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  • Young female entrepreneur shares her experience in male dominated ICT field

    As the country gears for a technological take off, young entrepreneurial Rwandans are seeking the emerging opportunities that go with this. One of this budding entrepreneurs is Akaliza Gara who has successfully launched her ICT business aptly named, ‘Shaking Sun’. According to Gara, the young company’s aim is to help businesses and individuals realise their ambitions through the use of innovative technology and modern expertise. They also seek to actively ’think outside the box ’and design and implement creative and practical uses of the technology available today. ’Shaking Sun’ offers, discounted or pro bono services to, nonprofit and charity organisations. In a recent interview with IGIHE.com’s Fiona Gasana, Miss Gara narrates the opportunities and challenges of the business recently held an exclusive interview with Miss Gara on how her firm is coping in the gung ho ICT business…….or not so much so. Below are the excerpts.

     IGIHE.com : Is there any particular reason you called your business, ‘Shaking Sun’ ? 

    Gara : It was to get people thinking – to make them curious about what the business is about.

     What made you decide to take the leap and start your own business ?

    I had so many ideas and in Rwanda entrepreneurship is really encouraged and supported by the government – especially in the field of ICT.

     How were you able to decide that now you are ready and it is the right time for you ? 

    I had been working as a consultant for some time, but there was so much demand I decided it was time to form a team.

     Has it always been an ambition of yours ? 

    Not really – I actually wanted to be an artist – more specifically a ,children’s book illustrator when I was young.

     Why in the ICT field ? 

    There are so many opportunities in ICT – and technology is racing ahead so you always trying to keep up. It’s a great challenge.

     Isn’t there much competition ?

    Not as much as there could be – I think many people haven’t realized what a gold mine this is.

     What makes your business different to others in the same field ?

    With websites, we always offer training – we try to get our clients to feel a real sense of ownership about their product so we teach them how to use it and maintain it.

     Do you have specific groups of people you target ? 

    No ! We hope there’s something for everyone.

     Who inspired you to actually venture in this domain ? 

    Companies like Pixar and Virgin.

     Was it easy ? 

    Sometimes it’s really difficult – but I like being my own boss !

     How did you go about getting started ?

    I created a business plan several years ago and started calculating how much it would cost to set up and do business for one year. Then I started saving up and when I reached a certain point I registered and go started !

     What do you hope to achieve from your business ? 

    The vision for our business is to be a symbol for positive change to millions.

     How do you think you could help or encourage other hopeful young entrepreneurs ? 

    For people like me – young and single – I think this is a great time to take a leap. Once you get to a point where you have a family to take care of, it will become a much bigger risk. Take advantage of the unique place you are in right now.

     Are you excited about your business ? I’m really excited !

     Rwanda is fast becoming a country that is encouraging young entrepreneurs in all types of businesses eager to move forward. That’s true.

     With you as a perfect example, what kind of advice can you share with others to encourage them to go for their own ventures ? 

    One – do the research first. Two – Make sure its something that you are passionate about. Three – Set achievable goals. Doing these three things can help see you through the really discouraging times.

     Does you being female in a mostly male dominated domain make it any harder ?

    Not really ! I think it makes you stand out, which is a good thing.

     Did you have any difficulty putting together a team ? 

    Well, I’d never done it before so I was nervous about making mistakes – especially conducting interviews ; I wanted to make sure I asked the right questions.

     How did you go about it ? 

    For the website developers I took on interns for a three week program. It gave me time to see them work and to find out what kind of personalities they have. Then I selected the best from that group.

     Did you advertise for the positions needed ? 

    Yes, on the website and on the Facebook business’ page.

     What advice can you give other hopeful young women who are interested in becoming entrepreneurs ? 

    Do what you love ! It needs to be something you’re willing to fight for.

    What would you say was a major hurdle in getting started ? 

    Learning how to handle clients who don’t pay on time – that’s still a challenge !

     Any surprises you were not expecting ?

    I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of support I’ve been offered from various sources.

