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Laurette Mugabo was part of the 2,000 young professionals convened for “Meet the President’ session at Intare Conference Arena in Kigali, Sunday.

The group of young people from across the country and the Diaspora presented a range of views and challenges to President Paul Kagame in an interactive session.

Ms. Mugabo said she had a problem about the ease of getting a job in Rwanda for the youth especially those from Diaspora.

“When we come here, it’s really hard to get jobs. If you don’t have connections, it’s technically hard to get them (jobs)… a connection of someone recommending you… a friend or relative recommending you,” she said.

“On top of my head, my older sister graduated from the University of Kansas and sat here for one and a half years until my mum had to pull a few strings, asked a few people.”

Mugabo said her sister applied for a job in different institutions including Rwanda Development Board recently where “they had to pull a few strings as well.”

The issue irritated President Kagame who said the nepotism must stop if it is the case in job recruitment.

“It sounds very bad to me. I want explanation about that,” said the Head of State.
Ingabire Marie Immaculée, the Chairperson of Transparency International Rwanda, has told IGIHE “what that young girl told the President is true, she wasn’t lying.”

The recruitment process in Rwanda starts with the institution announcing a job vacancy via internet platforms. Interested candidates apply and then sit for written and interview tests.

For application, people fill a form and send it to the recruiters via e-mail. The recruiting institution shortlists some candidates for tests.

Ingabire said there are gaps all along the recruitment process, making it possible for bribery and injustice. She says it starts with the job vacancy announcement and continues into tests.

“There was a case of a teacher who passed away in Gasabo District and the Sector’s Education Officer told the head teacher that they had found someone who wanted to pay Rwf300,000 to replace the deceased,” she said.

Angelina Muganza, the Executive Secretary of Public Service Commission, has told IGIHE that there are often problems in selecting candidates for the job tests.

The report of the commission indicates that among 23 issues identified in the country’s employment, some are about the recruitment of unqualified servants.

They also include malpractices in placing people in jobs before completing three years in their previous positions as required by the law.

Others were found in jobs without having presented the required academic documents.

“We cannot know why recruiters have chosen those servants but we tell those institutions that they were wrong in that recruitment,” said Muganza.

The commission also found cases where contracted recruitment consultants had close relationships with people who won the jobs, casting doubt on the recruitment.

The Presidential Order states that a candidate wins a job after securing 70% of the written and interview tests combined.

Muganza said they are reducing injustice in recruitment by avoiding candidates’ names on answer booklets and video-recording interviews during the tests.

Transparency International Rwanda suggests more efforts be put in encouraging people to report bribery as survey indicated in 2017 that graft was reported by only 15% of all who encountered the vice.

He was speaking during the ‘Meet the President’ session at Intare Conference Arena, where he met over 2,000 young professionals from across the country and the Diaspora.

Observing that drugs were dangerous to the individual’s health and to the health of the country, the Head of State told the Rwandan youth that they owed it to themselves to join hands and make sure the issue was squarely addressed.

“Why on earth would you want to get wasted?” Kagame remarked on drug abuse amongst the youth.

“The country is your family. When you’re not well as an individual, the country is not well. When the country is not well, you as an individual are not well,”

“If you’re not doing drugs as an individual, make sure even the person you call a friend, a relative does not use drugs. It’s your responsibility, do something,” Kagame advised.

{{Kagame encourages youth to innovate
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President Kagame further urged the youth to push themselves harder and make use of their brains, as the country was not short of problems and could use many innovative ideas, to deal with them.

“Ask yourself, what is it that I can do to address problems myself or the country is faced with. If you do not exercise your brain it dies. If you don’t succeed today, or tomorrow, there is no harm. Keep trying, you may succeed at the 10th trial,” President Kagame counseled.
He told the youth to look at failure differently, pick lessons and learn why it didn’t work out so to try something else.

“It does not come automatically; you have to work at it.” Kagame remarked.

On opportunities, the head of State cautioned the youth that there was no shortcut. He observed that his job was to work with the government and other institutions to make sure as many opportunities were created as humanely possible and that every Rwandan, no matter their background, can access them.

“There is no shortcut. I cannot promise young people that you will wake up and have a job. We are the ones who have to chase opportunities. Opportunities will not chase us,” he added.

“We want a country with the freedom to realize your aspirations to be whatever you want to be. But we have to remember that as you want to exercise your legitimate, legal freedoms, you have to make sure you are not infringing on someone else’s freedom,” Kagame told the youth.

Overall the session focused on key areas of health, education and exercising skills through innovation and creativity in building the country.

