IGIHE

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  • Service Delivery greatly improved-Murekezi

    Rwandans appreciate the improvement in service delivery following efforts by the government over the last couple of years to see the level of service delivery improve to desired levels.

    At the ongoing 9th National Dialogue Umushyikirano at the Parliamentary, it emerged that a bigger percentage of Rwandans are satisfied with the level of service delivery by government institutions and the business community in general.

    The Minister of Labour and Public Service Anastase Murekezi presented a report on how Rwandans feel on service delivery. He pointed out that 75% of Rwandans expressed satisfaction on the way health services are provided by hospital and health centres. The survey which was done by the Rwandan Governance Board (RGB) using the citizens scorecard showed that people in the Western Province are happier with the health services followed by the Northern province.

    “Access to clean water has also greatly improved. The government programme to ensure access to clean water in 200m in the city and 500m in rural areas is paying off. 68% of the people in rural areas said they have clean water while 80% of the people in Kigali said they have clean water access. In the Northern province, 75% of the people said they were happy with access to clean water,”

    “On education, the survey showed that people were happy with the efforts of the government. 78% of the people were satisfied that their children can find a school in at least within 2km,” Murekezi said

    75% of the people also said that they appreciate the land registration processes. The survey further indicates that 8.5 million land parcels have been demarcated with 88% adjudicated. A big number of citizens also stated that they were impressed by the improved Crop policy, land consolidation and market availability.

    Residents of Kigali however reported that while there has been improvement, there is need to remove the remaining barriers to service delivery including bureaucracy, incompetent and lazy local leaders .

    The report further states that 81% of the citizens say they are happy with community reconciliators know as ’abunzi’ while 63%% say they were satisfied with the Judges and 34% have trust in lawyers.

    On transport, a survey done showed that the number of people moving in and outside Kigali by express commuters has gone up tremendously. It indicates that in 30 minutes express buses take 600 people to the Northern province, 900 passengers to the South, 500 passengers to the West and 700 to the Eastern province, indicating a major increase in the in and outflow of people into the city.

    The problem here is that the city lacks planned areas such as modern parks were these people moving in and out of Kigali can be accommodated or hosted. We need to develop infrastructure to deal with these challenges.”

    Despite the country’s progress in the World Bank Doing Business ranking, there is need to improve the business atmosphere mainly regarding business opening and closure which was cited as one of the challenges remaining. It was observed that people register business and start operations but when they make losses, they stealthily move out of businesses without going through the right procedures.

    Banks doing a good job but customer service needs to improve. 90% of the citizens believe local government are doing a good job regarding citizens getting documents for immigration and the National ID and the period between applying for such documents and when you get them.

  • Huye Residents Get Land Certificates

    First Huye resident gets land certificate in Ngoma sector

    {{Residents of Ngoma Sector in Huye District have commended the issuing of land certificates that began 14th December saying the move will cut down on land related disputes.}}

    While launching the exercise, the Executive Secretary of Ngoma sector Sahundwa Pascal said,“The number of people with land-related problems will be reduced.”

    According to Juvenal Bavugirije in charge of the land bureau at Huye district, totally owning a piece of land requires having a land certificate.

    Documents which are being offered are “The contract of Emphyteotic lease”, “The certificate of land registration” and “The cadastral extract”.

    The activity of issuing land certificates launched in Ngoma sector will continue at cell level facilitating local people in easily accessing Land documents.

  • Umushyikirano: Day Two of the 9th National Dialogue underway

    The 9th National Dialogue, Umushyikirano is underway at the
    Parliamentary buildings on its second day. The morale is high as the
    hundreds of delegates sing in anticipation of another day of
    discussions that will see thousands of Rwandans in and outside the
    country engage with their leaders to lay strategies for nation
    building.

    President President Paul Kagame will chair the meeting on the second
    day which will come up with recommendations and targets to be met over
    the next year. The Minister of Labour and Public Service Anastase
    Murekezi will shortly make a presentation on the Role of Service
    Delivery in speeding up national development and enhancing good
    governance.

    The Minister of State for Primary and Secondary Education Dr.Mathias
    Harebamungu will present a discussion on the Role of Education in
    speeding up sustainable development. The discussion will be followed
    by a special session dedicated to Rwandans living in Diaspora. The
    over 250 members of the Rwandan Diaspora will participate.

    Also those outside will be required to participate using Twitter,
    Facebook and calling in. The session will be streaming live at
    www.umushyikirano.gov.rw. President Kagame will deliver closing
    remarks in the afternoon after adopting the resolution. Igihe.com will
    bring you updates as they happen.