     Any anxieties you have ? 

    That I’ll burn out ! It’s been many long hours and working weekends.

     Do you have a time frame in which to attain certain set targets ? 

    Yes, I have so many goals – but I’ll tell you more in a few months time – I can’t give away everything just yet ! 

     

  • Judge implicated in bribery scandal

    Two judges and three local authority employees are in police custody over allegations of graft in Mugomba District, Southern Province.

    The accused include the executive secretary of Mambo sector David Ntiyamira, Aphrodice Ndungutse of Ndora Sector and an agronomist, who had all been arrested on environmental degradation charges. The presiding judge Eliya Nsengimana alongside the court clerk Jean Leonard allegedly told the accused to part with a Rwf 550,000 bribe and a cow to be set free.

     In an interview with IGIHE.com, Police Spokesman Theos Badege disclosed that the agronomist parted with a total of Rwf 250,000 while Murindabigwi paid Rwf100,000 through the MTN mobile money service in Kigali and was to clear the balance on his return to the province.

    On his part, Ntiyamira offered a cow to the presiding judge.

    The trial is now set to be heard by another other judges. “If this evidence can be proven in the court of law, then those found guilty are liable to a prison sentence of a minimum 15 years,” Badege said.

    “These are the very people we put in place to prevent and ensure that corruption doesn’t happen. Instead, they are the ones accepting bribery. We wish to notify the general public that these institutions are put in place to offer free services,” Badege advised. 

     

  • KBS to scrap Rwf 500 ticket

    Kigali Bus Service has scrapped its Rwf500 ticket effective since Monday 9 May 2011, after it emerged that counterfeit tickets were in circulation.

    When contacted for comment, the former KBS chairman Charles Ngarambe, who doubles as chairman of the Kigali transport association, explained the firm had notified their clients on time and that complaints emanated from those duplicating tickets. “As we speak, we are conducting a thorough investigation among our staff and suspected accomplices,” he further pointed out,” imagine in the morning, a man ran away from the bus after issuing a fake Rwf 500 ticket, this means that the scandalous behavior was on the rise,” he remarked.

     The gimmick was also reciprocated by students who were severally nabbed by bus inspectors.

    Ngarambe further dismissed allegations that the move aimed at hiking fares. He admitted that due to high fuel prices, they had floated a similar proposal to the Rwanda Utility and Regulatory Authority (RURA), which has ordered the firm to revert to its former price structure since fuel prices might soon drop to normal.

    However, he encouraged commuters to use the recently introduced electronic payment system since it was more effective than the paper ticket.

    “We don’t intend to remove paper tickets forever but we keep persuading passengers to use smartcards since it also facilitates our management processes,” Ngarambe commented. 

  • Kigali Institute of Health to partner with U.S varsities

    A partnership between Kigali Institute of Health and 16 top US universities through the Clinton Health Access Initiative seeks to improve comprehensive and innovative human resources in the country.

    Recently appointed health minister Agnes Binagwaho hailed the partnership adding that at the end of seven year training period the institution would have produced a good number of local professional health practitioners. The curriculum is intended to facilitate both physicians and nurses.

    In this respect, Vincent Rusanganwa who is in charge of training in the ministry of health was quick to ssupport the minister’s remarks adding that the program would add on the number of professionals since there only 113 physician, the program intends to produce 700 more in the next years, while the number of nurses is expected to increase from 457 to 5287.

    “The trainings are expected to boost the county’s vision 2020 and MDG’s target towards achieving better health services,” health minister remarked.

    Lessons will also be extended to relevant local institutions such as the nursing school in Nyagatare as well as medical faculties at the national university. The trainings will cover six core areas including internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, surgery, anesthesia, and family medicine.

    A student exchange program will also be part of program whereby US students will conduct their internship in the country and vice versa.

    At least 50 health managers are expected to be trained on management skills which would enable better management in each of the 44 district hospitals. Currently the few health professionals head referral hospitals.

