Tag: MainSlideNews

The City of Kigali has announced that with effect from today they will work with Rwanda National Police to enforce law that bars vendors from operating on Kigali streets.
The official decision was reached yesterday during a meeting between the Police, City of Kigali and government officials before it was communicated to the press at City Hall.
The Mayor of Kigali City Pascal Nyamurinda told the media that street vendors and other illegal businesses will be forced out with the support of the police and ensure that they operate only in established markets.

“We are going to use whatever security organ that we have to make sure that we deal with these people. We have laws and regulations that need to be followed; those who don’t abide by them will be dealt with according to the law. We have been working with DASSO but the vendors have defied them,” said the mayor.

The new measures against “Abazunguzayi” as they are locally known, follows previous fruitless efforts to relocate them to established markets to prevent disorder, insecurity, poor sanitation, accidents, which they were causing, according to officials.

The illegal itinerant business practice has since continued on streets where they sell clothes, fruits and vegetables, among other products with some vendors vowing to carry on with the practice where they have in some cases been violent against law enforcers who try to get them off the streets.

One of the case in point reported by Police happened a fortnight ago where a mob of vendors in Nyabugogo bus terminal reacted violently against law enforcers wounded some of them as they ordered them to get off the streets.

RNP has also reported that it will base on the 2015 resolutions of the City of Kigali Advisory Council in its operations to ensure that the vendors operate in established markets, said ACP Badege.

ACP Badege said: “Majority of the street vendors are youth and women, who belong to a prime cluster with several economic empowerment program.”

“There are markets that were constructed in all corners of the city for those who were on the streets. Those who went to the markets were also given incentives. The Government has several women and youth financial empowerment schemes and has also prioritized job creation for youth under the National Employment Programme (NEP). Basically, there is no justification for someone to sell on streets, yet there are markets from which they can operate.” “We are coming in as law enforcers and to ensure that the law and bylaws are respected to ensure public safety and put an end to such violent behaviors that undermine authorities and cause public disorder. Our operations have already started; police officers are already on the ground,” ACP Badege disclosed.

He, however, clarified that there is no specific unit charged with preventing street vending, but rather incorporating it in the usual police operations.

According to the City of Kigali, so far, there are 14 markets constructed in different parts of the city that are meant to accommodate street vendors.

Private schools proprietors are skeptical and worried about closure of their institutions due to the low registration of students that instead join government-aided schools.
The number of students registering in private schools started reducing in 2012 when the free nine year basic education program was introduced.

IGIHE can report that so far thirty schools have already closed since the beginning of 2017. The director of College Nkundubrezi in Gakenke district, Samuel Batamba, told the press that currently, they have a diversity of challenges.

He said; ” The number of new students has drastically reduced, leaving the college in a sea of of debts, including salary arrears for staff and suppliers. We don’t know whether the school will ever reopen.”

Batamba says that they used to have about 800 students, a number that has since dwindled to 80 students as others enlisted in government-aided schools. In 2016, most of the private schools are said to have lost 2/3 of their students.

The Association of Privates Schools in Rwanda, 100-strong membership, says that most schools closed and others are about to follow suit.

The director of College de I’Espoir de Gasogi, Evariste Nsengiyumva, said that they are remaining with 500 students compared to over 1000 they had in 2014, leaving most of the school infrastructures idle.

“Currently there are dormitories that used to house students but are now empty,” he laments.

The deputy chairman of the association of private schools, John Gasana, has said that competing with government schools is hard since it requires a lot of investments like infrastructure, recruiting well-qualified teachers and purchasing modern equipment. The Director General of Rwanda Education Board, Janvier Gasana has told IGIHE that it is not possible for the government to assist private schools and advised them to instead to go back to the drawing board.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Education, there are over 1,575 secondary schools, among which 460 are government-aided, 620 are Catholic-based, 279 Anglican, 22 for Adventists, Islamic-based 16 and 178 owned by parents associations and and private individuals.

RwandAir, the national carrier of the republic of Rwanda, has announced that effective 30th September 2017, it will commence three weekly flights to Conakry (Guinea), Bamako (Mali) and Dakar (Senegal) from its new hub in Cotonou (Benin).

