Rwanda Utilities and Regulatory Authority (RURA) Director-General, Lt Col Patrick Nyirishema said that the workshop is very important not just for Rwanda, the East African Region but also to the whole continent as a satellite is very critical and very important technology for communication.
He said that Africa is a continent that largely relies on satellites.
Nyirishema said that being able to launch a satellite, countries need first of all to understand and being ready to implement regulations.
“We have realized that the overall cost of launching satellite is going down. However it’s all just about the knowledge and the resources to launch a satellite,” he said.
The training is facilitated by experts from International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
“We are very privileged to have ITU which agreed to send experts to train so that they can have complete understanding of what is required to be able to success for launch of a satellite from process of starting point,” he said.
He said the workshop is addressing the problem of how to secure arbitral location and the process you go through to launch a satellite.
Nyirishema said that the satellite is very important for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be able to have the means to link the various parts of the World and to monitor development, targets, to be able to collect dairy information, analyse it and helps to inform laws and regulation and all development interventions as captured within the SDGs.
Akim Falou Dine, expert from ITU said that the future of Africa in having a satellite is very brilliant for communication because Africa is very big and can help to access communication and get connected to the World.
Akim emphasized that the satellite can help in the implementation of SDGs where a poor country can access direct information.
“The satellite can also benefit in tele-medicine, tele-education, for GPS and for agriculture, it’s really important,” he said.
African countries which have managed to send a satellite in the airspace are Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Egypt and Morocco.
Dr. Ali Simba, the Executive Secretary of East African Communication, a regional body in East African Community said that the region is looking at having a regional satellite and they are putting it in their strategic plan of the next three years to see what they can do to have own satellite for communication.
The office of the President has announced the meeting, but nothing was revealed about the discussion between Kagame and Macron.
On the other side, Kagame and Narendra agreed on ways to use in empowering institutions in both countries and trade.
On the sidelines of the summit also President Kagame met with President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea.
In the ISA Summit, Kagame said that solar power is part of the answer to climate change. To speed adoption and get environmental benefits, it has to be as reliable and affordable as other energy sources.
He said that adopting it is not only to protect the environment, but also to protect people and their well-being.
Kagame was speaking Saturday in New Delhi, India in the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Founding Summit.
The alliance was launched at the Paris Climate Summit in 2015.
The Head of State said that the sunniest countries on Earth should not lack for energy. He said that the fact that they do is an unacceptable irony.
“It is fitting that more than half of countries that have signed and ratified the International Solar Alliance treaty are African,” he said.
“Solar power is part of the answer to climate change. To speed adoption and get environmental benefits, it has to be as reliable and affordable as other energy sources. We’re not just protecting the environment; we’re protecting people and their well-being,” he said.
To meet the Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 targets, Kagame said that tremendous expansion in energy production is required in almost every African country.
The International Solar Alliance’s twin mission of facilitating technology transfer and innovative financing is timely, he added.
He urged that advances in solar energy production must be matched by the development of batteries capable of storing it and smart grids to distribute it to customers.
Using of the example of Rwanda, he said an 8.5MW solar power plant in Rwamagana has already helped to stabilise daytime power supply in Eastern Province. He said that the facility has also demonstrated that they can do much more.
“The one trillion dollars needed for solar investments globally in the coming years will obviously not come from governments alone. Public-private partnership is required. The International Solar Alliance’s proposed tools to mitigate credit risk send an important signal to the market that solar energy is a viable business,” he added.
He said, solar power will not address all of Africa’s energy needs, but it will continue to grow in importance as part of continent’s energy mix.
Kagame said that it’s important to continue to work together through the new institution and beyond, as a way to put collective resources and knowledge at the disposal of planet’s future.
The news of his death was reported, yesterday, Sunday.
Bishop Bimenyimana was born 22 June 1953, in Bumazi, Cyangugu.
