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Kagame and Mushikiwabo made it to the annual list of most influential Africans who contributed in shaping the African narrative in the concluding year and also those envisaged to play a big role in the coming year, both on the continent and in the diaspora.

The list which has been revealed in New African magazine December 2018 edition includes Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize co-winner DR Congo’s Dr. Denis Mukwege; Botswana’s 31-year old Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Bogolo Joy Kenewendo and Egypt’s football star, Mo Salah among others.

“Rwanda revolutionary shift from a past of shame has been astounding. In the last two decades, Rwanda has leaped from least developed status to middle-income nation thanks to President Kagame’s fixation with what he terms the ‘developmental state’ model,” New African Magazine, commented on Kagame.”

Every developed economy without exception is the fruit of a free market and a strong developmental state working in tandem. The orthodoxy of shrinking the state to the bare minimum and replacing it with externally funded non-state actors, left Africa with no viable path out of poverty, Kagame says, as quoted in the New African Magazine.

“Democracy and development both depend on good politics, in which there is no room for the powerful interests who benefited most from the predatory states created by colonialism and prompted up by Cold War cynicism. Our democratic advances are constantly negated and in actual fact subverted,” he adds.

“With Rwanda’s stability achieved, Kagame has now focused his energies towards reforming the African Union,” the New Africa Magazine concludes on Rwanda’s President Kagame who also doubles as the current Chairman of the African Union.

On the list is also Louise Mushikiwabo, Rwanda’s long-serving Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation was elected as the new Secretary General of the Organization Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), “interestingly, in what looks like a change of tack in terms of the France-Rwanda relationships.”

Mushikiwabo assumes the new office in January 2019, becoming the second woman to head this international organization that represents nations and regions that speak French as a customary language after nine years heading Rwanda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

In the region, popular Ugandan Member of Parliament and Musician, Robert Kyagulanyi Sentamu known as Bobi Wine made it to the list with other musicians including Nigerians, David Adedeji Adeleke ‘Davido’ and Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun ‘Wizkid’ while other Heads of States on the list include South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa and Abdel Fatah el-Sisi, President of Egypt.

President Kagame made to the New African Magazine’s list of 100 most influential Africans after he was last week awarded the ‘African of The Year” award at the finale of the All Africa Business Leadership Awards held in Johannesburg South Africa.

The award celebrates and honors leaders who have contributed and shaped the African economy. President Kagame is also on the cover of the Forbes Africa December and January issue.

She said that everybody has at least one story of one woman or girl, who has sparked off remarkable changes around them, because they had been able to enjoy the many benefits of gender equality and social justice, beginning with equal access to knowledge and education.

The First Lady made the remarks as she spoke at the World Vision’s 14th Annual Event entitled as ‘Strong Women Strong World’ on Friday, 30th November this year in New York, USA.

Emphasizing on “She Can”, as stated by World Vision’s catch-line for the forum, Jeannette Kagame shared with the participants the story of one Yvette Ishimwe, a Rwandan woman in her early twenties, who studied physics, chemistry and biology in high school at a time when Government had started to push for girls’ increased enrollment in the STEM cohort.

“While in school, she [Yvette Ishimwe] decided to create a social enterprise called ‘Iriba Clean Water Delivery’ to extract water from natural sources such as lakes and to treat it using a water purifier system, before supplying it to households at an affordable cost. A simple yet innovative concept, allowing communities living in water-scarce environments, to access clean, potable water available at arm’s length,” First Lady Kagame recounted.

Rwanda’s First Lady said that the role of women is changing which calls for an expansion of opportunities in order to keep with the evolving aspirations all members of the Rwandan society like everywhere else in the world.

In Rwanda, like everywhere else, the role of women is changing, and opportunities need to expand, in order to keep pace with the evolving aspirations of all members of our society.

“It is imperative to consider the dual role that women embrace in these modern times. Traditionally, most were expected to focus exclusively on the family sphere, and fulfill their responsibilities as wives, mothers, and caregivers,” she said adding that “in today’s fast-paced world, women are seen as full participants in both the private and public arena. Their roles have shifted from mothers and caregivers to an increasing acceptance of their role as leaders, in their own right.”