The announcement that was made over the weekend shows that the 2018/19 academic year will start with Students from these two UR branches, studying in Huye.

The development was further confirmed by Mike Karangwa, the Director of Communication at University of Rwanda who told IGIHE that; “All practicing journalists and Day students of Business and Economics will be relocated to Huye, while Evening students will stay at Gikondo.”

The school of Journalism and Communications used to be in Huye District, back in 2011. It was temporally relocated from there to Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) campus before being relocated again to the College of Business and Economics (CBE), Gikondo in 2016.

Paul Mbaraga, a lecturer at University of Rwanda’s School of Journalism and Communication, noted that the impending relocation of the School of Journalism and Communication, to Huye would greatly affect practicing journalists continuous learning programme.

“Most media houses that gave practicing journalists an opportunity to upgrade are established in Kigali,” Mbaraga said, emphasizing that media practitioners would no longer be able to access internship programmes and attachment to these media houses.

He further remarked that agreements that the school had with media houses for capacity building will as well be affected.

“In Huye, we won’t be able to continue the cooperation easily. We can still do it, but it will be expensive for these practicing journalists.”

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Rwanda (UR) in charge of institutional advancement, Dr. Charles Murigande, recently told IGIHE that the relocation would not affect anyone as “there are other great media practitioners in Huye.”

“It’s not something that you forget,” said Annan, then-U.N. secretary general. “It’s an experience that, if you go through, becomes part of you, and part of your whole experience as a human being.”

In 1994, at least one million of Rwandans were slaughtered in a 100-day genocide, when Hutu soldiers and militias slaughtered members of the Tutsi ethnic group. At that time, Annan was chief of U.N. peacekeeping.

Annan left behind a complicated legacy when he died Saturday at age 80. A Ghanaian national, he would go on to become the first U.N. secretary general from sub-Saharan Africa. The Nobel Peace Prize laureate managed to in some ways to make progress in Africa in his time leading the U.N. and after, but many saw his failure to intervene in Rwanda beforehand as inextricably intertwined with his later accomplishments. (He also oversaw peacekeeping during the brutal Srebrenica massacre that left thousands of Muslims dead during the Balkans War.)

In 1994, the U.N. instructed Canadian Lt. Gen. Romeo Dallaire, who headed the U.N. peacekeeping force in Rwanda, not to intervene. Dallaire wanted more troops to quell the escalating violence, but instead most of them were withdrawn. In 2014, Dallaire wrote in a Washington Post column that “preventing this genocide was possible; it was our moral obligation. And it’s a failure that has haunted me every day for the last 20 years.”

As journalist Stanley Meisler wrote in Annan’s obituary in The Washington Post: “He and his aides worked behind the scenes to prevent the widespread killing in Rwanda, but they said the forces of ethnic hatred were too strong to temper. When the massacres erupted in the mid-1990s, the U.N. Security Council, led by the United States, did little to stop them; hundreds of thousands were killed. ”

Carl Wilkens is an American who was working for the humanitarian arm of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Rwanda when the genocide began. He refused to leave, even as the situation escalated dramatically. In a phone call with The Post on Saturday, he said that the U.N. initially provided a false sense of security for many Rwandans, who may otherwise have run. It was “an enormous failure that has always been a very, very difficult thing for me,” said Wilkens, who wrote a book about the genocide, called “I’m not leaving.”

“Every time, I thought are you kidding me? The person in charge of this enormous failure then gets made the secretary general of the U.N.,” Wilkens said. “That just really was a bitterness inside of me. I think it blinded me from any other positive contributions and achievements and reasons that he may have been selected for that position and then what he was able to accomplish.”

Annan acknowledged the U.N.’s shortcomings, saying in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital, in 1998 that “the world failed Rwanda at that time of evil.” Meisler wrote in Annan’s obituary that he later “published long reports, chock full of classified cables, that detailed the United Nations’ mistakes in dealing with the massacre in Srebrenica during the Balkans war and Rwanda in the 1990s.”

In 2001, Annan shared the Nobel Peace Prize with the United Nations “for having revitalized the U.N. and for having given priority to human rights,” the prize’s website says, in addition to his work on “the struggle to contain the spreading of the HIV virus in Africa and his declared opposition to international terrorism.”

Annan is also widely credited with brokering a peace deal that put an end to post-election violence in Kenya in early 2008, after contested elections in 2007 sparked clashes that left hundreds dead.

Wilkens said that in the wake of Annan’s death, he now hopes to set aside some of his bitterness and take a more objective look at what the complicated leader accomplished after 1994.