    In attendance are central and local government officials,
    representatives of the private sector, civil society, religious groups
    and diplomatic corps.

    Later in the afternoon, a football game between local and central
    government officials will be played at the National Stadium.

  • MIGEPROF, Central Bank Urged To Help Women Access Loans

    {{President Paul Kagame has urged Ministry of Gender and Family Planning and Central Bank to help Women and Youth to access loans.}}

    Kagame tasked Minister Aloysia Inyumba to implement the available program that paves way to help women and youth access loans.

    He said that “The important thing is the implementation of this program at the right time”.

    Minister Inyumba said that they’re in discussions with Central Bank to get a proper way to help them access loans through Business Development Fund(BDF).

    Amb. Claver Gatete the Governor of Central Bank said that they’re processing all required channels to have it achieved in the near future.

    He added that there is a problem where Women and Youth don’t equally access loans on the same percentage.

    “Before we had faced many challenges to differentiate the way women and youth should access loans because women are in different categories and we hope to get a solution sooner,” said Gatete.

    On other hand youth who didn’t have the security to access loans, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Francois Kanimba said that however his ministry started a program seeking 50 young entrepreneurs in a competition to be recommended for BDF.

    Kanimba added that there’s a way they can make a big number of entrepreneurs in the ongoing program called Hanga Umurimo hence creating jobs.

    In these days youth especially young graduates cry lack of security to access loans in Rwandan banks to start their own businesses in time of failing to get jobs.

    {{ENDS}}

  • PKF Rwanda Donates Rwf 700, 000 To Orphanage

    {{The staff of United Kingdom based global Network of Independent Accounting Firms PKF international with a local branch has donated Rwf 700,000 to an orphanage home in Gatsabo District.}}

    PKF International Limited (PKFI) administers the PKF network of legally independent member firms. There are over 245 member firms and correspondents in 440 locations in 125 countries providing accounting and business advisory services.

    It has member firms with US $2.4 billion aggregate fee income (year end June 2010) and the network is a member of the Forum of Firms – an organisation dedicated to consistent and high quality standards of financial reporting and auditing practices worldwide.

    Emma Mujawabikira, caretaker of the orphanage commended their support and urged the society to not only think of assisting them but also use the will to help those who are needy.

    Murtuza Dalal a PKF Rwanda partner, noted that the auditing firm had formed an East African foundation to assist the needy in the region. The assistance include scholarships, food etc.

    His colleague Boniface Mutua the PKF Country Director added that continuous assistance is essential.

    “The amount we gave them was just a start, next year we intend to meet with university students residing in this orphanage and find ways to upgrade their skills either by working with them as interns or offer them scholarships,” he promised.

    However, Mujawabikira cautioned groups of people who have shown interest to support them but later fade away.

    “There are these people from Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) for example, they came took photos promised wonders then later kept quiet,” she said adding.

    “We really struggle to take care of over 250 children including 14 infants, feeding them for instance is our biggest challenge especially pupils who study in our primary school enclosed in the compound, PKF support is a major boost and pray for them blessings for their will to continued support in our orphanage.”

    The orphanage was started by catholic priests in the year 1978 in Gikogoro district then later shifted to the city in 1991; currently their biggest donations come from the Italian Catholic church.

    {{ENDS}}

  • Over Rwf 1bn Gov’t Funds Need Recovery

    {{The government has a challenge to recover over Rwf 1bn from the cases it won arrested officials for embezzling state funds.}}

    This was mentioned by Prime Minister Pierre Damien Habumuremyi while presenting a report of the last National Dialogue during the two-day 9th National Dialogue that commenced at the lower chamber of parliament.

    Habumuremyi’s presentation highlighted resolutions adopted from the last National Dialogue which recorded achievements in different sectors that included Judiciary, education, financial, security and good governance among others.

    The prime Minister said that over 1030 cases filed for embezzling state funds only 779 cases have been closed categorized in crimes that cripple the country economy.

    He also said that on the side of genocide fugitives only USA and a few countries in European community have accepted to arrest and try the suspects.

    Despite having noted that more efforts were still needed, prime minister said that a lot had been achieved but still called for joint efforts among ministries to seek solutions to the challenges in the country.

    According to the prime minister, the National Dialogue is the right forum that can have positive results saying that 83% of the issues highlighted in the last Dialogue were accomplished.

