Speaking to IGIHE, the National Electoral Commission Executive Secretary, Munyaneza Charles, said that the body hasn’t yet received any Candidatures for those who wish to fill in the post, awaiting the next Monday deadline.
“ Nyamulinda resigned as Kigali City mayorship as well as the Gasabo District Council membership. There will be elections in Nduba sector, where a person will fill in the vacant place in the district council. This will be followed up with the establishment of the Committee”, he said
The City Council noted that it is aware of the gap and is working on terms of reference for the recruitment of a replacement in coming days.
Nyamulinda Pascal resigned his duties on April 10th, 2018, due citing personal reasons, just over a year in office.
Busabizwa Parfait who was Nyamulinda’s assistant is temporally acting in the interim capacity prior to the election of a new mayor.
Some key Peace and Security priorities such as the protection of civilians in conflicting situations will be featured on the program of the AU Peace and Security Council during the month of May.
“Some of the peace and security priorities we have identified this month include: financing Africa’s peace through the AU peace fund; protection of civilians in conflict areas by encouraging more African countries to endorse the Kigali Principles on Protection of Civilians in conflict situations; addressing security impediments to free movement of people; as well as promoting and reporting the role of women in peace and security in Africa” said Tumukunde.
Rwanda will also preside over a Ministerial session on the security situation in the Sahel region. The objective is to ensure that there is harmonization and ownership of initiatives by African countries in the Sahel region. The session will also discuss security and migration in Africa.
The PSC is a vital organ of the African Union and is mandated to take decisions on matters of peace and security on the African continent. Last month, the PSC designated 7th April as the AU day of Commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
Each member of the Council holds the chairmanship on rotational basis for the month. Rwanda will take over from Nigeria, which chaired the PSC in April. Rwanda was re-election for another two years to the PSC in January 2018.
Sindayigaya was awarded with a trip to Uganda’s Bwindi impenetrable national park after outshining other seven chefs from each of Rwanda and Uganda and one from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Organised by Gorilla Highlands, the 4th edition of Silver Chef competition was held at Marriot Hotel over the last weekend whereby every chef was provided with different food items and required to prepare two types of meals, one with and another without meat. They all got to know the present items on the kitchen spot.
The jury tasted each chef’s dishes on Saturday and announced on Sunday that Mr. Sindayigaya Ramadhan had emerged the best chef.
Chef Rama as he is widely known had also won the second prize at the same competition in 2017.
In an interview with IGIHE prior to the competition, Sindayigaya, who usually specialises in Italian cuisine at the Marriott’s Cucina Restaurant, had expressed confidence to win the competition adding that besides the appreciation accorded to the winner, the competition also helps them showcase their abilities and build up their fame.
“This competition puts us in touch with other chefs from different countries to share skills as we learn from one another. It also markets us broadly because it attracts many people,” he said.
Gorilla Highlands Managing Director, Miha Logar, said the competition which had come to Rwanda for the first time intends to bring together chefs and other tourism practitioners in the three countries in order to build up synergies and develop the industry.
Mr. Logar said much as every country has its specific activities in tourism, they all share gorilla population, therefore bringing together DRC, Rwanda and Uganda will showcase the region’s tourism potentials and attract many visitors.
All other chefs were recognised with certificates of participation. Those include Mukungu Akimu from Grand Legacy Hotel in Kigali and Jean Bosco Birindwa from Ihusi Hotel in Goma, DRC, who were recognised as the best Ugandan and Congolese chefs respectively.
Others are Manishimwe Jean Bosco from Lake Kivu Serena Hotel in Gisenyi, Rwanda; Musasa Marcellin Tshite from Virunga Lodge in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda; Odeke Silver from Cephas Inn in Kabale, Uganda; Otim Amos from Protea Hotel in Kampala, Uganda; Emmanuel Murwanashyaka from ParkInn by Radisson in Kigali, Rwanda; Sam Mbabazi from Bunyonyi Overland Resort in Kabale, Uganda and Paul Mulyampiti from BirdNest Resort in Lake Bunyonyi, Uganda.
