèle Mubirigi highlighted the progress made in preparations and success the marathon has registered over the past years.
During the ceremony, the roadmap of preparations and registration for local, regional and international participants, as well as courses of the two categories of competitions, run for fun and full-marathon races was successfully unveiled.
“In the past years, MTN Rwanda was our main supporter, other sponsors were not big enough, but now we are very excited about this year’s edition because we have been graced with some of the biggest sponsors in our country like Skol, RwandAir, BK and other sponsors. It is a great move for us because it will facilitate us in launching the best Kigali International Peace Marathon ever seen,” Mubirigi said.
Alain Numa, the Sponsorship and Promotion Coordinator at MTN Rwanda, expressed gladness for the new sponsors, saying that MTN Group is ready to work hand in hand with other sponsors to support the Kigali International Peace Marathon.
“This will be our fourth year supporting Kigali International Peace Marathon. Although we are investors, we also try to support the government in all ways possible. It is also a way to use sports in fostering good relations between countries,” he said.
Participants register with the payment of Rwf2000 via MTN line using the code *182*3*505050*2000#, or by visiting the nearest MTN branch.
RIB Spokesperson, Modeste Mbabazi told IGIHE on Wednesday that Ingabire is under National Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA) which also has more details about his charges.
IGIHE has learnt that Ingabire was arrested on Tuesday on allegations of awarding a tender without considering bidding procedures.
The tender is about online land titles registration portal which would have been renovated and filed in different documents.
It is said that the tender had the value of over Rwf19 million. The shoddy tender was recently revealed by the report of the Office of Auditor General.
The law states that the tender with the value above Rwf2 million should go into open competitive bidding.
The Article 632 of Rwanda’s Penal Code states that any person who awards a tender without open competitive bidding in disregard of the provisions of the law of public procurements shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of six (6) months to two (2) years and a fine of one million (1,000,000) to five million (5,000,000) Rwandan francs or one of these penalties.