    Habumuremyi said that an issue of Umurenge Sacco was highlighted in the last Dialogue and accomplished with better results.

    He said that to date the increased 1.3m members have saved over Rwf 23.3bn from Rwf 6bn in the previous year.

    Habumuremyi added that 1166 houses for Genocide survivors were built including intensive fight of Genocide ideologies and over 34000 houses built in an effort to fight Nyakatsi.

    Because of the involvement of residents to contribute towards 9 year basic education and other relevant partners, 66% of the whole budget of Rwf 102bn was covered to build additional needed class rooms.

    {{ENDS}}

  • Fazil Should Carry His Own Cross-Kagame

    {{Referring to the repeated question about the term limit, President Paul Kagame said the author of the opinion should be the one to respond to journalists who have over asked him about it.}}

    Recently, while addressing a press conference in Kampala, Uganda journalists asked President Paul Kagame whether he is not bothered by people suggesting him to run for third term.

    The journalists referred to the view which was forwarded by Sheikh Musa Fazil Harerimana the Minister of Internal security.

    Minister of internal security Sheikh Musa Fazil Harerimana

    For two times, Minister Harerimana from Idealist Democratic Party (PDI)has publicly expressed his view to amend Rwandan constitution to remove presidential term limits to allow Kagame run for a third term of office.

    According to Article 101 of the 2003 Rwandan Constitution, the President of the Republic of Rwanda is elected for a term of seven years renewable only once.

    “There’s contradiction, on one hand you say people should have freedom to express themselves. On the other hand, you start questioning somebody expressing himself.” President Kagame said recently in Uganda referring to his critics who say there is no freedom of expression in Rwanda an issue he repeatedly commented on in his speech while opening the 9th National Dialogue.

    “There is this question I have kept on answering, and keeps coming back asking me if I am comfortable with people saying to amend the constitution for me to run for the third term, I begin to answer what I never suggested. Fazil who said it is here,” he said.

    “I can serve my country whether I am in this office or out of this office. I actually served my country even before I came to this office but people keep on accusing me for the offence I have not committed. I think Fazil needs to carry his own cross,”Kagame said.

    Kagame added, “This is not serious and some of us are used to serious issues, members of the press misunderstand us. They draw cartoon of me that when they asked me I was vague, I have never been vague in my life,” Kagame concluded his speech.

    In an interview with a local newspaper The Chronicles, Prof. Shyka Anastase, the executive director of Rwanda Governance Advisory Council, a national body that promotes and monitors good governance in Rwanda, described Harerimana’s comments as a joke.

    “I think he was probably trying to be funny. He was just saying out what was in his mind but nobody in Rwanda is actually interested in following him,” he said.

    “President Kagame has stated clearly that he shouldn’t be counted in if anyone ever wants him for another term because he is not interested in that game,” Prof. Shyaka added.

    The Professor said there is no such momentum building up in the country to delete term limits, stating that had the comments come from inside the ruling Rwanda Patriotic Front or two years before the next election due in 2017, or if Kagame says I’ ll think about it, then people would be worried.

    Only Uganda in this region has no presidential term limits which turned around since 2005.

    {{ENDS}}

  • Rwandans Can Define Themselves–President Kagame

    {{President Paul Kagame has said that only Rwandans can have the right
    to define who they want to be and work towards that and only them have
    that freedom to make such choices but not foreigners, intruders, the
    press or rights groups.}}

    Speaking at the opening of the 9th National Dialogue (Umushyikirano)
    at the Parliamentary buildings today, President Kagame called on
    Rwandans to stand up and defend themselves against intruders who
    assume the responsibility of defining who they should be and what
    should define their country.

    In a powerful speech, President Kagame came out strongly against the
    critics who usually say that despite economic progress, there are no
    rights and freedoms of expressions and democracy in Rwanda, observing
    that it is a responsibility of Rwandans to say whether such rights
    exist or not.

    Addressing a full house of central government leaders, local
    government leaders, private sector and civil society representatives,
    religious leaders and diplomatic corps, President Kagame said that it
    is disturbing when foreigners, who sometimes dont fulfill the lessons
    they teach others, ignore the progress made and instead start pointing
    accusing fingers, calling upon Rwandans to reject this patronizing
    attitude.

    Amidst applause, the Head of State pointed out that Rwandans should
    find it offensive for such critics to undermine the home grown
    solutions such as the National Dialogue to instead accuse countries of
    stamping on freedoms.