“When I read about his death, I realized I was very much guilty of something that I think Rwanda has been trying to teach me, and something I think everybody should have a look at,” Wilkens said. “Are we always going to be defined by our worst choices? Our worst mistakes?”

{{Source: [Washington Post->https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2018/08/18/kofi-annans-legacy-was-complicated-by-rwandan-genocide/?utm_term=.d8733c3d0fa1]}}

In April 2018 Rwanda was chosen to host the 2020 Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting (CHOGM), becoming the second East African country to host this prestigious meeting after Uganda that hosted it in 2007.

The good news were announced in London, United Kingdom at the closure of the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

After nine years of membership, Rwanda will be the first country that is not a former British colony to host the meeting.

“What a brilliant transformation this country is! Anyone who is a student of development and history will vote for the leadership which this country has shown, in terms of transforming this nation which suffered the 1994 Genocide against Tutsis,” Goheer said.

“2011 was the time for Africa to chair the executive committee in the Board of Governors of the Commonwealth in London and being the largest group of nations within the organization, Africa chose Rwanda out of all countries –such as South-Africa, Tanzania and Kenya to represent the executive committee of Board of Governors,” he added.

Goheer, who closely worked with Rwanda for a period of thirty years, lauded in general Rwanda’s High-Commissioners and representatives around the world for their dynamism in their work.

“I am used to this streak of excellence from Rwanda. If I may say, you have been punching well above your rates in the international system. I can put my heart on hand and say that you have every capacity and capability from all levels and we are hoping that together, we will deliver a fantastic CHOGM so that it will be very difficult for countries after Rwanda to ace it.”

Goheer who came to supervise the 2020 CHOGM’s preparations in Rwanda remarked that the commonwealth was assured in Rwanda’s expertise in leadership.

“Rwanda is currently the chair of the African Union, and is performing well that role, but again it is only one continent, while in the case of the commonwealth, it is all continents of the world united; but through performance and track records, Rwanda has shown that it is capable to handle it,” he added.

While in Rwanda, Goheer met Prof. Anastase Shyaka, the Chief Executive of Rwanda Governance Board (RGB), and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and East African Community Affairs, Olivier Nduhungirehe, among others.
Being a host for this meeting is considered as a unique opportunity as the event will come with great benefits for several sectors in the country such as boosting in tourism, market for Rwanda’s Made-In-Rwanda products, political liaisons and much more.

The Commonwealth of Nations was first officially formed in 1931 and is a voluntary association of 53 sovereign states.

Kagame delivered the remarks Friday, in the capacity of the African Union (AU) Chairman, at the 38th SADC Summit in Windhoek, Namibia.

Citing examples of Comoros, Lesotho and Madagascar where SADC has offered support recently as well in handling security issues, Rwanda’s President told SADC countries’ Heads of State that they will be called upon to do the same where similar action is required.

“Wearing the hat of Chair of the AU, I wish to stress that we must meet such issues up front. It has happened before. Crises of security with cross-border implications have been settled by other countries or regional groupings. After all, we are all connected. And we all know too well that there are matters that we cannot just wish away but we have to face them directly and find the right remedies for them,” he said.

Kagame said the AU is pleased that SADC and the AU accompanied the political process in Zimbabwe, and now matters are in the right direction and in the final stages in being resolved before the courts of law.

“SADC has a similar role to play in DRC. We applaud the latest developments there, showing respect for the Constitution and the Agreement of December 2016. This is an important step, and others are hoped for as agreed by the people of this great country, You can count on the AU as a partner if you need support.”

SADC has so far helped mediating opposition and government in DRC. The process has led to a calmer situation as the incumbent President Joseph Kabila stepped aside last week and let former interior minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary represent the ruling People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD) in December 23 elections.

SADC has also nominated Hifikepunye Pohamba, the former President of the Republic of Namibia, to serve as the bloc’s Special Envoy to the DRC.

Commenting on the summit’s theme “Promoting Infrastructure Development and Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development”, Kagame said infrastructure development and the free movement of persons are key to translating African aspirations into practical results for the citizens.

“Equally, the long-term prospects or prosperity and security of Africa, depend on creating the conditions and environment that enable our young people, to achieve their full potential, right here at home,” he said.

“We have the ability to do more for our countries individually, but even better, together. Today, more than ever, collaboration among African countries is not a choice. It is an imperative, in real terms.”

The AU Chairman urged participants to ensure actions are always fully aligned with ideals of the African unity.

He said some countries’ attitudes that weaken mutual trust and antagonise neighbours, slow Africa down while advancing the external interests of those who benefit from a divided Africa.