He was ordained a priest on June 6, 1980; ordained to the sacerdotal class in Nyundo Parish; and was ordained as Bishop of Cyangugu on January 18, 1997. He was made an episcopal priest on March 16, 1997.
Mukarwego, 52, is a lecturer with nine years of experience.
Speaking in an interview with IGIHE, Mukarwego said that people with visual impairment are capable of reaching their full potential.
Mukarwego who got visual impairment in her childhood, had the first challenge that would have spoiled her future, was being born in refuge camp in Burundi. However, as luck was on her side she was supported by missionaries to join schools which were providing education to visually impaired children in Kenya. In Kenya, she studied primary and secondary school.
“It was not an easy journey because, after completing primary school, I joined a school without special care to children with visual impairment. But, I tried my best to catch up and performed well,” she said.
In 2008, she returned in the country, approached the Ministry of Education to find a job for her and was placed in UR/CE.
{{How she works?}}
“I prepare my lectures into Braille (a tactile writing system used by people who are visually impaired), but also have a person who translates them into normal letters and when I am teaching I project on the wall. I also use a student to change slides and I explain by using my reading from my braille notes,” she explained.
She says that at the beginning, different students from other classes used to join her class to see how a visually impaired lecturer teaches.
“They used to tell me that students from other classes come to see how I teach, but later on they found it usual and appreciated it,” she said.
{{How she attained PhD}}
Though she had been a lecturer, Mukarwego who was thirsty to study until she reaches the peak, in 2011, she started to apply for scholarship, though discouragements were a common occurrence.
“Even my boss at university used to tell me that they are no longer providing scholarships, but, I myself went to see the Minister of Education, he was Dr. Vincent Biruta by the time., I told him my problems and he asked me to leave him with my documents. Days later, they told me that my scholarship was approved and I chose to go to Kenya as there were people to facilitate me during my research,” she explained.
In 2015, Mukarwego was awarded a PhD and became the first woman with visual impairment to hold it in Rwanda.
“I was pleased by hearing that PhD in the category of visually impaired people was awarded to a Rwandan,” she said.
Mukarwego is now pleased of serving the country particularly in providing her contribution in education.
“I am very happy because I serve my nation, I teach children who will be tomorrow leaders of the country. I sometime encounter them and tell me that I taught them in KIE, former Kigali Institute of Education, now UR/CE” she said.
Mukarwego also is the head of women in National Union of People with Visual Impairment. She says that it pleases her to represent such category in providing ideas and lectures that benefits them.
She added that as the government has supported people from all categories, in line with promoting inclusive education, they should consider increasing equipment friendly with people with visual impairment. She says that the move will help persons with such problem perform well as normal persons.
“The reason behind having PhD is because I got basic requirements., if others were blessed to have such assistance even in vocational schools, they would develop themselves, a visually impaired woman would also develop,” she added.
With forty years of experience in the profession as she started to teach in 1978s, Nyirabakunzi says that passion, determination and love of work has been the essence behind serving long period in education.
Lives in Nyamugari Cell, Gasaka Sector in Nyamagabe District, the mother of five started the job after completing high school at Ecole Technique Feminine (ETF) in former Kibuye Prefecture now Karongi District where she learnt tailoring, cooking and hygiene studies.
She started the job at Ecole Familiale Mushubi in Nyamagabe by training girls in tailoring, cooking, working in garden farm, growing vegetables, hygiene and reproductive health among others.
While speaking to IGIHE reporter when she was at work, the passionate teacher said that she loves her profession as it is the foundation of her good-living conditions with her family.
Married in 1983, Nyirabakunzi’s husband died in 1996 leaving the family five children. Becoming the single mother, Nyirabakunzi had to manage the job with raising the children. She says that her job contributed enough in raising her children by providing with them all necessities.
“So, as you understand I continued to raise my children by using the salary from education, I paid their school fees until one graduated in University at the same time with others in secondary school and enjoyed good life conditions. I love this job and I rely on it,” she said.
She said that being a teacher motivated her to inculcate good discipline to her children despite different challenges.
