The incident occurred in Karongi Village, Nyarusazi Cell, Bwishyura Sector in Karongi District on July 22, 2024.
On the night of July 21st to 22nd, 2024, residents noticed the shed of Mukeshimana Dative on fire. Security patrols and residents rushed to extinguish the fire, but the pig inside did not survive.
After extinguishing fire, they saw another shelter belonging to Emmanuel Nshimyumukiza, which housed a calf, also up in flames but residents managed to save the calf before it was harmed.
Saïba Gashanana, the Executive Secretary of Bwishyura Sector, has told IGIHE that they went to the scene and spoke with the residents, but have not yet determined the exact cause of the arson.
He however, disclosed that three individuals have been arrested in relation to this case. “Three people have been arrested on suspicion of setting these shelters on fire. They are detained at Rwanda Investigation Bureau [RIB] station in Bwishyura Sector,” he stated.
There are reports suggesting that the arson might be rooted in property disputes, but Gashanana mentioned that the information provided by residents could not be immediately verified.
They are waiting for the results of the investigation being conducted by relevant authorities.
Following the incident, a meeting was held in the area, attended by the Vice Mayor of Karongi District in charge of Economic Development, Theophile Niragire, and security personnel and other sector officials.
The authorities commended the residents and patrols for swift response to help their neighbors. They urged them to continue reporting incidents promptly and to seek assistance from authorities when conflicts arise.
In a new wave of protests, the angry citizens took to the streets alleging that the Kenyan government planned to sell the country’s main airport to foreign investors.
Despite a police warning issued on Monday evening, the youth made an effort to enter the national airport on Tuesday morning to protest using the slogan ‘OccupyJKIA’.
The youths erected barricades along the road leading to the airport in Embakasi, paralyzing transport.
Police were forced to lob tear gas canisters into the air to disperse the demonstrators and clear the road leading to the busy international airport.
Due to the anticipated protests, the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) and national carrier Kenya Airways had advised passengers to arrive at JKIA at least four hours before their flights because of enhanced security checks.
The protests come a day after Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi denied plans to sell JKIA.
Mudavadi told the National Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committee that the sale of such a high-value asset can only be done after public memoranda and approval by parliament.
“The airport is not on sale. This is a public asset, a strategic asset. If it was going to be sold, you can only do it after a full public process that parliament endorses,” Mudavadi told MPs on Monday.
Mudavadi, however, noted that there are plans to expand the airport and build a new terminal.
“The Kenya Airport Authority (KAA) must look at its investment programme very carefully, make sure that everything is transparent. So that during the expansion process of the second terminal, let it be done through the legal process so that everybody knows what is going on,” he added.
The anti-government protests began last month with calls for President William Ruto to withdraw a bill that sought to introduce additional taxes on Kenyans. However, despite the withdrawal of the bill and even the dissolution of his Cabinet, the protesters changed course and are now demanding the President’s resignation.
Over the weekend, the Kenyan Head of State vowed to crack down on the youthful protesters, saying “enough is enough”.
President Ruto said on Sunday that going forward he will ”protect the nation” saying he had already given everybody a chance to air their views.
“I dropped the Finance Bill, I called them to come to the table and talk to me, they refused and asked me to go to X, I went there but they ran away,” Ruto said.
“I have called them for talks but they have refused saying they are faceless and formless.”
According to the Kenya National Human Rights Commission (KNHRC), the protests have so far claimed 50 lives. At least 20 of the victims were shot dead when angry protesters stormed Parliament buildings in Nairobi shortly after the passing of the Finance Bill on June 25 2024.
Unique to the Rwandan audience, a group of Mount Kigali University (MKU) students has taken innovation to a whole new level. They have developed a system to automate key features and appliances in modern houses, aiming to add their mark to the history books of technology.
The idea to build the system, dubbed ‘Smart Homes,’ was conceptualised in December 2023, by six students who are pursuing a degree program in Business and Communication Technology.
They are Mugisha Emmanuel Junior and Eric Ruzima Nzigiye (civil and electronics engineers, respectively); Felix Prince Mubera and Jessica Kavira (back-end developers); and Urbain Ukwishaka and Pascal Herve Gumiriza (both front-end developers responsible for designing the user interface of the mobile application).
All the students are in their final year, except for Mugisha, who is in his third year.
This technology involves the use of a specially designed mobile application that interprets voice commands to open or close windows and doors, turn lights on or off, control the Air conditioners and many other home appliances.
Since the system heavily relies on Internet of Things (IoT) technology, the students decided to merge knowledge in electrical, civil and software engineering. Mugisha says that after completing his first bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, he enrolled in an IT program at MKU, where he later teamed up with his colleagues.
Once the full team was established, the actual development of the project began in January 2024.