Kagame reiterated the importance of the African Continental Free Trade Area, and the Protocol on the Free Movement of Persons, saying the two will significantly increase the level of trade among African nations while strengthening their negotiating position globally in line with the African Agenda 2063.

Established in 1980, SADC has 16 Member States including Angola, Botswana, Comoros, DRC, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, the Kingdom of eSwatini, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The holy mass that was led by Bishop Célestin Hakizimana of Gikongoro Diocese and other priests who encouraged the pilgrims to love each other and be grateful for what they were given by the Lord.

Among others, they prayed against the streak of Ebola in Congo and for Burundi’s security to be restored.

Belie vers came from afar and near to ask the Mary to intercede for them and shower them with blessings.

Kieni Francis, who travelled from Uganda to arrive on the 12th August 2018, said she came to call out to the Virgin Mary’s mercy and for more miracles to happen into her life.

“I lost my husband when I was still very young. I like calling out to the Virgin Mary, to help me in the problems I always meet,” Kieni said.

Karasira Egide from Kigali said; “I came yesterday and although receiving food is a problem indeed, others were not able to receive a place to stay in as rooms were fully booked. Foreign visitors came early and booked all the rooms.

Many pilgrims told IGIHE reporter that the main reason that brings them to Kibeho was due to the first apparition of Mother Mary at Kibeho, 37 years ago.

Carrying bottles and jericans, thousands of pilgrims went to draw holy water, sold at Rwf500 for five liters, from a spring at the foothill of Kibeho which is claimed to cure many diseases.

It is estimated that between 6000 and 7,000 pilgrims from around the world attended this year’s event.

{{Assumption Day at Kibeho Mary Mother of the Word in pictures }}

RwandAir, the national carrier, and Equity Bank also received Best Exhibitor Overall Awards as the first and second runners-up respectively.

During the official closing ceremony held Tuesday at Intare Conference Arena in Rusororo, Gasabo District, Rwanda’s Private Sector Federation (PSF) recognised other 10 exhibitors as the best in their respective areas of business.

The 10 are Isubyo House of Arts in arts and craft category, Next Page in innovation, Byiza Vuba Construction as best young entrepreneur, Continuity Group in ICT, Entreprise Urwibutso Nyirangarama in agro-processing, Ameki Color in manufacturing, Ecobank in banking and Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB) in insurance.

BPR Atlas Mara was recognised as best customer care provider while Egypt took the Best Foreign Exhibitor Award.

The Expo 2018 closing coincided with the Golden Night usually known as the Golden Gala Dinner to appreciate the best investors under the ultimate business network.

Eight investors in different categories received the Golden Circle Awards of Excellence. They include Rwanda’s brewery company, Bralirwa as winner of social impact award and MTN Rwanda for promoting digital economy.

Egide Gatera was recognised as the best investor overall, Hope Mpangare of Esperanza as best female investor, Ziah Murekatete as best young investor, Teklay Company as best retail outlet, André Bitwayiki for business promotion while Donatha Mukanyarwaya was awarded for environment protection in her business.

At the ceremony, Prime Minister Dr Edouard Ngirente committed the government to further supporting the private sector to make it the leader of the country’s economy as it is in the Government’s seven-year transformation programme running until 2024.

“We promise, as the government, that through our usual collaboration with PSF, we shall call you to discuss issues you have raised and find solutions. We highly appreciate your contribution in creating jobs, promoting investment and the country’s development in general,” he said.

“We are committed to developing Made in Rwanda as we increase exports by 12% every year, increase tourism revenues to $800 million by 2024. We shall continue to lower electricity prices, construct roads and more infrastructures to support investment.”

Tourism revenues stood at $404 million in 2016 and the 2017 figures are yet to be released.

The Premier thanked exhibitors at Expo 2018 especially winners of exhibitors’ awards of excellence and urged private sector to improve the quantity and quality of their production.

The PSF Chairman Robert Bapfakurera appreciated the government’s exemption of taxes on many imported materials that local factories are using on a daily basis but said it is not clear how locally produced goods are taxed while their similar imports are not, adding that the discrimination against local products is hampering the promotion of ‘Made in Rwanda’ initiative.

He said the Expo 2018 was a success with 89% of the 450 exhibitors commending its organisation while 97% visitors liked the products showcased.

Expo 2018 took place at the Gikondo Expo Ground in Kigali from July 26 to August 15 and attracted exhibitors from 23 countries from all the world’s continents.

English Premier League’s team has emblazoned ‘Visit Rwanda’ logo on its kit while the country will pay Arsenal some millions of British pounds which some media speculate as £30 million.

However, Rwanda Development Board (RDB) Chief Executive Clare Akamanzi told CNN recently that the amount is less than that without revealing the exact amount.