“In my minds was that teacher’s children should study and be well-disciplined to the extent that they become others’ role model,” she said.
{{Outstanding teacher award}}
Nyirabakunzi says that love of work and hardworking enabled her to fulfill her responsibilities and was rewarded a cow by Rwanda Education Board (REB) in 2015.
“I was blessed to get a cow as an award for outstanding teacher, it all started from the school where my colleagues selected me as the best employee, proceeded to the sector and the district,” she explained.
She says that being outstanding teacher in the district was due to her good behaviors at work, timely reporting, having bests performing students and collaboration with colleagues among other factors.
Behind education job, Nyirabakunzi practice acquired skills from high school by tailoring and making wedding cakes among other things that can earn some money.
{{Nothing worth than tutoring a child from scratch}}
Nyirabagenzi says that the first thing that makes her happy is to make a child into a high profiled person.
“The thing which made me happy is to raise a child and become mature, I have taught in every class starting from Primary one to six, it’s a pleasure to tutor children and see them becoming leaders; when you meet them they call you their teacher, it’s really please us,” she boasts.
{{Challenges}}
Though she uses all her efforts to raise children into right people, Nyirabakunzi says that teachers still face challenges like small salary compared to prices on the market. She calls institutions in charge to consider revising the salary.
The teacher of Elementary Technology Sciences (ETS) subject says that shortage of school materials hampers their job, and lack of enough scholastic materials among children deters teachers from providing intended skills as required.
It was on February 20th when the exercise to close down churches was launched in Kimironko sector of Gasabo District. On that day, 14 churches were closed down.
The exercise was not limited to Gasabo District as in few days later, it was extended to all districts in the City of Kigali, which, in a period of one week, saw a total of 714 churches closed down.
As it is not the issue of Kigali alone, the exercise has now reached all provinces and saw 139 churches closed in Rwamagana District of Eastern Province and nine were closed in Muhanga town of Muhanga District.
In Karongi District of Western Province, a total of 625 churches were closed this week.
Affected churches are these found lacking basic infrastructure, fell short of hygiene, safety standards, no space for parking, have no legal licenses and those operating in residential houses among others.
Some church leaders and worshipers did not welcome the way the decision was implemented saying that they were not given ample time for preparation.
A Gasabo District resident who did not want his identification to appear in the media says the church helped him repent and abandon criminal practices.
“Before I joined this church, I was a sinner always committing adultery, a robber at Nyabugogo, but today I am respected in the church and the family, so where am I going to pray from?” He wondered.
Apostle Sarah Muhongerwa the head of Arch of Peace Church told IGIHE last month that if they had been given ample time, they would meet all requirements.
“If they had given us a certain period for preparation, we would put in place all requirements as we were in process to construct our church,” she said.
Another pastor, Rev. Emmanuel Ndikumana, the head of El Elohe Pentecotist Church said that his church was closed down when they were in the process of constructing toilets.
“They came telling us that we run short of standards and they closed down our church, we had no toilets but we were in the process of constructing them. The way they implemented the decision in not well thought out,” he said.
Among the affected churches are those of the Association of Pentecostal Churches in Rwanda (ADEPR) from different parts of the country.
Speaking to IGIHE, the spokesperson for ADEPR, Pastor Ephrem Karuranga said that it was time for the government to remind churches about the standards.
He said that they will continue to discuss with institutions in charge as well as putting in place all requirements so that they can be allowed to re-open.
“Those are existing directives that are being exercised. We are doing our best to meet standards, by paving the floors and putting in place rain water harvesting systems among others,” he said.
He said that he has no exact numbers of ADEPR churches that were closed, but added that they are many. He said that numbers always change as the exercise continues.
About the affected worshipers, Karuranga said that they gather in churches which were not closed.
“But, as many churches have been affected, we are trying our best to solve the problems,” he said.
According to him worshipers faced different challenges including losing where to congregate from. For the church, he said it is hard to put in place all requirements in a short period.