    Ira Magaziner, the Chief Executive Officer and the Vice Chair of the Clinton Health Access Initiative said that the partnership was the first of kind in the region and Rwanda chosen the ideal country due to its progress towards health promotion especially in the rural.

  • Bank of Kigali might be cross-listed in Nairobi’s capital market

    The Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE) is set to see the first ever cross-listing of a company from a neighbouring country, opening a new investment opportunity for investors keen on diversifying their portfolio beyond Kenya’s economy.

    The intended cross-listing of “at least two companies” from neighbouring countries is still at the discussion stage, but the NSE said at least one of the firms is expected to start trading before the end of this year.

    Mr Donald Ouma, the head of product development and research at the NSE, said the new stock is expected to be listed by way of an initial public offering (IPO).

    He, however, declined to reveal the identity of the firms citing client confidentiality, but said more details will be made public before the end of next month.

    “We have held discussions about a yet-to-be listed stock from the region, the company to be cross-listed would be by way of an initial public offer,” said Mr Ouma.

    Rwanda’s biggest State-owned lender Bank de Kigali’s is expected to be sold to the public later this year in an IPO, making it a prime candidate for the intended cross-listing.

    At least seven Kenyan companies are cross-listed in Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda stock exchanges, but no company from the region has listed its shares at the Nairobi bourse.

    The cross-listed companies include Kenya Airways, KCB, Nation Media Group, Centum, Diamond Trust Bank, Jubilee Holdings and Equity Bank.

    Regional markets

    Safaricom, Stanbic Bank Uganda and Rwandese beer maker Bralirwa have floated cross-border IPOs, giving local investors a chance to diversify their investments even though they their exposure to neighbouring countries remains small mainly because the other regional capital markets are still at their infancy.

    In Rwanda for instance, the Kigali Stock Exchange was launched in January this year.

    It has only three listed companies, Bralirwa — the country’s biggest beer and soft drinks maker, Nation Media Group and KCB.

    The expected cross-listing will take the tally of listed firms at the NSE to 56 with at least five other local firms, among them British-American Investments Company and TransCentury expected to list at the bourse before the end of the year.

    In an interview last week, chairman of Dyer and Blair Investment Bank, Mr Jimnah Mbaru, predicted that the company most likely to be cross-listed at the local bourse would be Bank de Kigali, which is expected to sell 25 per cent of its shares to the public to raise additional capital to fund growth.

    “The only offering I expect to go public and cross-list at the NSE would be the Bank de Kigali,” said Mr Mbaru, whose firm was a joint transaction adviser in the listing of Bralirwa.

    He is betting on the capital requirements by both governments and corporations across the entire region to encourage fundraising activities beyond their jurisdictions- a key factor informing the ongoing push for the integrating of the regional capital markets.

    Mr Ouma added that the NSE was working with the other stock exchanges to introduce a trading platform that would integrate their operations aimed at minimising price differentials in the specific markets for cross-listed shares.

  • Lake Kivu: Potential for energy or cataclysmic disaster for ages

    Imagine wandering into a village and everything motionless. Just a mound of lifeless bodies lying around, leaving you horrified. Such a terrible scene would qualify for horror movie but this is exactly what happened in the villages around Lake Nyos in Cameroon in 1986, where more than 1,700 people instantly died from asphyxiation after inhaling huge quantities of carbon dioxide emitted from the lake.

     Such terrible natural disasters are rare that only two have ever been recorded, once in 1984 from Lake Monoun and the other in Lake Nyos but now an even greater danger lies dormant. Lake Kivu, which is much bigger and shared by Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and situated in a more densely populated region could potentially be the source of a devastating calamity.