This is in addition to the three destinations, Libreville (Gabon), Brazzaville (Congo), and Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire) that are already served from Cotonou effective 30th August.
The new Cotonou hub will be synchronized with the existing operations from Kigali allowing seamless connections to the rest of the RwandAir destinations, which are growing fast on the African continent and beyond.

Dakar, Bamako, and Conakry are some of the largest cities in West Africa, and are home to a vast multicultural heritage and rich history with museums and ancient mosques dating back from the time of the great African empires.

The acting Chief Executive Officer of RwandAir, Chance Ndagano said “These latest additions are further proof of our commitment to improve connections on the African continent, and the will to create new opportunities for economic exchange, trade and tourism between countries with the aim of fostering economic development,”

The launch of these new destinations comes after the successful entry into the European market with flights to London and Brussels in May and July respectively. The new routes will extend RwandAir’s network to twenty-six (26) destinations.

The Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Operations, (DIGP) Dan Munyuza, on August 22, briefed a contingent of 140 Police officers set to be deployed for a one-year peacekeeping mission under the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) mandate.

The Formed Police Unit (FPU) contingent, which will be the eighth National Police rotation in the Caribbean nation, is headed by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Yahaya Kamunuga as its commander and includes 20 female.

They will replace Rwanda FPU7 commanded by ACP Faustin Ntirushwa that was deployed in July last year and scheduled to return home after successfully executing their peacekeeping mandate and awarded UN service medal.

During the pre-deployment briefing at the RNP headquarters in Kacyiru, DIGP Munyuza challenged the officers to maintain maximum discipline since they will be representing the image of Rwanda while the whole world will be looking at them.

You have been well prepared for the mission but during your tour of duty, you are required to exhibit the highest level of integrity. Ensure that in the one year of duty your of your motherland, you serve to the best of your ability and with maximum discipline, said DIGP Munyuza.

He also briefed the officers on their role in preserving Rwandas image saying that; Rwandas exceptionality has been achieved through joint efforts including your fellow officers who have effectively served in peacekeeping missions. You also need to uphold these achievements.

The Deputy Police Chief further urged them to cooperate with and learn from other peacekeepers experience adding that learning is continuous.

The deployment of RWAFPU8 contingent will bring the number of RNP officers who have served in Haiti under FPU since the maiden deployment in 2010, to 1120.
RNP is also expected to deploy another contingent to South Sudan in September which will bring the number of RNP FPUs in UN missions to six.

Rwanda is the third largest Police contributing country globally after Senegal and Bangladesh respectively but second largest female contributor but may raise in the ranking after the deployment of an all female contingent that is set to be dispatched soon.

Currently, RNP maintains about 1000 police peacekeepers in various missions with 820 of them organized in five contingents under Formed Police Units. Others are Individual Police Officers (IPOs), who work as advisors, mentors, and trainers.

This year’s Rwanda International Trade Fair (RITF) has attracted many exhibitors from both domestic and other countries.

The 20th edition of the annual expo, organized by PSF and the Ministry of Trade and Industry, was officially opened August 23rd at the Gikondo Expo Grounds in Kicuriro and will run for two weeks according to the organizers.

Edith Kayitesi from CIMERWA said; “the country is developing, we are here to exhibit our good cement products that we produce in Rwanda so that we can attract customers.”

The expo enables exhibitors to share business and investment ideas, which results in opening up of new businesses in Rwanda by foreign participants. It also gives opportunity to exhibitors to showcase their products to the public.

One of the Kigali business traders Moses Kalisa has said that the annual trade fair is one of the platforms where firms can share expertise and network to boost their competitiveness.

FranK Hitimana from Rwanda Foam said they are ready to show what is new and available in stock for customers during the exhibition. “We expect to have many customers this year because our prices are affordable.”

Local firms should take advantage of the forthcoming Rwanda International Trade Fair (RITF) to deepen their market reach locally and abroad through networking and partnerships, the Private Sector Federation (PSF) has said.

According to Eric Kabeera, the head of communications at PSF, the expo also gives Rwandan producers and service providers a huge opportunity to interact with customers and showcase their innovations, as well as market Made-in-Rwanda products. It is also an opportunity for local companies to learn and share knowledge with foreign firms, he added.

Exhibitors from 20 countries are participating in the 2017 expo.