{{Civil Society backs the decision}}
Speaking to IGIHE, the Chairperson of Rwanda Civil Society platform, Jean Leonard Sekanyange said that they don’t have any problem with the exercise as it is in line with laws regulating faith-based organisations in the country.
“This is not an act against worshipers. It is not stopping religious oraganisations from operating, it is the infrastructure they operate from which lack some standards. It would have been a problem if it was banning religions in the country,” he said.
He said that for people to open up a church, they know all requirements and should not continue to appeal for time to put them in place.
“They have been warned at different times; we all know that they were requested to reduce noise pollution by installing sound proofs,” he added saying that lives of people congregating in one place should be given special protection against any possible calamities.
Sekanyange urges church heads to meet the required standards so that they continue to operate with the safety of worshipers well assured.
{{RGB says those affected should abide with laws}}
According to Justus Kangwagye, the Head of Political Parties and Civil Society Department at the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB), for those affected and now putting in place all requirements should work closely with local government officials.
He said that some religious organisations opened up different branches, and did not consider having all standards as those available to the mother church.
“As they have the right to operate from all over the country, some of them go to open up new branches and forget to put in place some basic or crucial requirements like ensuring people’s security and installing water taps as the government requires. Musanze based church should have same standards as that of Kigali,” he explained.
Kangwagye urged those with no operating licenses to request them through online portal.
Article three of the Law No06/2012 of 17/02/2012 determing organization and functioning of religious organisations says that everone shall enjoy freedom of worship without a prior authorization. Freedom of worship shall be exercised in accordance with the appropriate legal provisions.
The Law says that to practice and show one’s belief in a religious-based organization of his/her choice shall be subject to legal provisions and shall not jeopardize security, public order and heath, morals or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others.
In article ten, religious-based organisations in their functioning and practices are requested to conform to laws of protection of public safety, health, morals and human rights.
The exercise to close down sub-standard churches is ongoing and will reach all districts in the country.
{{Fears}}
Some pundits have however pointed out the danger of leaving a big mass of people without being shepherded and therefore likely to slip into a dark zone of immorality that might breed crime.
“You may not be able to attach any physical or monetary value to the churches, but their enormous contribution towards building morals and social cohesion cannot be underestimated. So the abrupt closure of church structures is having a direct bearing on the morals of the populace,” says one of the worshipers that preferred anonymity.
Kagame said this in his message on International Women’s Day.
He said that the day was an important event to talk about.
The Head of State said that Rwanda has made great strides in empowering women and girls be in good politics, legal reform, and policy frameworks which helped speed up the progress.
“Increasingly, everyone understands that there is an unacceptably high cost to gender inequality,” he said.
He said that it was no accident that the renewal of the country was also accompanied by significant upgrades in the status, roles, and responsibilities of women. The same is true in nearly every country where gender equality has been taken seriously.
“Women are a cornerstone of prosperity for society as a whole. Even in situations of conflict, they are in a position to make unique contributions to peace and stability,” he noted.
Kagame reminded that there still much more to do to ensure women fell safe.
“Even so, all over the world, we see that the facts on the ground still don’t reflect those good intentions. The recent media attention to the disturbing experiences many women continue to live with is a wake-up call for all of us not to take the gains for granted. Indeed, there is still much more to do to ensure that women feel safe and enjoy equal opportunity,” he said.
In pursuing this Kagame urged that it is important to act together, not women on one side, and men on the other. He said that no one loses when women and girls experience equality and empowerment.
The fact that Rwanda has made great strides in gender equality is proven by the number of women in different institutions. Rwanda is the first country with the big number of women in parliament where they occupy 64% of seats.
The refugees received in Bugarama sector of Rusizi District started to cross the border in midday yesterday.
Speaking to National Broadcaster, RBA, Rusizi District Mayor, Frederic Harerimana said that the refugees were facilitated by United Nations Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Organisation Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
“They started to arrive at around 12:00pm to 1:30pm. As we talk now, no more others are coming, these came in with the facilitation of UNHCR and Monusco,” he said.
