IGIHE

Tag: HomeNews

  • Togo Prime Minister & Government Resign

    {{The Republic of Togo is in a political crisis following the resignation of the country’s Prime Minister and government.

    The resignation was announced through a statement on Togo national television and radio.}}

    However, no reason was given for their stepping down. Togo is due to hold parliamentary elections in October.

    A statement issued late on Wednesday said that President Faure Gnassingbe had accepted Prime Minister Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo’s resignation but the former United Nations diplomat would temporarily continue to run daily business.

    No official reason was given for the resignation and close aides to Houngbo did not comment.

    Houngbo was virtually unknown on the Togolese political scene when he was named prime minister in 2008.

    He was kept in the post following Gnassingbe’s re-election in May 2010.

    In recent weeks, there have been a number of protests in the former French colony ahead of the poll as opposition groups seek to reverse changes to voting rules.

  • Kagame Attends Oxford University Re|Source 2012 Conference

    President Kagame, David Nabarro, Paul Conway, Professor Chalres Godfray and Peter Howell during panel at Re|Source 2012 Conference-Oxford, 12 July 2012

    {{Today at Oxford University, President Paul Kagame took part in the interactive discussions with over 200 global leaders ranging from heads of states, nobel laureates, scholars and members of the private sector.}}

    Held at Oxford University, the Re|Source 2012 conference aims to start a new conversation on the challenge posed by seemingly scarce resources and the world’s growing population.

    Preceding President Kagame’s panel, Hans Grosling shared what many consider an unconventional approach to the understanding of global population and economic trends.

    He pointed to the overall progress in economic and population trends in most of Asia and Africa-including Rwanda where fertility rates has reached the halfway point between 8 and 2 children per family.

    Grosling told the audience that when it comes to current conventional views on the issue of population growth in the so-called developing world, “we are not dealing with ignorance but with intense arrogant views of the progress in Africa and Asia in the last 25 years.” “It is clear that Africa is the future,” he added.

    Following the introductory panels, President Kagame opened the “Food Glorious Food” panel that brought together David Nabarro- UN Secretary General’s Special Representative on Food Security and Nutrition, Paul Conway-Vice Chairman of Cargill Inc,Professor Charles Godffray-Director of the Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Food and Peter Howell-General Manager of Rabobank International.

    President Kagame shared the experiences of programs such as crop intensification program that have led Rwanda to achieving sustainable agriculture and attaining food security.

    President Kagame told the participants: “prioritizing food security is a question of political will…if Rwanda can do it, so can any country that wants to.”

    President Kagame also challenged the audience to “look at the growing population as a resource, and not always a liability.”

    “They can be part of the solution if we ensure that productivity increases as population does. People should be empowered to find ways to increase resource efficiency, reduce waste and manage demand effectively,”he added.

    Similar to the integrated multisectoral programs that define Rwanda’s approach to food security, President Kagame reminded the audience to look at food security in its larger context.

    “To create sustainable benefits and growth nationally and across the world, we must continue to make global market linkages and address other barriers like subsidies and stringent quality standards whose main purpose seems to exclude products from some places,”he told the participants.

    President Kagame concluded by reminding the participants that food insecurity must be treated as a “threat to human existence in the same way we have tackled and reduced other issues of our time.”

  • In The Lives of Housegirls

    {They are called Housegirls or househelpers or housemaids and in kinyarwanda they are refered to Bayaya for female and Ababoyi for males.

    Depending on a different home and background these househelpers are called different names.

    However, there are untold stories about these chaps who manage homes both when their masters are away or at home.

    They prepare food, take care of babies and clean houses and all house chores including prunning flower gardens.

    Nice Kanangire of IGIHE embarked on a quick survey about housemaids;(not their true names) Uwamariya Christine, Umulisa Epihanie, Ndayishima Florence, Iradukunda Clementine and Mahirwe Amina.

    Below are the excerpts of the carefully arranged conversation with five of them.

    All of them didn’t manage to roll up with school due to poverty; they stopped in Primary 6 apart from Epiphanie Umulisa who stopped earlier in Primary 4.

    Asked about what pushed them into doing such a work, they all gave the same answer where the major reason was poverty, a miserable life and a search for shelter because most of them found themselves homeless.}

    {{Do you experience any forms of abuse by your masters?}}

    {{Christine Uwamariya:}} I personally don’t but my fellows do. Some of the masters consider us badly in such a way that we don’t have a convenient place to stay, some of my fellows still sleep on mats as I am telling you this.

    There are masters who think they have all their rights upon their househelps, and even reach the point where they slap them and even sometimes starve them because they failed to do something, without mentioning the delay in payment.

    {{Why do most house girls end up in prostitution?}}

    {{Mahirwe Amina:}} Most of the girls take themselves into prostitution because they feel unloved at their workplaces and even at their own homes so they become liberal and put themselves in all kinds of situations because they don’t feel appreciated, they no longer care about anything.

    However, in most cases they go into prostitution because they find the work in somebody’s house very hard to manage, money doesn’t come on time or is insufficient, having said that, the manner of the girl also contributes to all that.