“Both roles should be seen as complementary and foundational – for the children, the family, and ultimately for society at large.,’’ she added.

Mrs. Kagame further said: “We must intensify our resolve to change cultural practices that limit women to specific roles, in a thinly veiled attempt, at keeping them steps below their male counterparts.”

She also talked about Imbuto Foundation, an organization that she founded, that offers awards to Best Performing Girls in schools and Scholarships to well-performing students from families with financial difficulties, to encourage them to aspire to excellence, and open pathways for a better future.

“This kind of recognition also inspires and motivates other students to work hard, aim high and positively influence the course of not only their lives but that of their community and country,” Jeannette Kagame said.

The World Vision’s 14th Annual Event saw about 250 participants, men, and women who discussed ways to enable women to play an equal role as men in bringing out changes to alleviate poverty.

It also attracted the Ambassador of Rwanda to the United Nations, the Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nation, Fatima Kyari Mohammed and other staff members of the World Vision among other guests.

This was revealed on Friday when it announced reviewed IFRS-based 3Q & 9M 2018 results in the first three months of 2018.

The event coincided with its cross-listing on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) the Nairobi Stock Exchange Market. The cross-listing marks the entrance of the first Rwandan company in the Kenyan capital market, which is considered to be the biggest in the region.

Head of Finance and Budget at BK, Samuel Nshimiyimana attributed the good performance to the increase in the number of loans issued and savings.

“There has been an increase in the loans we give to our customers which grew by 10.6% compared to the same period last year, up to Rwf500.7 billion. Meanwhile, savings also increased by 3.1% to Rwf492 billion,” he said.

BK Group Chief Commercial Officer General, Vincent Gatete said that among the reasons for the increase in savings and loans, including the fact that they have been increasingly approaching their customers and effort invested in easing access to services by means of technology.

He added that after establishing a system known as BKQuick, customers were interested in applying for loans by means of a mobile phone and in short period of time.

BK Group Plc, which is comprised of the Bank of Kigali, BK General Insurance, BK TecHouse which offers ICT services, and BK Capital which offers stocks and exchange market services.

The number of people using technology that facilitates farmers to access fertilizers provided by BK TecHouse known as ‘Smart Nkunganire’ hit Rwf1.5 million from Rwf1.2 million in the first six months of 2018.

Meanwhile, a technology known as ‘Urubuto Education system’ that is used to monitor child behavior at school is used by about 160000 people.

At BK General Insurance, the amount of money from insurances hit Rwf4.9 billion, equivalent to an increase of 66% compared to the previous year.

Profits expected from cross-listing on Nairobi Securities Exchange

Bank of Kigali’s Chief Operating Officer, Desire Rumanyika said that aside from being proud of the profits the bank has earned, they are also delighted to benefit from Kenya’s Securities Exchange market.

He also highlighted that the goal they set to rise BK Group PLC’s core capital which started with domestic stock and exchange market was achieved since the shares dedicated to existing shareholders were all bought and those who applied for the shares exceeded around 8% of available shares.

“More than 200 million shares we had floated were all purchased, and oversubscribed; we got Rwf60 billion. This shows that those who invested in the BK are financially optimistic, and they support our program to develop BK,” he added.

Aside from the rise in profitability, BK Group Plc’s total assets amounted to Rwf763.5 billion, an increase of 5% compared to the previous year.

The meeting is taking place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where President Kagame is also participating in G20 Summit. He will speak on “Putting People First” a topic highlighting technology, youth jobs, and women empowerment.

The office of the President on Twitter wrote that Kagame and Ramaphosa have held discussions but did not reveal the content of their discussions.

The discussions of both heads of state take place as plans to revitalize their countries’ relationship which has not been good are being crafted.

Since 2014, Rwanda and South Africa’s relationship has been bad.

Rwandan ambassador to South Africa Vincent Karega, recently told IGIHE that since Ramaphosa took power, there have been steps taken towards normalizing relations between the two countries.

Rwanda is worried by people accused of terrorism crimes that are hiding in South Africa, such as Kayumba Nyamwasa.

