{{Police in Nyaruguru district is searching for suspects in connection with theft of a National Flag.}}
The Flag was stolen from Nyabimata Sector by unknown people. Police confirmed the incidence.
The Police Spokesperson in Southern Province Supt. Hubert Gashagaza told IGIHE in a phone interview, “We are aware of the theft and investigations are ongoing to apprehend the suspects”.
However, Francois Habitegeko, the Mayor of Nyaruguru District told IGIHE by phone that over 8 people have been arrested this (Friday) evening in connection with theft of the naitonal Flag.
Habitegeko says theft of a National Flag is a Crime.
{{The Democratic Green Party, a political pressure group in Rwanda has distanced itself from a former member who has written to Gasabo district seeking permission to launch a political party with simillar names.}}
Mugisha Alexis is said to have written to the mayor of Gasabo district seeking permission to also hold a public event for the founding congress but on a different date and venue.
Frank Habineza the Democratic Green Party president had also written to Gasabo District seeking permision to hold an official founding congress for the party.
He says that Mugisha Alexis is not a party member and does not hold any leadership position in the new executive committee.
Mugisha had written to the district seeking to hold a simillar founding congress but on a different date and venue.
He added that Mugisha voluntarily resigned from the party on 2nd July 2010 and that his resignation was published on the party website on 15th September 2012.
Habineza further notes that “Mugisha’s attempt to form a political party with the same names of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, whose registration has been sought for since 14th August 2009, is unacceptable.
The Mayor of Gasabo district Ndizeye Willy wrote to Democratic Green Party of Rwanda advising them to first sortout issues within the party that caused confusion to the district authorities.
Both Frank Habineza and Mugisha Alexis had written to Gasabo disitrict authorities seeking permission to hold public meeting described as ‘official founding congress.
{{Only motorcycle taxi operators with at least 2-years experience will be allowed to operate within Kigali city.}}
Offences including ; overloading, refusing to stop, carrying more than one passenger, riding without helmets and other offences will attract penalties such as; imprisonment, confiscation of motorcycles and blacklisting notorious individuals.
The penalties were agreed upon during a consultative meeting that brought together, Kigali city Authorities, traffic police and motorcycle taxi operators.
Road accidents have mostly been caused and or connected to motorcycle taxi operators.
Ndayisaba Fidèle, The Mayor of Kigali city said, “We found about six common offences that we will not be linient with. We agreed to establish stern punishments and recommendations. We hope this will reduce the traffic offences.”
{{Rwanda has once again emerged as the easiest country in the East African region to start a business.}}
According to the ‘Doing Business Report in East Africa Community 2013’, Rwanda is ranked top in the region of five member states.
Of the 185 countries assessed globally, Rwanda is ranked at the 52nd position; Uganda at 120th, Kenya at 121st and Tanzania at 134th position.
Rwanda’s Minister of EAC Affairs, Monique Mukaruliza noted, “The ranking is an opportunity to know where we are and how much we need to improve.”
She added, “As we progress towards full integration, we shall be talking more about regional businesses than national businesses. I am, therefore, happy to note that each partner state has undertaken major reforms. I urge all of us to harmonise the pending business laws and regulations”.
Alfred Ombudo K’ombudo, the co-ordinator of the World Bank EAC Common Market Diagnostics observed, “Variation in business regulation is among the issues EAC bloc needs to tackle to achieve the desired level of integration”.
{{Hope Kids Academy visited the National Police Headquarters and Kigali Fire Department this morning in connection with the school’s aim of enriching their students’ social and academic development.}}
The purpose of the trip was to help demonstrate to Hope Kids’ students the value of helping others, social responsibility as well as to explore and know more about the facilities of the two vital emergency response units.
The trip took place in the morning hours this past Friday. It was attended by the entire student body and some accompanying teacher-chaperones.
The students toured the entirety of the Police Headquarters as well as the facilities for Kigali’s premiere firefighting unit.
Viewing the training grounds, uniforms, vehicles and some of the more essential equipment was a highlight for the children as they were able to see a fire truck up-close as well as the heavy flame-retardant suits that the firemen must wear.
The students engaged in discussions with the representatives from the respective emergency responders units and became much more informed about the presence of emergency response services and also their role in the Kigali community.
A follow-up discussion and presentation was held back at school prior to the students’ dismissal for the weekend.
{{The Rwandan Innovation Endowment fund has awarded over Frw31 Million to every project of the best 8 Rwandan innovators. }}
8 best projects were selected.
These awarded projects were selected based on Rwanda’s economic development target, as embodied in the Vision 2020 and the National Science Technology and Innovation (NSTI) Policy.
The awarded projects planned in one of the three priority areas including; Agriculture, Manufacturing and ICT and they have been selected from a pool of 369 projects that applied for funding.
Uwitonze Charles from one of the selected projects, designed a project seeking to produce organic fertilizers to small holders of coffee; “We are going to increase our project output.”
Crace Gasani a RIEF Committee Member confirmed that this committee stimulates socio-economic transformation through research by increasing prosperity and competitiveness.
“Any project is admitted considering its level of credibility and competitiveness; we want to push Rwandans from being job seekers to job creators,” she says.