Exhibitors that have confirmed participation are from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Canada, Iran, Pakistani, Turkey, Singapore, Malaysia, Nigeria, Ghana, USA and the East African Community (EAC) member states, among others.

Over 270,000 show goers are expected to attend the trade fair.

Experts believe there is a need for value addition to locally-made products if they are to be competitive and also penetrate other markets like EAC, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and International markets.

A Senior Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) officer, Maj. Dr. Aimable Rugomwa who is accused of beating a child to death has been sentenced to a ten-year jail term on top of a fine of Rwf 11million by a military court.

Maj. Rugomwa who has today been found guilty of killing Théogène Mbarushimana aged 19; has been handed the sentence at the Military Tribunal sitting at Nyamirambo.
It is alleged that Maj. Dr. Rugomwa who worked at Rwanda Military Hospital allegedly beat Mbarushimana after suspecting him of having carried out a theft on Sunday 4th September 2016 in Ubumwe village, Rubirizi cell of Kanombe sector in Kicukiro district.
He denied the allegations, saying that he was defending himself from a thief who he killed accidentally Prosecution proved that Maj. Dr. Rugomwa premeditated the killing basing on recorded statements, evidence and witnesses from ten people including her wife, Uwase Scovia who testified to have warned her husband against the killing but disregarded the call.

Prosecution in it evidence proved that the deceased was wounded which reflects that he was struck with blunt objects on the head, lost some teeth, and a finger and suffered broken fingers.
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National Commission for the Fight Against Genocide (CNLG) has commended Germany for its cooperation in the fight against impunity for genocide perpetrators and called on other nations to commit towards punishing genocide perpetrators
CNLG token of appreciation emanates from , Germany extradition to Rwanda, on 18 August 2017, of Jean Twagiramungu for his alleged role in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.

A statement released from CNLG on Monday, August 21st , 2017, states that it is high time for all countries across the world complied with their international obligations to put an end to the factual impunity they are giving to the perpetrators of the genocide against the Tutsi.

In addition to the extradition of Jean Twagiramungu, CNLG expresses its gratitude to Germany for the three trials it has already carried out against Rwandan genocide perpetrators: Onesphore Rwabukombe, former Mayor of Muvumba who was convicted of genocide and sentenced to life on 29 December 2015 by the Frankfurt Court of Appeal.

On 28 September 2015, two FDLR political leaders, Ignace Murwanashyaka and Straton Musoni, were sentenced to 13 years and 8 years in prison, respectively.
CNLG encourages Germany to pursue this path of abhorring impunity and to extradite other remaining perpetrators of genocide on its territory.
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Rwanda prosecution alleges that during genocide, Jean Twagiramungu collaborated with perpetrators in planning and committing genocide in the communes of Karambo, Rukondo, Karama, Kinyamakara, Nyamagabe and Musange, including -prefets Joachim Hategekimana and Joseph Ntegeyintwali who headed the prefectures of Kaduha and Karaba; the mayors Didace Hategekimana, Désiré Ngezahayo, Charles Munyaneza and Félicien Semakwavu, who headed the Communes of Rukondo, Karama, Kinyamakara and Nyamagabe, respectively.

It is alleged that he often acted alongside his father, Jean-Baptiste Munyambuga, who was for several years a mayor of Rukondo Commune.

Jean Twagiramungu, with other militia, is accused of killings Tutsis in the Catholic parishes of Mbazi and Kirambi and in the ADEPR church of Maheresho.
According to the official statement from CNLG, a total of more than 10,000 victims are reported to have perished in these locales. Many others whose remains could not be found are thought to have been thrown in Mwogo and Rukarara rivers.
Jean Twagiramungu is also cited as an accomplice in the massacres of Tutsi in the parishes of Kaduha (45,000 dead) and Cyanika (35,000 dead). Approximately 100,000 were killed under his instructions.

The former prefecture of Gikongoro, in the South of Rwanda, has for long been a scene of atrocious killings of Tutsis.

In December 1963 alone, CNLG reports that more than 20,000 Tutsis were massacred in two weeks.