    He said that the objective of initiatives such as the Dialogue is to
    ensure that all Rwandans have a platform to participate and play a
    central role in the development and decision making processes of their
    country but such are never recognised.

    “This meeting is a symbol of nation building through a process where
    all Rwandans have a right to contribute to the process and play an
    active role in deciding the path of their country,”

    “They will talk about the many things Rwandans have achieved but then
    they say ‘but’….why the but?They say Rwandans dont have freedoms of
    expressions. I see three things involved, we are either dumb, even if
    we have what we want to say, we cant because we are dumb. Secondly,
    maybe Rwandans cant say anything because there is someone silencing
    them,”

    “Thirdly, probably you might not be dumb or no one is silencing you
    but you have nothing to say. Today, I want us to find an answer to
    this question, to assess what other people think we are and then come
    up with a stand of who we want to be, regardless of what other people
    think of us. Whoever considers us to be whatever, that’s there burden,”
    President Kagame said

    The Head of State wondered why people talk of the economy growing but
    cannot put in perspective other aspects such as democratic processes,
    freedoms of speech and other rights which Rwandans have defined and
    put in place themselves along with the economic development that is
    visible but continue to complain about space.

    “Which space is bigger than this one?” President Kagame said in
    reference to the dialogue itself.

    “Infact the space that is lacking is that space which is constantly
    being occupied by those intruders. This nonsense from outsiders is the
    one occupying our freedom. These so called teachers of freedom, space,
    the same people getting stuck with genocidaires murderers and
    criminals,” he said, pointing out the case of Theoneste Bagosora, the
    genocide mastermind whose sentence was on Wednesday reduce from life
    to 35 years by the International Criminal Tribunal of Rwanda (ICTR).

    “It has taken them 17 years to try him and try him so badly and they
    are the same people coming here to give us press freedoms? You are a
    joker. Some of us you come to teach about freedoms have been freedom
    fighters for their and other peoples rights since childhood. We have
    interest in our own freedoms and rights than anyone else has. We have
    have that responsibility more that anyone else,” President Kagame
    said.

    President Kagame said such people can do it, just because they can but
    not becuase they are right.

    “They can do it to Africans, they want to do it to Rwandans but I want
    to assure you that we are different people. You Rwandans sitting here
    should not accept this nonsense. Accepting it is un thinkable, but
    accepting it is worse off for you, stand up and defend that right,
    they should not speak for you,” he said.

    The Head of State took a swipe at rights groups and the media, saying
    that the two should not be the ones to be seen to have the right to
    define or choose what Rwandans want and also make freedoms appear like
    a myth where only a few have the power and previlege to define them
    and know what suits others.

    “My question is, who are you?Who are you speaking for?Are these
    millions of Rwandans here waiting for you to come and tell them what
    their interests should be and what their rights are?You Rwandans
    should reject that. We cannot make this progress and then at the same
    time fail in other areas, it doesn’t just add up,” he said.

    The Head of State said that he was recently reading a foreign
    newspaper where a certain person wrote that they cannot be governed by
    a minority several years after the country failed to form a
    government, observing that such a statement comes out wishful thinking
    because Rwanda is not governed by a minority but rather Rwandans.

    “They wish to be governed like Rwanda, these are people who havent
    been governed for two years, they failed to put in place a government.
    Who is minority?am not from a minority,I am from these Rwandans you
    see here. We cannot be a minority in our own country. These are people
    who need lessons about Rwanda, lessons in freedoms, you cannot teach
    us about our own freedom,” he said

    “The main problem is just one and thats what brings us here, they can
    afford to call us all sorts of names, they can do whatever they
    want—and they can do anything,ask where Mutara Rudahigwa went, they
    will do that because you depend on them, they give you remains, when
    you depend on them, anything will happen. Even passersby will poke at
    you, thats the position we are in, thats the position we want to live
    far behind us and thats why we are here,” he added.

    He called on Rwandans to more determined than ever to be in the
    position they want to be and end being in the position of being
    beggars and that will be the only way Rwandans will be independent of
    such negative references.

    He called on Rwandans to bear that in mind that the dignity of
    Rwandans is not defined in newspapers or wherever. The Head of State
    also spoke about how on many occasions whether he will leave office
    come 2017, saying that despite coming out clearly, journalists
    continue to ask him the same, well knowing that he still has 6 more
    years on his mandate.

    “They are not patient enough for me to serve my term in office. I can
    serve Rwandans in a different capacity, not in this office. I have
    done that before and I can still do it,”

    The Head of State then sent the house into bouts of laughter when he
    pointed out that he paying for an offense committed by the Ministers
    of Internal Security Musa Fazil Harelimana who in the first place
    started the 3rd Term talk.