Minister of Eucation, Hon. Vincent Biruta, confirms that Rwanda is the first country to help innovators in Africa. He added that this is coming to be an inspiration to all African countries.
The South Sudan Police Services (SSPS) has donated $14000, approximately Rwf9.240, 000, to a group of Genocide survivors in Bugesera District organised in Amizero cooperative society.
The financial assistance to aid the survivors finance their small income generating projects and education was delivered by the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Stanley Nsabimana, yesterday, in a function held at the survivors’ village in Ntarama sector.
Amizero is composed of 85 youngsters, who survived the killings in Bugesera during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, when majority of them were aged below five years, and lost all their parents and relatives.
The SSPS financial support was given to Rwanda’s Inspector General of Police, Emmanuel K. Gasana, last week by his South Sudan counterpart, Gen Pieng Deng, during the former’s visit to strengthen ties between the two forces.
The district mayor, Louis Rwagaju, thanked South Sudan Police Force for reaching out to the survivors and thanked Rwanda National Police in particular for having “supportive friends.”
Rwagaju said the fund will cater for the education of some of the survivors, including training some of them in technical skills.
He also said it will fund small generating projects developed by the survivors.
Amizero cooperative society, whose members are organised in 38 families, now boosts of a banana plantation and rental tents which help them generate income that supports their other development activities.
Through such developmental initiatives, the group managed to buy 18 herds of cattle and 38 goats.
18 of the survivors have so far completed university.
{DIGP Stanley Nsabimana handing over an envelop contaning money donated by the South Sudan Police Services. Receiving the envelop is the mayor, Louis Rwagaju, head of Amizero, Jean Paul Gatete and an official from Ibuka. }
{{Watching movies in 3Dimension format and experiencing 5D, is set to start in few days as a new Cinema theatre is ready to start on 10 May 2013, at Kigali City tower.}}
This new experience is courtesy of Century Cinema, a part of Doylecy Ltd Investment Company.
Charles Gacigua, the Operations Manager Cinemas at Doylecy, explains that they want to help Rwanda to move along with new tech.
“We are bringing to Rwanda new technology being used in other parts of the world. We are trying to create an entertainment spot where people can come and watch recent movies.”
This new Cinema theatre in Kigali is equipped with all of the latest equipment used in cinema industry and the place is well designed for it.
The cinema center has acquired rights from Hollywood to bring to Rwandan viewers new movies directly from Hollywood and screen it on the day of its release.
People will be charged Rwf3500 to watch normal movies, Rwf4500 to watch in 3D format, and Rwf5000 to have an experience in 5D.
The target audience is all of the residents of Rwanda, although expatriates living in Rwanda are the ones that had been claiming to have nowhere to go to as a cinema hall.
{{As we commemorate the 2013 World Press Freedom Day, Rwanda continues to promote safeguards for freedom and independence of the press and delivering on its pledge to promote accountability and foster public participation and engagement.}}
James Musoni, Minister of Local Government, also responsible for media environment said today:
“The recently promulgated media related laws particularly the Media law and Access to Information law, are a testimony of Rwanda’s resolve to promote independence of the media and access to information as essentialcomponents of good governance and preconditions for durable economic, social and political development”.
Key elements of the new media law include the recognition of self regulation whereby article 4 now provides that the Media Self Regulatory body will regulate the conduct of journalists and establish professional standards.
Article 15 empowers the same entity to deal with violation of journalists’ rights.
The new law also recognizes the legal right of journalists to collect information; respect for the confidentiality of journalistic sources; to call on any resourceful person to provide information while lifting some restrictions such as prohibitions on the use of unlawful methods to obtain or to disseminate information; neglecting essential information; and distorting ideas contained in an information or a text.
To protect the rights of individuals, the law also recognizes the rights of reply, rectification and correction.
There is now no requirement for journalists to hold particular academic qualifications, paving the way for a broader definition of who is a journalist and allowing freelancers to enjoy the same rights as employed journalists.
The system of sanctions for the media has been liberalized, including the repeal of “suspension” and “closure of a publication” as penalties.
Minister Musoni emphasized the government’s commitment to supporting the development of a free, dynamic and responsible press:
“We are determined to make use of advances in modern communication technology to reach out to every citizen for engagement and to ensure that Rwandans are connected to each other and the world.
Our intention is to support the development of a media environment that is sensitive to our past, responsive to the present and that keeps us accountable as we work to deliver a better future for all Rwandans.”
{{Six people have died and 24 others seriously injured in a morning accident along Kigali-Huye highway at Kiruhura village, Rusatira sector in Huye district.}}
However, eye witness accounts indicate that 8 people died in the grisly accident involving a Coaster Bus that was bypassing another car and crashed into an approaching GAGA bus which was also headed to Burundi.
Sup.Hubert Gashagaza the Police spokesperson in Southern Province confirmed the accident saying it had claimed six lives and injuring several others.
The Coaster bus belongs to SOTRA Transport Company. The Coaster bus was speeding from Rusizi district to Kigali.
The injured have been rushed to a nearby University hospital CHB.
