Igihe

Author: b_igi_adm1n

  • Rwanda’s Economic Growth to Drop by 0.9%

    Finance Minister John Rwangombwa has disclosed that Rwanda’s economic growth will drop to 7.7% this year from 8.6% of 2011 as a slowdown in Europe curbs tourism and falling commodity prices reduce revenue.

    Rwangombwa said in an interview Tuesday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where he is attending the World Economic Forum on Africa.

    Tourism is the largest source of foreign currency for Rwanda accounting for about $200 million annually.

    “It is mainly about world economic shocks and how tourism will be affected,” Rwangombwa said. “Commodity prices are affecting our exports.”

    Rwanda aiming at drawing more foreign direct investment while seeking to reduce dependence on commodity exports.

    The export of coffee and tea has expanded an average of 8.4% annually in the five-year period that ended in 2011, according to the United Nations.

    Rwanda Central Bank has room to leave interest rates on hold as the inflation rate should stay below 10% this year, Rwangombwa said.

    Inflation accelerated to 8.2% in March from 7.9% in February.

    The Bank of Rwanda raised its key lending rate by 50 basis points, or 0.5 percentage point, to 7.5% on May 4. It was the first increase in six months.

  • Haitians Tour Isange One Stop Center

    Dr. Gardner Michaud the Executive Director of Haitian Association for women and Family led a delegation yesterday that toured Isange One Stop Center to have a firsthand look at services offered to Gender Based Violence (GBV) victims.

    The team was led to different departments of Isange Center where staff explained different services offered to victims and the process that patients go through from when the victims are received to when they are discharged.

    The Haitian delegation consists of parliamentarians and medical Doctors . They are in the country for a five day tour.

    Rwandan Police are currently involved in peace keeping mission in Haiti. Since their deployment Haiti and Rwanda diplomatic relations have progressed very fast.

    Dr. Gardner applauded Rwanda National Police commitment to tackle Gender Based Violence. “What we have seen here shows a big step made by Rwandan Police in promoting human rights”, Dr Gardner said.

    She added that the mutual partnership between her organization and Rwanda Police will help ensure Gender Based Violence is addressed back in Haiti.

    Assistant Commissioner of Police Dr Daniel Nyamwasa, the Director of medical services at Police Hospital, told the Haitian delegation that Rwanda national Police collaborates with local communities through community policing aimed at resolving family conflicts.

    He noted that if there are no mechanisms put in place to address such conflicts, they could easily accelerate to gender based violence.

  • President Kagame to Attend World Economic Forum

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    President Paul Kagame arrived in Ethiopia today where to participate in the 22nd World Economic Forum (WEF). The 9-11 May event is taking place in Addis Ababa for the first time this year.

    The forum will see several African heads of state, public figures and business people participate in discussions on how to improve Africa’s potential, in order for the continent to become a new global growth pole.

    Under the theme “Shaping Africa’s Transformation”, the forum will address three priorities: Strengthening Africa’s Leadership; Accelerating Investment in
    Frontier Markets; and Scaling Innovation for Shared Opportunities.

    President Kagame is scheduled to attend the opening plenary of the WEF and will on Friday participate in an interactive session with 32 young leaders who are members of the WEF Global Shapers Community from 17 African countries.

    President Kagame will also participate in the closing session of the ongoing Grow Africa Investment Forum alongside Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and President Jakaya Kikwete.

    Rwanda is among the first wave of Grow Africa countries that also include Tanzania, Mozambique, Ghana, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso and Kenya.

    The Grow Africa Investment Forum aims to catalyze new partnerships, investment commitments, and insights among participants who are committed to developing African agriculture to contribute to food security, environmental sustainability and economic opportunity on the continent.

    In attendance are over 200 high-level leaders of global, regional and national business, African and other governments, international organisations, civil society and farmers’ organisations.

  • Sierra Leon Prisoner: I’am Tired of Beef & Eggs

    Issa Hassan Sessay is serving a 52 year prison sentence for war crimes and crimes against humanity he committed in Sierra Leone.

    Sessay was transferred to complete his sentence in Rwanda’s Mpanga International Prison Facility.

    However, Sessay complains that he is not satisfied with the quality of service offered to him at the prison especially saying he is served poor meals.

    Recently he interucted with Ugandan students from Makerere University who visited Mpanga International prison after visiting Butare Prison in the southern province of Rwanda.

    The students were conducting research on among other things, the lives of prisoners in Rwanda.

    Sessay told the Ugandan students, “ iam imprisoned on many counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes. I will spend 52years in this prison. However, I don’t know whether UN knows the kind of life am living here”.

    He added, “Iam living a better life than those who committed crimes in the first world war. The Rwandan prison wardens are respectiful all the time.”

    However, Sessay complains that he is served incomplete meals. For example on 9th April, I was served milk, fried beans,bread. I was not given an egg yet iam supposed to have one everyday.