During a recent visit to MKU Main Campus in Kicukiro district, Mugisha revealed that the plan is to extend the project further to include control of all possible home appliances, such as fridges and other electronics.
This, Mugisha said, helps to conserve energy when the items are not in use and this is unique compared to similar systems developed in other parts of the world.
“We had seen many developed countries living in a world where houses can be controlled from anywhere. We thought, why don’t we do this for our country, Rwanda,” he said.
Rwanda is a rapidly developing country and having automated houses is a good step in the right direction of contributing to an even smarter Rwanda.
“Our goal is conserving energy. You will be using only the appliances that are needed, and when they are not in use, they will be turned off to save energy,” Mugisha explained.
Since security is key in any technology development today, the system has been designed to uniquely identify voice commands and prevent unauthorized access to homes by intruders.
The students are open to partnering with other like-minded innovators and investors to incorporate more features and take the project to a whole new level.
“This is a big project, and we really need funds from anyone who would want to partner with us. We would be pleased and happy to have them on our team and be part of our initiative to make Rwanda smart,” Mugisha concluded.
Eric Nyasani, an IoT and Electronics lecturer at MKU, said he is very proud of the students and encouraged them to incorporate more features.
The lecturer emphasized the need to support such brilliant students in bringing their ideas to life.
“Our learners have brilliant ideas, but partly because they lack funding and some of these things require a lot of resources, they strain a lot to source for funds to make these things work. Therefore, if we can have some element of funding to support such innovative ideas, we can push the country to the next level,” Nyasani stated.
In a statement released on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, the Head of State acknowledged messages of goodwill and wishes from close to 30 leaders from across the world.
“My sincere gratitude for the messages of congratulations and support from the friendly leaders of countries around the world. We look forward to continuing the mutually beneficial ties for and between our people,” Kagame stated.
He mentioned some countries including Barbados, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Cuba, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guinea-Bisseau, Guinea, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique and Oman.
Others are Qatar, Senegal, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Switzerland, Tanzania, Turkiye, Uganda, Venezuela and Zambia.
Kagame secured a landslide victory in last week’s general election, garnering 99.18% of the votes. He defeated main opponent leader, Dr. Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda and independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana.
Haitham bin Tarik, the Sultan and Prime Minister of Oman, is among the leaders who warmly congratulated Kagame and wished him success in leading the people of Rwanda towards further progress and prosperity.
His Majesty Tarik also expressed his commitment to deepen ties between the two friendly nations of Oman and Rwanda.
King Mohammed VI of Morocco also led African leaders in sending congratulatory messages to Kagame for his re-election in the just concluded presidential election.
The King expressed his warm congratulations on the Rwandan people’s renewed trust in Kagame’s competencies and ability to lead the country towards further achievements, progress and prosperity.
“I take this opportunity to reaffirm my determination to continue working with the President of the Republic of Rwanda to strengthen the fraternal relations rooted in mutual esteem between the two countries,” he said in a statement.
“I commit to reinforce the fruitful Moroccan-Rwandan cooperation, serving both people’s shared interests and promoting integration and solidarity between African countries,” he added.
Some of the messages seen by IGIHE include those from Presidents in the East African region.
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni said Kagame’s re-election was a testament to the trust and confidence the people of Rwanda have in his leadership.
Kenya’s President William Ruto, on his part, wished Kagame success as he continues to steer Rwanda in the “path of peace, stability and posterity”.
“I look forward to continuing working with you in regional and Pan-African affairs in strengthening the bonds of solidarity and fraternity between the peoples of Kenya and Rwanda.”
Tanzanian Head of State Samia Suluhu pledged to continue partnering with Kagame to foster ties between the two neighbouring countries.
“On behalf of the Government and the People of the United Republic of Tanzania, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to His Excellency Paul Kagame, on being re-elected as the President of the Republic of Rwanda. I look forward to continue working with you in fostering the relations between our two countries and in the pursuit of East Africa’s unity and prosperity,” she stated.
The final results show that Kagame won with 99.18% of the vote, receiving 8,822,794 votes from Rwandans. Dr. Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda came in second with 44,479 votes (0.50%), while Philippe Mpayimana finished third with 28,466 votes (0.32%).
The election, held on July 14 and 15, 2024, was characterized by peace and transparency, as confirmed by various observers, including those from the African Union in partnership with Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF), and the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF).
Kagame will be the first to lead Rwanda for a five-year term following the 2015 constitutional amendment that reduced the presidential term from seven years to five.
On Sunday, while receiving some of the people who played a role in the successful campaign, Paul Kagame stated that the focus now is on fulfilling the promises made to the citizens during the campaign.
Following the announcement of the final election results, the swearing-in ceremony of the President-elect must take place within 30 days.