At the event that took place yesterday, the students were joined by hundreds of friends to learn from Rwanda’s genocide history.
The President of Rwandan students’ community at Ningbo University, Benjamin Kirenga thanked the participants at the event and said that Rwanda has suffered a lot in the past.
He said that it is important to commemorate, honour the memory of the victims and being in solidarity with survivors.
“The commemoration of the genocide against the Tutsi is a special annual programme showing this horrible segment history of our country. In Rwanda, people were killed because of the heinous politics of discrimination, divisionism and hatred that led to the genocide against the Tutsi,” he said.
During the ceremony, youth shared message of peace, hope, history and renewal through poems, songs and guitar playing.
A majority at the event were Rwandan students who were born after the genocide.
“Though we were born after the genocide, we should remember and get to know what happened during the genocide, fight against its ideology and make Rwanda a peaceful country,” said 20-year-old Munezero Inema.
At the event, participants lit candles as a sign of hope for the future.
The event that took place in Mali capital city, Bamako was attended by over 2500 people.
At the event also was the African Union High Representative for Mali and Sahel, Pierre Buyoya, the Deputy Special Representatives of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), Mbaranga Gasarabwe.
Speaking at the event, the president of Rwandan community in Mali explained that the genocide committed against the Tutsi in Rwanda was systematically planned.
He said that Tutsi faced adverse atrocities. He revolved around the reason for commemoration saying that it is an opportunity to remember the hardships which slain victims faced.
The Ambassador of Rwanda in Mali, Dr Mathias Harebamungu said that commemorating the genocide committed against the Tutsi is not intended to draw sympathy from the World but remembering precious lives so brutally taken.
He thanked the Malian government through President Keita for standing with Rwandans in different ways.
President Keita saluted the bravery of Rwandans in overcoming dark history and becoming a role model country in Africa.
In the event, President Keita and Ambassador Harebamungu light the the flame of remembrance.
This was announced on Sunday in Ruhango District while commemorating the victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi and giving decent burial to 124 remains of the genocide victims.
Speaking at the event, the president of survivor association in Amayaga region, Alexis Rusagara said that survivors have different problems including shelters.
“Among problems survivors face include houses which need rehabilitation and others which need to be reconstructed. We should save our relatives from houses that could collapse on them,” he said.
The houses which need urgent rehabilitation were constructed between 1996 and 2004.
In Ntongwe sector alone, 80 houses need rehabilitation as twenty families need new shelters. Also in Kinazi sector, 50 houses need renovation as 25 will be newly constructed.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Local Governance, Francis Kaboneka said that the government has taken into account the problem of shelters for genocide survivors.
“Shelter problem is being discussed. The government is putting together resources for our relatives to get shelter. This is an exercise that will be done very soon,” he said.
The returning contingent was headed by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Bosco Rangira.
It was also replaced by the same number, which also left earlier in the day under the command of ACP Emmanuel Karasi.
Prior to their departure, the newly deployed FPU contingent was briefed by the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) in charge of Operations, Dan Munyuza, who gave them an insight of the mission demands.
“You have been trained well and equipped with the right ideology and skills to facilitate you execute the mission effectively and efficiently,” DIGP Munyuza told the officers.
He reminded them that their conduct while on or off duty should reflect the image of their country and the force.
He said: “Serve with commitment and discipline, it is what Rwanda stands for and it is what you must project while out there.”
“Remember, you will always be identified by the Rwandan flag you bear on your uniform, but you should also be defined by your positive results.”
DIGP Munyuza also spoke at length about discipline and integrity as a pillar to effective delivery of the mission mandate.
Meanwhile, the contingent that returned last evening was received at Kigali International Airport by Commissioner of Police (CP) John Bosco Kabera, who hailed them for the work well done.
He urged them to share the experiences acquired with their colleagues back home.
In an interview, ACP Rangira said that their tour of duty was successful throughout but noted that the peace restoration process is still underway, a reason there was a rotation of peacekeepers.