    Lake Kivu is among three of rare water bodies in the world known as limnic lakes . Lakes such as these have the property of erupting massive amounts of carbon dioxide, a phenomenon known as a lake overturn. An event that could be triggered by various catalysts such as an eruption, or earthquake if the saturation of the carbon dioxide contained within the lake reaches critical levels of 100 percent. To illustrate this in layman terms, prior to a lake being saturated, it behaves like an unopened carbonated beverage (soft drink) : the carbon dioxide is dissolved in the water similarly to how it is dissolved in the lake. In both the lake and the soft drink, carbon dioxide dissolves much more at high pressure. When the drink is open, the pressure is released thus making the carbon dioxide come out of solution. If the lake reaches full saturation, the pressure exerted by the gases will be more than the pressure caused by the lake thus making it highly unstable and a trigger is all that is required to set off an eruption sending vast amounts of carbon dioxide to bubble out of the lake.

    Fortunately, the chances of such an event transpiring are not high. “The risks are a little bit above 50 percent given the saturation levels of the gas in the lake,” says Augusta Umutoni, Engineer in charge of environmental concern in the Lake Kivu project.

    “The pressure exerted by the gas contained in the lake needs to be more than the hydrostatic pressure of the water,” she adds. This is something that is not likely to occur due to the recent methane gas extraction that is being extracted. Umutoni says that CH4 (methane) has a big partial pressure, if extracted and this significantly reduces the overall pressure exerted by both gases. The extraction of methane gas not only acts as source of vast amounts of energy but it also increases the stability of the lake.

    “The lake produces more gas and recharges itself at a rate of 150 million cubic metres per year ; this would take about 100 years for it to reach critical saturation levels of 100 percent. Presently, we are still on 57 percent level of saturation, she says, adding that this diminish the danger.

    Umutoni points out that Lake Kivu is situated in a region of high seismic and volcanic activity. It is even close to Mount Nyiragongo , which erupted in 2002. The eruption caused lava to cover a big portion of Goma city and this streamed down to Lake Kivu. “At the time, there was fear that the lava would cause gas saturated waters to rise to the surface. Luckily, this did not happen,” she says.

    “After the explosion, the European Union sent an expedition of experts to investigate on this and it was discovered that the lava had sunk to a depth of around 100 meters beneath the lake, where the main gradient of the gas is at 260 metres. This indicates that a seismic wave that would only be able to make lava reach at that point and trigger a lake overturn would have to be one of monumental magnitude.” observes Augusta, something that is unlikely to occur.

    She says that this improbability should not be taken for granted, because there is another area of Lake Kivu , known as Kibuno Bay that contains 100 percent saturation levels of carbon dioxide. The discovery of this has prompted the establishment of a de-gasing plant to reduce the risks. However, she says that installation and implementation of this project is far from being underway.

    Umutoni observes that Lake Kivu seems to be as fascinating as much as it is potentially hazardous. “Nevertheless, it would be safe to assume that the dangers lying around the lake despite their great disastrous potential have low probability of occurrence. The methane gas project for now is an excellent way to avert this danger in the long term by not only providing greater socio-economic benefit but by also maintaining and perhaps increasing the stability of this great lake,” she recaps. 

  • Rwandan rebels waged war on mobiles

    How to spearhead a deadly militia in Congo, from Germany ? In modern times, one only needs a mobile-phone and a laptop to unleash a humanitarian catastrophe. German prosecutors are convinced that two Rwandans waged a brutal war some 6,000 kilometres away via telephone calls and emails.

    Judges in Stuttgart this week will continue hearing evidence against two Rwandan rebel leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity carried out in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

    Known as the “The Doctor” for his PhD in economics, Ignace Murwanashyaka headed the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. With the help of his deputy Straton Musoni, he maintained the militia’s website, signed press releases and gave interviews about the group’s struggle against Rwanda.

    But prosecutors in Stuttgart argue that Murwanashyaka and Musoni also directly ordered the burning of Congolese villages, the murder of 200 civilians, large numbers of rapes, recruitment of child soldiers and the use of human shields. Both men face a sentence of life in prison.

    Handcuffed
    They were brought to court last Wednesday, handcuffed but looking confident with six lawyers at their side. The prosecutor read out a total of 55 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes including mass killings and rapes as part of “terror campaign” in eastern DR Congo from 2008 until their arrest in 2009. 