Rwanda is also raising issues of Rwandans who are denied visas to South Africa.

In March, President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the problem of Rwandans being denied visas to South Africa was going to become history after holding talks with President Paul Kagame.

President Kagame and Ramaphosa had last held talks in Nouakchott, Mauritania, end of June this year, on the occasion of the 31st Summit of the African Union.

Ndayizera was arrested last week with another man suspected to have handed him the dynamite.

Ndayizera who resides in Muhanga District was presented to media today Wednesday, 28th November at RIB headquarters in Kimihurura, Kigali.

Speaking to members of local and international media, Ndayizera denied all the charges against him saying “I know nothing about those dynamites.”

The Spokesperson of the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB), Modeste Mbabazi said Ndayizera was arrested in Nyamirambo, Kigali last week after he had received the dynamite.

Terrorism is punished under article 19 of the antiterrorism law. It stipulates that any person who attempts, takes part or supports terrorism acts commits a crime and upon conviction, he shall be liable to a penalty of not less than 15 years of imprisonment but not more than 20 years.

Last year, a search to identify public workers who needed support for affordable residential housing was announced. Rwanda Housing Authority (RHA) says it is a comprehensive program that will as well benefit private sector workers earning at least Rwf200,000 per month.

In an exclusive interview with IGIHE, Leopold Uwimana, the Affordable Housing Division Manager at the Rwanda Housing Authority, said that public workers looking for houses are welcome.

“We started with public workers, but it is a program for every Rwandan citizen. We know that what is necessary is that applicants must have a way to pay back, but we counted over 6000 public workers,” he said.

RHA indicates that about 7113 workers, including those from private institutions and 800 individuals, have shown interest.

Uwimana further states that “Someone who is eligible for a house and pays back in installments at a minimum interest rate of 10%, is the one earning Rwf200,000 and Rwf1.2 million.

He said Rwf250 million will be injected in the ‘Affordable Housing Fund’. So far, he said, only Rwf150 million has been donated by the World Bank, but the government hopes that the fund may be operational in the next two months.

In linking workers to investors, Ndera Affordable Housing Project in Ndera Sector, Gasabo District, has already produced housing master plans for over 1700 houses for those who registered earlier.

The project is part of partnership agreements between BRD (Rwanda Development Bank), and Palmeraie Development Group, signed in 2016, when Moroccan King, Mohamed VI visited Rwanda.

In August 2018, BRD announced that the houses will be built in floors, including one house with two living rooms and one room for the laundry which will cost between Rwf27.3 and Rwf32.76 million.

The beneficiaries will pay for 5% of the shelter value as first installment a monthly payment of 40% of their monthly income.

Construction projects are expected to begin in January 2019.

According to RHA, today there is a plan to establish a system by which people may apply for houses online which will be done through Irembo website.

For Rwandans earning less than Rwf200,000 per month, Uwimana said that RHA encourage investors like Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB), to build a large number of affordable housings for rent and not for sale.

Rwanda has a great deal of investment opportunities in constructing houses for rent, and the government is helping investors to acquire land, and link them to buyers.

Mukabalisa made the remarks on Sunday as the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion launched a 16-day campaign of activism against gender-based violence.

Statistics by the National Public Prosecution Authority indicate that the authority received 2996 cases of defilement between July 2017 and June this year.

This is after 17000 children between 15 and 19 years’ old were impregnated in 2016.
Mukabalisa said the numbers sound horrible which calls for a collective part in the fight against gender-based violence.

“Different reports indicate that the number of unwanted pregnancies among teenagers keeps increasing in both urban and rural districts, which is sad. We should not sleep and feel at ease while our children’s lives are under this threat. If nothing is done, our country would be heading to nowhere. It requires our cooperative hands to fight gender-based violence,” she said.

Mukabalisa added that parents should take part in fighting GBV by talking to them about reproduction.

She, however, criticized the youth who don’t listen to parents’ advice and succumb to peer pressure and irresponsible behaviors including watching pornographic films among others.

The Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, Solina Nyirahabimana urged parents especially those with children who were defiled never to keep that information to them or trying to resolve that problem by a mutual understanding with suspected defilers.