“We are helping them settle in, but, we are yet to talk to them about the cause. Sources say that they decided to come because their security was not well ensured. We are receiving them at Bugarama and Kamanyola boarders, we are registering them, we are putting them together so that we can provide them with basic needs like food and water,” he explained.
It is expected that they will be taken to Nyarushishi refugee camp in Nkungu Sector. Rwanda accommodates over 75,000 Burundian refugees that have fled to the country since April 2015.
o Mureshyankwano was born in a moderate family in the village
o She served as a teacher for 12 years
o She was once a refugee
o RPF uplifted her from a teacher to a parliamentarian, then to governor
o She is a committed Christian
Despite her political dockets at the helm of the Southern Province, Mureshyankwano dedicates ample time for her family and never forgets that there is Almighty Heavenly God above all; she regularly attends church and fervently worships the Lord.
Mureshyankwano, 60, has revealed to local radio station, Flash FM, her personal and political life and shared about her blessed life that has a lot putting a smile on her face.
Form her birth history, Mureshyankwano is a member of a large and moderate family.
“We were born nine, six girls and three boys, from our parents. I grew up in the farming family with a livestock of cows and goats. We were living in Karago Commune (district) in Gisenyi, currently in Nyabihu District, Western Province,” she narrates.
She grew up under a seriously disciplinary parenting that taught her about hard work.
“We were trained to work so hard that we would always go to school every morning after doing some Irish potato farming activities,” she says.
Mureshyankwano later got married and has three children, two are doing university studies.
{{RPF role in her career
}}
Mureshyankwano says that RPF Inkotanyi guided her on the course of her entire life, leading her up to the level she has attained now.
“During the Genocide against the Tutsi, I was not hunted but because of the ideology we had acquired, deceiving us about the character of Inkotanyi, I fled with others to DR Congo but I was lucky that those Inkotanyi we fled from for fear that they would kill us, were the ones to bring us back to our country,” she says.
Mureshyankwano joined RPF Inkotanyi political party in 2000, starting her political career that way. Before reaching a high profile in politics, she worked as a teacher for 12 years. She taught at a primary school in Rutsiro District from 1992 to 2001 and at Bumba Complex School from 2001 from 2005.
Mureshyankwano became the Coordinator of National Women Council in Rutsiro District in 2005, the position she kept until the 4th October 2016 when she joined the Lower Chamber of Parliament as a lawmaker.
She currently boasts of her contribution to Rwanda’s education during her teaching career and her role in legislation.
About her current position, Mureshyankwano says “And today, there is a lot I am doing in the interests of residents of the Southern Province.”
She wakes up early in the morning to plan the daily work as a strategy to deliver her duties.
“If I am to be in the office at 7:00 am, I wake up at 5:00 am to do preparations and from 6:00, I start checking out on my phone to know the morning situation in the province. I also allocate tasks to different people,” she says.
She cares of her family, hangs out with members
Though Mureshyankwano is not meeting daily her two daughters who are doing university and a son doing secondary school, she cares much about them and takes time to have talks with them when they are at home. She often spends weekend time with her husband who is working in the Western Province.
“In the end of year festive season, I often go out with my husband and children to share and enjoy life. We visited Canopy in Nyungwe Forest end of last year and we had good time together. It is good to take time for de-stressing. I also like doing body exercises for workouts,” she says.
{{Favourite food
}}
Mureshyankwano likes local food but does not take alcoholic drinks due to her religious beliefs.
“I like food without oil. I like most local items like pumpkin, Irish potato, fresh maize and peas,” she says.
{{Fervent worshipper
}}
Mureshyankwano is a Christian who freely worships and praises God from the temple.
“All I have attained is attributable to my God. It is due to Almighty God and our good country’s leadership that I am who I am today. I find pleasure in being in God’s temple, I praise him freely and dance for him always,” she concludes.