    They allegedly led a terrorist organisation from their sitting rooms. “We are talking about the full range of atrocities that one can imagine in a civil war,” federal prosecutor Christian Ritscher told a panel of six judges in opening arguments. The defence, however, demanded a dismissal of the proceedings saying the trial is purely politically motivated.

    The trial poses a huge challenge for judges in Stuttgart. It is too dangerous for them to visit the crime scenes so it requires some imagination to picture what happened in small jungle villages thousands of kilometres away. Besides, they will also have to familiarise themselves with the history of the region, the type of crimes and the cultural context.

    Numbering between 3,500 and 5,000 fighters, the FDLR is notorious for using rape as a weapon of war. It consists of former Rwandan Hutu government soldiers and militias who carried out the 1994 genocide. Since they fled Rwanda that year, the former génocidaires tried to topple the Tutsi-dominated government in Rwanda, without success. Although its European leadership is behind bars, the group continue its brutalities in the dense forests of Eastern Congo, where they control gold mines and collaborate with other fighting forces to sell mineral products.

    Impunity
    The FDLR leadership enjoyed considerable impunity in Europe. While some of them already had a suspicious past in Rwanda, they were never seriously investigated. Murwanashyaka – who has been living in Germany since 1989 and presided the FDLR since 2001- had been arrested earlier in 2006. He was released because of lack of witnesses. But after new inquiries Murwanashyaka was arrested again in November 2009, this time alongside Musoni.

    Despite the many challenges, Human Rights Watch says the trial is groundbreaking. It is “a powerful statement that courts – even thousands of miles away from where the atrocities occurred – can play a decisive role in combating impunity,” says the organisation’s International Justice Advocacy Director Geraldine Mattioli-Zeltner.”The German authorities took an important step in carrying out their legal obligation to prosecute these horrific crimes.”

    She says that Germany is “joining the expanding club of states that are willing” to fight impunity for international crimes. Although a local court in Frankfurt is dealing with a case against Rwandan genocide suspect Onesphore Rwabukombe since January, the FDLR trial will be an important test-case for Germany’s Code of Crimes Against International Law. Adopted in 2002 it allows prosecution of foreigners for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. It is “extremely far-reaching” as it does not require any link to Germany says Mattioli-Zeltner.

    Universal jurisdicition
    Over the past two decades a dozen of countries adopted the principle of universal jurisdiction. They have allowed national courts to investigate and prosecute grave international crimes committed elsewhere. Most universal jurisdiction cases concerned Rwandans, allegedly implicated in the country’s mass-killings. Genocide suspects were recently arrested in Norway, Belgium and France, while a court in the US started a trial against a Rwandan last month and a Dutch appeals court is to deliver a judgement at the end of June.

    The case in Stuttgart will be closely monitored by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, where Callixte Mbarushimana awaits his possible trial. After Murwanashyaka and Musoni were arrested, Mbarushimana worked as the executive secretary of the FDLR from Paris, where he was arrested last year.

    Meanwhile, the trial in Stuttgart is scheduled to run until at least July while observers say it may even take up to one year.

    (This story was first published by Radio Netherlands International)

  • EAC to study regional oil pipeline

    The
    East African Community is set to undertake a feasibility study on the
    construction of an oil product pipeline from Uganda to Rwanda, easing fuel
    supplies in the landlocked countries of Rwanda and Burundi, the EAC secretariat
    said early this week.

    The regional
    body has obtained a grant of at least $600,000 for the study from the African
    Development Bank, which will look at the viability of linking the two countries
    to a pipeline project running from the Kenyan coast to Uganda, the EAC cited
    Patrick Nyoike, the permanent secretary of Kenya’s Ministry of Energy, as
    saying.

    “The
    plan is to link Kigali [in Rwanda] by a pipeline from Kampala [Uganda], which
    will allow petroleum products to be accessed from the planned refinery in
    Uganda, as well as the existing refinery in Mombasa [on the Kenyan coast] and
    international markets,” Nyoike was quoted as saying.