The term “Genocide” was already used at that time by experts such as the British researcher Bertrand Russel, international witnesses present in Rwanda, including the Belgian anthropologist Luc De Heusch and the Swiss Denis-Gilles Vuillemin who was a UNESCO aid worker. Several international newspapers, including Radio Vatican and Radio France International, had described these massacres as “the most terrible systematic genocide committed since the extermination of the Jews in 1945.”
Some countries such as The US have already extradited to Rwanda some genocide fugitives including Enos Kagaba in 2005 and Leopold Munyakazi in 2016.
Canada extradited Leon Mugesera in 2012, Denmark extradited Emmanuel Mbarushimana in 2014, Norway extradited Charles Bandora in 2013, The Netherlands extradited Jean Baptiste Mugimba and Jean Claude Iyamuremye in 2017.
The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda transferred Bernard Munyagishari, Jean Uwinkindi, and Ladislas Ntaganzwa to Rwanda. Files of genocide suspect Fulgence Kayishema, Phéneas Munyarugarama, Aloys Ndimbati, Charles Ryandikayo and Charles Sikubwabo who have not yet been arrested, have also been transferred by the ICTR to the Rwandan courts.

However, CNLG claims that there are other countries such as France and England that have refused to extradite to Rwanda the genocide suspects.

For instance, England recently denied the extradition of Celestin Ugirashebuja, Charles Munyaneza, Vincent Bajinya, Emmanuel Nteziryayo and Célestin Mutabaruka who are alleged of conspiracy and participation in genocide and crimes against humanity.
Another case is said to be that of Modeste Kennedy Hakizimana, who is said to have played a role in the genocide at the National University of Rwanda where he studied Sciences in 1994 also did not come to fruition. For several years, the British administration refused to grant him political refugee status after considering that there were serious reasons to believe that he was guilty of genocide.

France has systematically rejected all requests for extradition made by Rwanda. Examples include: Agathe Kanziga-Habyarimana, Callixte Mbarushimana, Father Wenceslas Munyeshyaka, Marcel Hitayezu, Colonel Laurent Serubuga, Colonel Marcel Bivugabagabo, Dr Eugène Rwamucyo, Dr Sosthène Munyemana, Hyacinthe Rafiki-Nsengiyumva, Isaac Kamali Muhayimana, Claver Kamana, Innocent Musabyimana, Joseph Habyarimana, Venuste Nyombayire, Pierre Tegera, Charles Twagira, Paul Kanyamihigo aka Camy, Fabien Neretse, Manassé Bigwenzare, Enock Kayondo …to mention but a few.

The International Convention of 9 December 1948 on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide establishes in its article 1 an obligation for all States to punish perpetrators and accomplices of genocide.

The newly elected president of Rwanda Paul Kagame yesterday met Liu Xiaofeng, the special envoy of Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kigali, where he said Rwanda is willing to deepen friendly cooperation in all areas with China and push bilateral relations to a new level.

Kagame, who was sworn in for his third term on Friday, thanked Xi for sending the special envoy to attend his inauguration ceremony and asked the envoy to convey his gratitude and regards to Xi.

The president said China and Rwanda enjoy a long history of friendship and fruitful cooperation in various fields. China has been supporting Rwanda and other African countries for a long time and is a sincere partner for Africa’s development, he added.
Liu, who is also the vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, said since establishment of diplomatic relations 46 years ago, bilateral relations between the two countries have been developing steadily and healthily.

China is ready to join hands with Rwanda to further enhance political mutual trust, expand economic and trade cooperation, consolidate friendship of the two peoples, said Liu.

China, Liu said, is also willing to turn friendship between the two countries into real results that benefit the two peoples and realize mutual benefits and mutual development, he said.

Rwanda National Police (RNP) has disclosed that the August 18 presidential inaugural function was flawless and without any incident.

Police confirmed that even the ensuing merrymaking happened in an atmosphere of tranquillity and that the crowds were blissful and orderly across the country.

In his address to the media, the RNP spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Theos Badege said, its no surprise that celebrations were peaceful.

He hailed all road users who heeded to traffic police guidelines to allow convenience for visiting delegations and dignitaries proceed without difficulty.

ACP Badege also acknowledges the contribution of all stakeholders in making the event held in a safety and secure environment saying that, the whole exercise was seamless from the campaigns through the voting day and the inauguration event an incredibly important democratic event.