    {{What is your advise to women that Leave their children with housemaids?}}

    {{Ndayishima Florence:}} My biggest advice would be to take them into day care if they can afford it because they never know how they are being treated once she is away from the house.

    The house help might be naturally mean or mistreated by the master then in return she might want to get revenge to the master through the children by harming them.

    If the mistress can’t afford day care I would advise her to take a house help who is also a woman and a mother because she knows the value of a child thus how to take care of it and educate it since she is the one the child will be staying with most of the time.

    {{How much are you Paid?}}

    {{Umulisa Epiphanie:}} They differ from one master to another but in general they range from Frw20,000 to Frw 50,000. Taking into account the responsibilities that we have in life that money is not enough but there is nothing we can do to it.

    All we do is try our best to use it well by purchasing only the necessities and then we keep the rest in bank accounts.

    {{Talk about Associations that support Housemaids}}

    {{Iradukunda Clementine:}} It really helps us because in case of problems, they provide us shelter and look for another place where we can do the job. We pay Frw 5,000 annually.

    Despite that, due to some house helps who were really undermined by their masters financially wise, the government ordered that no house help should be paid less than Frw 10,000.

  • M23 Rebels Deny Plans to Capture Goma

    {{The UN Mission for Stabilization in Democratic Republic of Congo,MONUSCO is currently redeploying its troops to Goma to allegedly protect the city from mutineers, the country’s UN envoy says.}}

    Roger Meece said he was determined to protect population centres in the east from advancing rebels of the M23 group.

    Meanwhile, accoring to a source, the army has retaken the two towns recently captured by the fighters.

    However, M23 rebels say they have no intention of taking Goma and want to negotiate with the government.

    During the press conference held Tuesday, July 10 in Kinshasa, the head of MONUSCO, Meece also reiterated the commitment of peacekeepers in protecting civilians in large cities of the province of North Kivu.

    “We take all provisions with the FARDC against any threat to civilian populations. Tanks will be made to prevent the progression of the rebels toward Goma and other towns, “said Meece.

    When the decision to extend the mandate of Monusco until 30 June 2013, the Security Council asked UN mission in DRC primarily to protect civilians and maintain a reserve force able to quickly redeploy in the country.

  • Foreigners to Lose jobs in South Sudan

    {{In order to act like an independent state, the South Sudan government has ordered its public institutions, NGOs and businesses operating in the country to terminate employment of all Sudanese nationals.}}

    The decision follows a May 26 circular issued by the Ministry of Labour, Public Service and Human Resource Development to put the Sudanese employees in South Sudan on one-month notice, for having lost status following the independence of South Sudan on July 9, 2011.

    Hellen Achiro, the Undersecretary for Labour, said the positions must be declared vacant and re-advertised for South Sudanese to apply.

    “For them to stay here, they must legalise their status. If they would like to be refugees for those from war zone, they should apply so that they are legalised as refugees … for those who want to do business, they have to reapply and register afresh so that South Sudanese become part of those companies,” she added.

    The Ministry of Telecommunication had been directed not to renew licences for Sudanese companies until they met conditions that included having South Sudanese partaking in the business, said Mr Sunday Moris, an official from the Labour ministry.

    Hundreds of Sudanese from the far north and eastern Sudan, Darfur and the warring states of Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan states still hold their jobs as “nationals” despite the split of the country a year ago.

  • World’s Largest Medical Marijuana Dispensary to Close

    {{Federal prosecutors have filed civil forfeiture actions against an Oakland medical marijuana dispensary that bills itself as the world’s largest, as part of a crackdown by U.S. authorities on California’s massive cannabis trade.}}

    The lawsuits, filed on Monday in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, seek forfeiture of two properties where Harborside Health Center operates, said Melinda Haag, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of California.

    Harborside says it is the largest medical marijuana dispensary in the world, serving more than 100,000 patients in a “beautiful waterfront location,” and is subject of the Discovery Channel reality TV show “Weed Wars.”

    “The larger the operation, the greater the likelihood that there will be abuse of the state’s medical marijuana laws and marijuana in the hands of individuals who do not have a demonstrated medical need,” Haag said in a statement on Wednesday announcing the actions.

    “The filing of the civil forfeiture complaints against the two Harborside properties is part of our measured effort to address the proliferation of illegal marijuana businesses in the Northern District of California,” she said.

    In a statement on its website, the clinic said, “Harborside has nothing to be ashamed of, and will contest the Federal actions openly and publicly, with every legal means at our disposal.”

  • Police Impounds 5tonnes of Umushiriki Stumps

    {{Police in Nyagatare district is holding three suspects identified as Jean Baptiste Lumumba 42, Joseph Bizimungu Rwabukamba 30, and Jimmy Bahorana in connection with trafficking Umushikiri tree stumps to Uganda. }}

    The suspects currently held at Nyagatare Police station were seized on Sunday with over 5tones of the tree stumps.

    Umushikiri tree stumps are used for production of movit creams and perfumes. The traffickers said that the cost of one kilo of Umushikiri is equivalent to Frw 200 in Rwanda but the price more than triples in Uganda where a kilo goes for Frw 700.