Since the deal unveiling in May, Western media and politicians have criticised Rwanda for spending a huge amount of dollars on one of the world’s richest teams while many Rwandans are living in poverty and the country receives foreign aid.

The three-year deal aimed at promoting Rwanda’s tourism was officially launched on Sunday at Arsenal FC season debut in which it lost 0-2 Manchester City.

Just a day after the deal took effect, CNN brought out similar critics and now Rwandan Government’s officials and ordinary people are snubbing the media especially via Twitter.

Amb. Olivier Nduhungirehe, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Retweeted CNN on Monday stating, “Tell me @CNN, how many countries, including African and developing countries, ‘spend millions of dollars’ to advertise their tourism on your network, which is one of the richest in the world? Have you ever complained? So, please be quiet! #FakeNews.”

The RDB Chief Operations Officer Emmanuel Hategeka tweeted, “@CNN this is #FakeNews! Plse take note: 1. Rwanda’s devt story today speaks to the right choices we have made each yr, 2. Aid has helped us but today only accounts for 16% of our national budget, 3. We generate tourism revenues that support our marketing budget incl #visitrwanda.”

Kim Kamasa, the diplomat in Rwanda’s embassy in Kenya, also tweeted, “Dear @CNN it’s more about value for money not where the money comes from. #Rwanda is investing some money to make more money so that more money can get to more needy people #VisitRwanda.”

More Twitter users including Rwandans and foreigners followed suit with some saying that CNN would not have made the same comments if it had got the Rwanda’s advertising deal that went to Arsenal FC. Others kept explaining that Rwanda is not sponsoring Arsenal as CNN reported but engaged in a beneficial partnership on both sides.

The ‘Visit Rwanda’ logo appears on Arsenal jersey’s left sleeve for the first team, under-23 and Arsenal Women, and be displayed on LED boards at the Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.

Under the deal too, players from Arsenal men and women’s teams will be visiting Rwanda and Arsenal’s coaches will be hosting coaching camps to support the development of football in Rwanda. At least 35 million people are expected to view the ‘Visit Rwanda’ logo on every Arsenal’s match day due to the team’s large fan base around the world.

According to Deloitte, Arsenal FC is the sixth largest club in the world while Manchester United and Real Madrid have the top two positions respectively.

At the rally on Monday, Dr Jean Chrysostome Ngabitsinze, the PSD Executive Secretary and the party’s number one candidate for a seat in the Lower House, said PSD intends to promote the livelihoods of the farmers through putting in place sustainable programmes, considering that the country’s economy is largely based on agriculture and livestock.

“Our country has fertile land and hard working farmers but we have to improve some areas with better planning in agriculture and animal resources sector. As PSD, we want to be a good advocate, to advocate on separating agriculture and animal resources to get each area develop better,” he said.

He said PSD will teach farmers on better practices and find them markets for the produces.

Dr Ngabitsinze said the party will seek to exempt taxes on the salary which is below Rwf60,0000 while the current law taxes the salary from Rwf30,000.

PSD President Dr Vincent Biruta said the party is proud of its contribution in the reconstruction of Rwanda after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi that had devastated the country.

“PSD has played a crucial role in reconstructing the country towards peace, unity, reconciliation and development. We are proud of the step we have made in democracy in our country. PSD is prepared to keep contributing in the country’s governance and development,” said Dr Biruta who is the Minister for Environment.
PSD has been in existence for 27 years and was in the coalition of parties which fought the genocidal regime in the 1990s.

After the genocide, PSD has been alongside the citizens in the reconstruction process and putting in place foundations for the governance that leads to the country’s development, democracy, justice and social welfare of the citizens.

In the 2003 presidential elections, PSD rallied behind then RPF candidate Paul Kagame but in 2010, PSD put forward its presidential candidate Dr Jean Damascène Ntawukuriryayo who won the second place in votes behind the RPF’s Paul Kagame.

PSD also emerged the second in 2013 parliamentary elections and acquired seven seats in Rwanda’s Parliament.

In 2015 PSD was part of the political parties and individual Rwandans who campaigned for the Constitution amendment to allow President Paul Kagame to run for the third term, citing his unrivalled leadership. The Constitution was later amended by the November 2015 Referendum, removing the two seven-year term limit that Kagame was serving until 2017 and allowed him a seven-year transition term ending in 2024 and two five-year terms thereafter.

In the 2017 presidential elections, PSD also rallied behind the RPF’s Kagame who won the elections.

For the upcoming parliamentary elections slated for September 2 and 3, PSD has now put forward 65 candidates among whom are 40 male and 25 female.