    Uganda is
    planning to build a 150,000 barrel-a-day refinery in its oil-rich Albertine
    Rift basin following the discovery of at least a billion barrels of oil in the
    past couple of years.

    In March,
    U.K.-based Tullow Oil PLC agreed on a joint-venture deal with France oil major
    Total SA and China’s CNOOC Ltd. for the development of the oil fields in the
    basin, which is expected to cost at least $10 billion.

    EAC member
    states are also planning to diversify energy sources within the region in order
    to enhance security of energy supply, Nyoike was cited as saying.

    The
    regional body has finalized studies on the proposed natural gas pipeline from
    the Tanzanian port of Dar es Salaam to Kenya’s Mombasa in order to end
    overreliance on limited forms of energy. In February, Tanzania said that its
    gas reserves had more than doubled to 7.5 trillion cubic feet following a
    number of discoveries off the Tanzanian coast.

    It is
    expected that the project will contribute to the reduction of energy costs and
    shield power generation from variability of weather and international crude oil
    prices, Nyoike was cited as saying.

    The EAC
    member states are Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.

  • Minibus crash kills 16

    A minibus crash on the Kigali-Gitarama highway left 16 passengers dead on Saturday evening.

    The public transport minibus was crushed by a cargo truck as it tried to overtake it on an exit route out of the city at a area popularly known as Kugiti Cyinyoni.

    The police and rescue teams made up of senior government officials, the Commissioner General of Police, Emmanuel Gasana and Kigali City mayor , Fidele Ndayisaba, locals and journalists including those from IGIHE.com, were quick to report to the scene

    “The accident happened at about 18:30 outside Kigali, on the road towards Gitarama,” police spokesperson Theos Badege told the media.

    “The minibus carrying 19 passengers tried to overtake the truck but found itself facing an oncoming vehicle. On returning to the middle of the road it hit the truck.

    “The minibus was dragged to the side of the road by the truck and flattened,” he said.

    “Of the 19 passengers, 16 were killed. The three others were taken to hospital. The two people travelling in the truck were not hurt.”

    Due the severity of the accident, the first victim was pulled out after a protracted four hour effort. The injured three were immediately rushed to hospital for intensive care. Those present in the truck were unhurt.

    The rescue mission lasted approximately six hours at 12.45 am. 

  • Africa can make more money from tourism, says report

    The Africa Competitiveness Report 2011, produced by the World Economic Forum, the African Development Bank and the World Bank, states that the continent has many advantages on which to build its tourism industry, including price competitiveness, a strong affinity for tourism and rich natural resources supported by efforts towards environmental sustainability.

    “One out of every twenty jobs in Africa is in the tourism and travel industry ; worldwide it is one out of every ten. That shows you the potential that we have if we can get the travel and industry up to the level of the global average,” said Shantayanan Devarajan, the World Bank’s chief economist for the Africa region, during the launch of the report in Cape Town at the World Economic Forum on Africa.

    According to a study by the Natural Resources Consultative Forum, a US$250,000 investment in the tourism sector generates an average of 182 full-time jobs.

    Devarajan singled out Rwanda as a country that has made the most of its tourism potential by creating a thriving industry around its mountain gorilla population. “Rwanda was coming off the genocide in the mid-1990s and they needed a source of foreign exchange. They’ve got these beautiful gorillas . . . and they decided to promote an ecologically friendly, highly targeted tourism industry around the gorillas,” he noted.

    Rwanda has also involved the local communities in the gorilla industry. This creates employment and insures that villagers have a direct interest in the conservation of the gorillas’ natural habitat.

    The report notes that a number of challenges remain to advance the continent’s competitiveness in the tourism sector. These include improving safety and security, upgrading health and hygiene levels, developing numerous forms of infrastructure, and fostering the region’s human capital.

    In addition to harnessing Africa’s tourism potential, the report found that to improve the continent’s competitiveness, governments should focus on stronger integration into international trade and finance, improved educational systems, as well as enhanced entrepreneurial opportunities for women.