“Some parents hold private talks with those who violate their children and sometimes want their underage daughters to be married to criminals and keep away from justice. No agreements should be made over such crime committed,” said Minister Nyirahabimana.

The Secretary-General of the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB), Col. Jeannot Ruhunga emphasized that a recent survey found some parents to victims of gender-based violence had chosen to resolve the problem in good understanding with the offenders.

Col Ruhunga said that this results in the victim’s trauma and irrigates the culture of impunity which must end.

The revelations were made by the Minister of Environment, Dr. Vincent Biruta on Monday as he inaugurated the 4th High-level policy dialogue for Africa Green Growth Forum 2018 slated to start on Tuesday, 27th to 30th November this year in the Green Growth with a theme that goes as “For a Green and Climate Resilient Rwanda.”

The forum organized by the Ministry of Environment with the United Nations Development Programme attracts about 1000 participants including politicians, business people, economists from Africa along with visitors who have come from all corners of the globe.

Minister Biruta said, “Rwanda’s Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy was created in 2011 and remain a ground-breaking piece of policymaking.”

Biruta said that to implement the strategy, the Government has introduced the Green Fund (FONERWA) “to be the vehicle through which resources for climate and environmental change initiatives are mobilized and invested. The fund has seen a positive return on these investments.’’

“It has created more than 140,000 green jobs, protected tens of thousands of hectares of land against the impact of climate change, and with the support of our development partners, mobilized more than 150 million dollars for strategic green growth,” Minister Biruta explained.

“This has led to the development of Green Villages across the country, which some of you will visit on Friday, a Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production programme which is supporting the private sector to save money and the environment, and the greening of local government development plans,” he added.

The UN Rwanda Resident Coordinator, Fodé Ndiaye commended for the step made in promoting the green economy that ensures businesses don’t destroy the environment.

“I would like to praise the outstanding initiative the Ministry is spearheading to coordinate the implementation of the Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy and to integrate green growth into policymaking and planning, as well as institutional development,” Mr. Ndiaye said.

Rwanda is a member of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (CCAC) that aims to catalyze rapid reductions in short-lived climate pollutants to protect human health, agriculture and the environment.

After the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP 21, that was in Paris in 2015, Rwanda committed to enhancing green growth projects. Rwanda signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change in April 2016.

Rwanda has a demonstrated track record of environmental protection, evidenced through the ban on plastic bags, conservation of its natural heritage through a series of national parks and protected areas, landscape restoration and the planting millions of trees every year.

In terms of green growth, the Paris agreement signing by Rwanda in 2016 found, 6,807 households having had improved access to off-grid energy thanks to investments made by FONERWA and private sector partners.

DW has brought up Africa’s most powerful women. They are nine women who have shown incredible courage in leadership and affairs of their countries. Let’s study a few of these personalities.

{{Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Africa’s first woman president
}}

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was the first elected woman leader of an African state. As president of Liberia from 2006 to 2018, she worked to fight unemployment, national debt, and Ebola. Johnson Sirleaf won the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize for her commitment to security and the rights of women. Today she chairs a UN High-Level Panel on Migration in Africa.

{{Sahle-Work Zewde, a big step for the women of Ethiopia
}}

Sahle-Work Zewde is the president of Ethiopia since October 2018. The role is considered largely ceremonial as power lies with the prime minister and the Council of Ministers. Zewde’s election is considered a great step forward in Ethiopia, where men dominate politics and business. Half of the Ethiopian cabinet is made up of women.

{{Louise Mushikiwabo, the supreme advocate of the Francophone world
}}

Louise Mushikiwabo, the former foreign minister of Rwanda, becomes Secretary General of the International Organization of La Francophonie in 2019. Mushikiwabo was elected despite the fact that Rwanda replaced French with English as the main language for administration, business and education a decade ago. Her appointment is seen as a diplomatic triumph, supported by the French president.

{{Amina Mohammed, One woman and 193 states
}}

Nigerian Amina Mohammed has been deputy secretary general of the United Nations since January 2017. She had worked with the UN on the Millennium Development Goals from 2002 to 2005, Mohammed later served as special advisor to the then UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and worked for a year as Nigeria’s environment minister under President Muhammadu Buhari.