Speaking during the ground-breaking ceremony for the King Faisal Hospital (KFH) expansion on Monday, July 22, President Kagame noted that the expansion of health facilities will contribute to ongoing efforts to build more healthcare capacity in the country, ensuring that Rwandans won’t need to travel abroad to seek treatment.
The Head of State emphasized that the government will continue to partner with relevant institutions to improve its capacity in this key sector to even benefit healthcare demands in the region.
In the latest partnership between the Ministry of Health, the King Faisal Hospital Rwanda Foundation, and Shelter Group Africa, KFH says it will expand its bed capacity from 157 to 400, thereby increasing access to its services.
The expansion of KFH will add approximately 88,000 square meters to the existing infrastructure, accommodating advanced treatments for complex ailments, including heart surgery, joint replacements, and cancer therapy.
President Kagame lauded the institutions behind the expansion works, expressing his confidence that they will deliver. He revealed that he had broken his own vow of only presiding over completed projects to attend the ground-breaking ceremony because he trusts the partners involved.
“I had reduced my attendance at ground-breaking ceremonies to almost zero and preferred to attend ceremonies where something was already completed. However, due to the importance of this project and the great trust I have in those who invited me, I had to come. I broke my own rules because of that trust,” he stated.
At the same time, the President emphasized that training medical officers remains a priority in the healthcare transformation agenda, despite the frustrations that are often encountered. He urged that beneficiaries of international programs should apply the knowledge gained to advance local systems to higher levels.
“You send people to train abroad, they come back, but you continue sending patients for treatment outside. It doesn’t add up. We want this to translate into growth in capacity here in our country, in as many fields as we can, so that our people and others from the region can get the services they need from us, right here,” he added.
To gain more insight, IGIHE spoke with Rwanda’s High Commissioner to Zambia, Emmanuel Bugingo. He confirmed the allocation of the land and emphasized Rwanda’s readiness to utilize it effectively as per the agreements.
“Zambia provided this land to increase food production. It wasn’t a request; the agricultural agreement includes many aspects beyond just land,” Amb. Bugingo explained.
He further noted that the land has not yet been utilized due to infrastructural requirements that the Zambian government must fulfill. These include constructing roads for access, installing electricity for irrigation, and other necessary infrastructure.
“There is still work to be done by the Zambian government to delineate the land, and they are working on it,” Amb. Bugingo added.
The completion of these tasks will ensure the land can be used as intended, facilitated by the collaborative efforts of both countries.
This collaboration means Rwanda will also have a role once the land is officially handed over. Amb. Bugingo mentioned that Zambia has assured them of this, noting that some aspects require budget allocations but will be completed soon.
“Once the land is in the hands of the Rwandan government, our well-governed country will find a way to leverage it efficiently,” he stated.
When asked whether the farmers cultivating the land will be Rwandans or local Zambians, Amb. Bugingo said relevant authorities will determine the best approach to maximize the land’s potential.
Zambia is known for producing various crops, including maize, cassava, millet, peanuts, soybeans, and sorghum. Amb. Bugingo mentioned that the specific crops for the granted land have not yet been determined, but experts will assess its potential once it is handed over, given Zambia’s reputation for fertile soil.
Rwanda and Zambia continue to foster their relationship based on mutual respect, support in times of both adversity and prosperity, and other forms of cooperation.
On July 18, 2024, Zambia received a donation of 1,000 metric tonnes of relief maize from Rwanda. The donation was a response to the severe drought affecting Zambia and other Southern African countries, exacerbated by the El Niño weather phenomenon and climate change. The drought has affected 84 out of Zambia’s 116 districts.
During the handover, Rwandan High Commissioner to Zambia, Emmanuel Bugingo, assured of Rwanda’s continuous support whenever possible. He expressed gratitude to the Zambian government for allocating 10,000 hectares of land to Rwanda for agriculture, adding that this partnership will be a sustainable solution to food security issues in both countries.
President Kagame made these remarks on the evening of Sunday, July 21, 2024, while hosting individuals who contributed to the successful conduct of his campaign activities. The event, held at the Kigali Convention Centre, was attended by various people, including RPF-Inkotanyi members, artists who supported the campaign, entrepreneurs, and other leaders.
In his speech, President Kagame expressed gratitude to all those who dedicated their efforts to ensure the campaign’s success.
He said, “I want to thank you on behalf of the RPF, on behalf of Rwandans, and personally for how we worked together. Achieving 100%, or even 99% and beyond, reflects the efforts of our supporters and those from other political parties we collaborate with. I want to particularly thank them.”
President Kagame expressed confidence that the work ahead, following the election victory, would proceed smoothly.
“Last time, I told you that the significant activity we’ve been engaged in for almost a month has gone smoothly. Now, the remaining tasks require even more effort than we’ve already exerted. But I have no doubt that we will succeed because of our determination, energy, and our resolve that Rwanda will never return to its dark past,” he said.