    The theft of Umushiriki tree stumps is allegedly common in Nyagatare, Gatsibo and Kayonza districts.

    Superintendent Edward Kayitare, the Nyagatare district Police commander urged the public to practice environmental conservational techniques like forestation and protection of wetlands.

    The lucrative yet risky business contravenes environmental laws that protect the encroachment and destruction of both natural and artificial environment.

    It goes with destruction of bio diversity that attracts tourism, researchers and green covers that facilitate in the formation of rainfall.

  • Rwandan Students to train for Marriott Hotel

    {{Students from the Akilah Women’s Institute will be among the first to benefit from the opening of the Kigali Marriott Hotel next year, with free training in Marriott’s GCC hotels.}}

    The first group of 14 graduates will begin their training in September, with small groups attending three of Marriott International’s top class hotels for nine months to a year, learning a range of skills that will prepare them for guaranteed jobs in the new Rwanda hotel.

    Gary Dodds, VP HR Marriott International Middle East & Africa, said the company was keen to contribute to the community by playing a part in its human capital development.

    “We not only wanted to source local staff for our first hotel in East Africa but also to implement our Spirit to Serve programme. Akilah Women’s Institute enables us to achieve that by connecting us with deserving students who are educated and eager to make a difference to their lives and their country’s future development,” said Mr Dodds.

    The students’ training would include learning about the core values of Marriott, experiencing the company culture and undertaking essential supervisory skills so that when they return to Kigali pre-opening, they could help train their peers being hired for the hotel, he said.

    Akilah Women’s Institute executive director, Lisa Martilotta, welcomed the company’s commitment to employing Rwandan locals.

    “We’re thrilled with the opportunities the partnership represents for our graduates to extend their skills and achieve their potential in the world class context of Marriott’s first East Africa hotel.

    I’m confident they will rise to the challenge and become an inspiration for other Rwandan students,” Ms Martilotta said.

    Training will be at no cost to the students. New Century Development Ltd., owners of the Kigali Marriott Hotel, gained sponsorship for the students’ return air tickets courtesy of Rwanda Air’s chairman and each trainee will also get an allowance of AED 1000 per month, plus accommodation, meals and uniform.

    A ‘mother’ figure will be appointed at each hotel hosting Akilah Women’s Institute students to support them in the transition into their new training roles and guide their development.

    Students will also be able to keep in touch with each other through conference calls and social gatherings while they are away.

    The training is just the start of an ongoing programme offering development opportunities to Rwandan nationals.

    It’s anticipated a total of 250 local jobs will be created through the opening of the 254-room Kigali Marriott Hotel in 2013.

    Marriott is the first international hotel company to go into Rwanda. It currently operates 3800 hotels globally, employing 160,000 employees.

    Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) is a leading lodging company based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA with more than 3,700 properties in 73 countries and territories and reported revenues of over $12 billion in fiscal year 2011.

  • Kabuga Documentary Journalists Flee, Doctor Linked Dies

    {{After a documentary was released to the public through Nation TV (NTV), the investigative journalist John Allan Namu who carried out the lengthy and secretive investigation, is currently said to be on the run and hiding in Finland where he has sought refuge.}}

    Namu and his entire crew that investigated the Kenyan government’s alleged role in protecting 1994 Rwanda genocide chief perpetrator Felicien Kabuga have fled Kenya.

    Moments after Namus escape, local Kenyan media reports that a former military doctor who in the documentary is said to have treated Felicien Kabuga a Rwandan genocide fugitive has also died at a hospital in Kenya.

    Col. (Rtd) Dr. J.K. Rwakwach(photo above) a medical practitioner who served in the armed forces as a military doctor and retired in 2002, was linked to Kabuga who he is alleged to have treated at the military facilities.

    On Tuesday evening, Dr. Rwakwach’s son, Victor, confirmed that his father died at a Nairobi hospital.

    “I can confirm that my father is dead, but I am not going to give any details,” he told media.

    The doctor on duty at MP Shah Hospital, Dr. John Magomere, also confirmed that Dr. Rakwach died on Tuesday evening.

    “He was taken to the ICU on Friday and the family was notified,” he said. He declined to give any further details.

    A letter said to be from the Kenya Armed Forces 3rd Battalion in Nakuru asked Dr. Rwakwach to treat a man by the name of Sadiki Nzakobi, believed to be Kabuga’s alias.

    FELICIEN KABUGA Documentary:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gpxy4NxqboQ

    Enigmatic Felicien Kabuga

  • 992 INATEK Students to Graduate

    {{About 992 students at Institute of Agriculture, Technology and Education of Kibungo will this Thursday graduate.

    This will be the fourth graduation ceremony to be held at the institute since its establishment.}}

    The graduation ceremony will be held at the main campus located at Kibungo sector of Ngoma district in the Eastern province of Rwanda.

    Of 885 students in the faculty of Education, 51.93% are female while 48.07% males will graduate.

    In the faculty of Rural Development that has 67 graduands, 64.2% are male while 35.8%female.