{{Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, debt fighter at the helm of government
}}

In Namibia, Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila has led the government since March 2015, when she became the first woman to do so. She previously served as finance minister, pursuing the ambitious goal of reducing the national debt. The economist has been a member of Namibia’s National Assembly since 1995.

{{Isabel dos Santos, oil princess in disrepute
}}

Isabel dos Santos, the daughter of Angola’s ex-president Jose dos Santos, is Africa’s wealthiest woman. She amassed some of her wealth after her father made her director of the state-owned oil company in 2016. The new president of Angola dismissed her in one of his first official acts and initiated a corruption probe.

{{Jaynet Kabila, Powerbroker in the background
}}

Jaynet Kabila, the twin sister of the Democratic Republic of Congo President Joseph Kabila and daughter of the former president Laurent Kabila, is known for her secrecy and diligence. She is a lawmaker who owns a television, Internet and radio company. In 2015, the French magazine Jeune Afrique declared her to be the most influential person in government.

{{Kamissa Camara, a cabinet minister making history
}}

Kamissa Camara, the youngest and first female foreign minister in the history of Mali, is a newcomer to foreign policy. The 35-year-old was appointed to cabinet by re-elected President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and is now one of 11 women in a government comprised of 32 cabinet ministers.

{{Folorunsho Alakija, an oil magnate and benefactor
}}

Nigerian Folorunsho Alakija is worth $1.6 billion (€1.4 billion). The oil production in Nigeria country makes the owner of Famfa Oil the third richest person in the country. Forbes Magazine lists her among the richest people worldwide. The 67-year-old has a foundation that supports widows and orphans.

Kagame was replying to tweets of different people who asked for a ban on chemicals used in skin bleaching on Rwandan market.

One Fiona Kamikazi tweeted: “I think Rwanda Standards Bureau and the Ministry of Health should start a campaign against skin bleaching, a BIG one because this is getting out of hand.”

In another tweet, one Maurice Kayisire said: “A man told his wife ‘you should ask other women the lotion they use on their skins. Bleaching is a societal problem, not a problem for women alone.”

Following the viral tweets, retweets and replies on Sunday evening, Kagame, using his personal Twitter account, tweeted: “Quite unhealthy among other things. Includes use of prohibited chemicals. MoH [Ministry of Health and RNP [Rwanda National Police] need to reign this in very quickly…!”

Rwanda Standards Bureau stated that campaigns against bleaching have been carried out but the problem keeps increasing which makes the intensified measures against bleaching a necessity for people to change mindsets.

Many think lotions with hydroquinone are the only ones designed to bleach skin, but there are many other substances which are not shown on the list of ingredients which are more harmful than hydroquinone according to dermatologists.

Hydroquinone was banned on the Rwandan market but it is still available according to sources who talked to IGIHE.

Dermatologists say three-quarters of lightening lotions can harm the health of the skin except lightening hyper hydro acid lotions, which are extracted from fruits like Bioderma and others.

The Director of Quality Assurance Unit at Rwanda Standards Bureau (RSB), Mr Philippe Nzaire once told IGIHE that a number of measures had been taken to fight against skin bleaching lotions imported to Rwandan market.

He said: “We have to start by fighting them (skin bleaching products) at border areas. We also plan to check marketplaces where they are illicitly sold and take them from sellers for buyers’ interest.”

Recently, in the Interpol operation conducted against illegal and substandard products in Kigali City suburbs, lotions with skin bleaching chemicals were also seized.

Both users and sellers of skin bleaching lotions do not understand why these lotions were banned in Rwanda.

In an interview with IGIHE, Aline Mukamana said: “When somebody has once used it [skin bleaching lotion] and he/she lacks it, then his/her body is destroyed because that has been used to it and requires to use it every day.”

Legitimate lotion products in Rwanda have to have less than 0.07% of hydroquinone. However, on the market, lotion with 2% of hydroquinone chemicals is available at different markets in Rwanda.