This ceremony came after the National Electoral Commission announced provisional election results showing President Kagame winning with 99.18% of the votes, followed by Dr. Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda with 0.50%, and independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana with 0.32%.
President Kagame reminded those present that Rwanda’s journey is one of rebuilding, aligned with its troubled history.
“As we build our country, we do so together, acknowledging the past that once devastated it but also recognizing the strength that emerged from that. This is our journey, knowing we are not insignificant, and ensuring everyone else recognizes that too,” he stated.
He further noted that Rwanda’s journey emphasizes friendship and cooperation with other nations. “Every country or individual has friends and enemies. With our combined efforts and those of our friends, the achievements are immeasurable. In RPF’s culture, we never rest; we work well with those willing to cooperate, becoming reliable friends they can count on.”
President Kagame mentioned that Rwanda even tries to engage its enemies for peaceful cooperation, but if they refuse, Rwanda will not falter in defending itself.
“For our friends, we are very good friends, you should rely on us. We won’t disappoint our friends. For our adversaries, for those who don’t wish us well, we will always extend a hand of cooperation. We will always show them that we can work together. But should they choose to keep us as enemies, Rwanda, Rwandans, RPF, we never take things for granted,” he stated.
“Our peace and security, we don’t take it for granted. For our enemies, we will always try to show them that we can work together but should they choose to keep us as enemies, we will also make sure that we don’t disappoint in fighting back. That is the spirit, the nature, the philosophy of RPF and which has become the Rwandan culture and philosophy,” added President Kagame.
Paul Kagame, 66, began leading Rwanda in March 2000 in a transitional capacity. He was first elected in 2003 during the country’s first elections post the Genocide against the Tutsi.
“While it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” Biden said in a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
He noted that he will speak to the nation later this week in more detail about his decision.
In another post, Biden said he wants to offer his full support and endorsement for Vice President Kamala Harris to be the nominee of the Democratic Party this year. “Democrats – it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this,” he said.
Biden’s announcement, which ended weeks of speculation over his decision, came after reports emerged that a growing number of Democrats had urged him to step down, including prominent figures such as former U.S. President Barack Obama, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
A sitting U.S. president and presumptive nominee has never dropped out of the race this late in the election process before. Biden’s decision highlights the gravity of the crisis his campaign faced following the debate against former President Donald Trump, who formally accepted the Republican nomination on Thursday.
In the weeks following the debate, the president attempted to push back, asserting his commitment to remain in the race through various public appearances and meetings with Democratic officials. Even on Saturday, he said on X that it’s the most important election of Americans’ lifetimes, and “I will win it.”
According to the latest Real Clear Politics poll averages, Trump leads Biden in all the key battleground states, including key swing state Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security in Namibia said that the King’s continued stay had generated much controversy and raised security concerns for diplomatic staff in various countries.
Government was angry with widespread allegations instigated by his subjects that His Royal Highness was being illegally detained in Namibia, thereby throwing him out immediately.
By press time, King Mutebi had already arrived in Uganda’s capital Kampala.
In a detailed statement, Etienne Maritz, the Executive Director at the Ministry disclosed that a decision was made as a sovereign State with a right to implement the laws of the Republic of Namibia and other international laws.
Maritz described how the King entered Namibia on 14 April 2024, on a private medical visit and was stationed at an undisclosed location in the country.
“In terms of Section 29 of the Immigration Control Act, 1993 (Act No. 7 of 1993), His Royal Highness was granted a maximum stay of ninety (90) days applicable to non-Namibians,” the statement reads.
Whilst the visit of His Royal Highness Mutebi II was purely private, trouble emerged when some of his subjects who seemed not to have been briefed about the travel raised concern and began demonstrating at Namibia’s Diplomatic Missions around the world.
“They started allegations and demonstrations that the Namibian Government conspired with the Ugandan authorities in abducting their King, and thus demanded his unconditional release from detention in Namibia,” Maritz said.
As such, these demonstrations threatened the security of Namibian diplomatic officials, and infringed on the nation’s right as a Sovereign State- a taboo under international law.
This did not only put at risk the security of Namibia’s personnel abroad, but also interfered greatly with the operations and security of Namibia’s diplomatic missions.
The Namibian government argued that such malicious allegations were not only meant to tarnish its respected international reputation but also undermine the good bilateral relations that exist between Namibia and Uganda.
They explained that the visit of His Royal Highness was purely private, and did not have an intention to interfere with his medical stay, but certain unscrupulous elements started a rowdy diplomatic brawl, leaving them with no other choice.
Based on this, the Government on Saturday July 20, 2024, declared a non- extension of the King’s Visa and sent him parking straight way.