“Generally, the people of South Sudan are appreciative of the work done by Rwandan peacekeepers. Through the mission we worked closely with other peacekeepers deployed there,” said ACP Rangira.
Currently, RNP maintains about 1200 peacekeepers in different peacekeeping missions.
An all-female contingent was also generated and will soon be deployed in South Sudan, which will increase the numbers of RNP peacekeepers in all missioms to close to 1400.
The event took place at the Memorial built at the bank’s premises to remember 13 colleagues who lost their lives during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
BRD remembered the victims who were former staff and employees at Caisse Hypothécaire du Rwanda, killed during the 1994 genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi.
Eric Rutabana, BRD’s Chief Executive Officer appreciated the togetherness of Rwandans to remember the genocide against Tutsi and their commitment on the preservation of unity and reconciliation.
He added that remembering the victims of the genocide is key to building the country by striving for ‘never again’ to genocide adding that their good deeds will forever live on.
Dr Diogene Bideri, a senior research consultant at CNLG, thanked the good initiative of BRD for continued building of the community through remembering the victims of the genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi.
“It is ever so hard to find testimonies that do not shake us to the core, but we are grateful for the good will and effort of those who helped the country on the journey of reconstruction. Remembering is our way of healing the hurt and loss we experienced”, he said.
The launch of RwandAir flights to Abuja was attended by the High Commissioner of Rwanda to Nigeria His Excellency Stanislas Kamanzi, the Country Director of RwandAir Ibiyemi Odusi, A representative of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) as well as stakeholders and friends of Rwanda.
Ibiyemi Odunsi, the airline’s Country Manager, Nigeria, said that the commencement of Abuja-Kigali route was part of the airline’s determination to expand its business to the nation’s capital.
“As an airline, we know that this is the political capital of the country and as Nigeria is expanding we have to be part of what it is doing”, she said
She expressed optimism that the airline would be able to achieve 80 to 85 per cent load factor on the Abuja route through efficient service delivery.
The Rwandan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Stanislas Kamanzi, commended the Federal Government, aviation agencies and management of Rwand Air in Nigeria for making it possible for the opening of Abuja route.
Kamanzi said the new route was a product of the long standing friendship between Nigeria and Rwanda, adding that the Abuja-Kigali route would deepen trade relationship between the two countries.
According to him, this is coming at the right time when Africa is moving toward integration and the fastest mode of transportation is through air.
“We look forward to growing trade and diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Rwanda as well between East and West Africa.
“That is what we need for our people to tap the wealth of our continent,’’ he said.
RwandAir will now operate flights from Kigali to Abuja, four times in a week on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
The move is part of a five year coffee business agreement partnership signed earlier this year, between Rwanda Farmers Coffee Company (RFCC) and the Global Food of USA, facilitated by National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB).
The partnership was developed to support the “Beyond Fair Trade” business model of RFCC whereby farmers share in the value of each sales of Roasted coffee.
The Sales and Marketing Manager at RFCC, Eric Rukwaya, said that other significant trade volumes of roasted coffee by the RFCC were recorded in 2015 whereby seven tonnes (7Tonnes) were shipped to United Kingdom.
Last year, four and half tonnes (4.5 Tonnes) worth US$36,000 were sold to different international markets including German and South Korea.
“This year, we plan to Export a total of 40 tonnes expected to generate a total of US$ 320,000 (RWF 273,600,000).” Mr Rukwaya revealed.
Rukwaya added that with the acquired support of the Export Growth Facility (EGF) of the Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD) enabling export, Rwanda Farmers Coffee Company will continue to grow its Export market of roasted coffee.
The business partnership between Global Food and RFCC was negotiated since 2016 where the agreements include establishment of Global Food operational offices in Kigali and supply of over 36 tonnes of roasted coffee to USA. The deal of supplying roasted coffee in 2018 is estimated at U$ 306,000 (RWF 246,240,000) and is expected to grow in following years.
The partnership will not only increase foreign earnings for Rwanda but it will also to large extent support 5,452 coffee farmers (36% of which are women) and their families from 6 cooperatives in the country in the quest to improve their economic and social welfare.