    “Fazil should carry his own cross, not me. This is not serious, some
    of us have some serious business to attend to,” he said.

    He noted that alot has been achieved over the last 17 years and there
    is need for Rwandans to maintain that process without any kind of
    distraction.

    “We have achieved alot and I urge you to continue on this path. Us
    meeting here is an answer to the challenges we face but most
    importantly we answer the question usually coming from outside Rwanda,
    to those who question us,I dont understand why some people would feel
    more concerned with the country’s processes than the Rwandans
    themselves,” he observed.

    The Prime Minister Pierre Damien Habumuremyi presented a report on the
    implementation of the recommendations of the 8th National Dialogue,
    observing that progress in all areas was at 90%. A joint report on the
    achievements of some of the home grown solutions Rwanda started a few
    years ago to address its challenges was presented by Prof. Anastase
    Shyaka from Rwanda Governance Board.

    Millions of Rwandans were able to follow the proceedings live on TV,
    on radio and online. Hundreds participated using Twitter, Facebook,
    calls and SMS messages. The discussions continue in the afternoon.

  • No Lessons For Our Freedom-Kagame

    {{President Paul Kagame has blasted people who tend to believe that they are placed in better position to teach Rwanda about freedom and democracy.}}

    Kagame was officially opening the on-going 9th national Dialogue at the parliamentary building where different dignitaries within the country, Rwandans in the Diaspora and friends of Rwanda from international community in their diplomatic representatives attended.

    “This dialogue should be a platform to examine how we give ourselves dignity,” Kagame said citing some people who question Rwanda’s freedom.

    “They have questioned political space, freedom of expression and democracy. They have made themselves teachers of political freedom, teachers of freedom of expression, they can’t be teachers of freedom when they give freedom to the murders of our own people, freedom to Bagosora and his colleagues now walking free in their territories and you come here to give us a lesson?,” Kagame said.

    “We have fought for our freedom and freedoms for others. There are no lessons to learn from these people with double standards,” he added.

    Kagame said some journalists, Human Rights activists and masqueraders should not speak for all Rwandans.

    He said that some people make it a myth to indicate that only the selected few have the answers to Rwanda.

    “They should first get answers to their own problems before they claim to carry answers to Rwanda. Who are you to teach me about my freedom? You come here to teach me about my freedom?, I am not that kind, i am not cheap,” Kagame added.

    “They feel they can do anything like what they did to Mutara Rudahigwa, even if they can do anything, it does not make them right,” He noted.

    He noted that the reason for external disrespect is due to over dependency hence called for working hard to end dependency because when one is a beggar does not have a choice.

    President called upon the participants in the 9th National Dialogue therefore to treat it as a very important and leaving it more than determined to leave beggar spirit behind.

    {{ENDS}}

  • Lt. Gen. Kayonga Ends Visit To UNAMID In Darfur

    {{The Rwanda Defence Force Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Lt. Gen Charles Kayonga Wednesday concluded a five day working visit to Sudan where he visited Rwanda Contingents deployed in UNAMID Darfur, Sudan, from 10th to 14th December 2011.}}

    The working visit to Rwandan contingents serving in United Nations-African Union Hybrid Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) was aimed at witnessing how the RDF, Rwanda National Police and Civilian Staff are executing their duties in contributing to UN Peace and to wish them a happy holiday season.

    Rwanda is one of the biggest Troop Contributors in the Mission.

    Lt Gen Charles Kayonga also held discussions with UNAMID Force Commander Lt. Gen. Patrick Nyamvumba and other Senior UNAMID officials who briefed him on the situation in Darfur.

    The CDS and his delegation held meetings with Rwandan Officers, and troops of RWABATT 26 deployed in Zalinge, RWABATT 28 in Kabkabiya, RWABATT 29 and RWABATT 27 deployed at UN Headquarters, El Fasher and Zam Zam respectively.

    The contingents briefed him on how they are executing the UN duties and their role in contributing to peace building not only through the conventional methods but also through sharing Rwanda’s experience in home grown solutions.

    Addressing the Rwandan Peacekeepers on ground, the CDS conveyed greetings from the leadership and compatriots from home, briefed them on activities RDF is engaged in at home and wished them happy holidays.

    During the visit to Sudan, the CDS paid a courtesy call to his counterpart in Sudan and visited SAF Military Academies.