    On 12 April they told me that I would find a good meal accompanied by good water but instead I was served Coca-Cola. The prison exxergerates a lot, the promise me salad but later serve me just a small portion.

    Everyday they give me a book to sign indicating whether I have been served the desired meal.

    Sessay told the students that he is now tired of daily eggs served to him, daily beef and roasted G-nuts.

    He also complained about being denied to make telephone calls to his wife on Sunday saying he is only allowed access to such calls for six days of the week.

    Why do the prison authorities give me Newspapers from East Africa and not West Africa? They give me; East African, Daily Nation, Daily Monitor, New Vision and Nouvelle Époque.

  • Egyptian Surgeons to Conduct 150 Operations in Rwanda

    Rwandan patients will benefit from specialised surgical operations conducted by a group of visting Egyptian medical experts expected in the country soon.

    The Egyptian team is targeting 150 surgical operations during their one week stay in Rwanda under the auspices of Rwanda and Egyptian ministries of Health.

    Recently a group of Indian physicians were in the country where they performed successful specialised surgical operations on Rwandan patients.

    In a statement released by the Ministry of Health of Rwanda, the move is part of a cost effective way that the Ministry has adopted in treating complicated cases, where it has less expertise and which would normally have been referred abroad.

    The Egyptian physicians include 6 distinguished surgeons in the field of laparoscopic, pediatric, maxillofacial and plastic, gynecology and obstetrics surgery.

    The team will conduct surgery operations at Kigali University Central Teaching Hospital CHUK and in Muhima hospitals.

    The Egypt-Rwanda health cooperation was renewed during the visit of the Egypt’s Foreign Minister to Rwanda on January 2012.

    During these operations, the Egyptian Surgeons will work hand-in-hand with their Rwandan counterparts to share experiences and learn from one another.

    The Ministry of Health has prepared all logistical support and basic necessities for the success of the visiting medical team.

  • EU Injects More Euros 89M into Rwanda’s Economy

    The Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and the European Union have today signed an additional cooperation agreement valued at Euros 89M.

    The additional grant will boost developmental activities in the country above previous Euros 300M given to Rwanda to finance activities between 2008 to 2013 time framework.

    John Rwangombwa-the Finance Minister signed on behalf of the government of Rwanda and Ambassador Michel Arrion, signed on behalf of European Union.

    Amb. Arrion said that channelling the whole package through the national budget of Rwanda shows confidence EU has for Rwanda regarding utilisation of the funds.

    He also said that the government of Rwanda regularly conducts consultative meetings with her development partners to map out priority programs for funding.

    Amb. Arrion also hailed progress made in realisation of EDPRS targets.

  • Bugesera Residents Given Cows,Goats

    In Bugesera district, the Natural Region Rural Infrastructure support Project (PAIRB) recently distributed 315 goats to 105 families under its irrigation development component.

    Aimed at developing production, the project promotes integration of cattle and goat rearing with irrigation farming.

    Beneficiaries from this support include families from Mayange, Rilima, Gashora and Rweru Sectors. Each family received 3 goats aged between 9 and 15 months.

    PAIRB also distributed 200 cows to 200 families under its irrigation development component. The event took place in Gashora and Rweru Sectors of Bugesera District.

    The project is going to distribute 1000 cows total of which 562 are already given to families in the project area.

  • Top 10 Don’ts When Staying in a Hotel

    To many in Rwanda a hotel might not strike them as a home away from home. Its prudent to observe a proper hotel etiquette always during your stay at the hotel. Here is a list of the top 10 things not to do when checking in to a hotel.

    From treating the staff correctly to keeping your cool, you’ll be sure to have an even more enjoyable escape by using this checklist.

    1. Don’t yell at the staff. Ever.

    2. Don’t tell anyone your room number. (A desk agent should point to your room number, and not announce it to the world.)

    3. Don’t get bent out of shape when the night desk agent asks to see your “new friend’s” identification. Additionally, do not let a hotel employee into your room if they do not have an I.D.

    4. Don’t blame hotel staff for stealing your stuff. My personal experience is that the guests eventually find 99% of the items that guests report stolen from their rooms. However, it is your right to ask the manager to call the police to file a police report.

    5. Don’t order from room service if you notice the pages are dirty and torn.

    6. Don’t use the bathroom washcloths to take off your makeup or shine your shoes.

    7. Don’t throw anything in the room garbage if you don’t want the hotel staff to know about it.

    8. Don’t abuse the privilege of late checkout. If you really need one past 1:00 p.m., ask for the manager.

    9. Don’t leave your luggage unattended in a hotel lobby – even for a second.

    10. Don’t be embarrassed! Call the hotel after you’ve checked out, and they will send your forgotten stuff. Just like they would send your baby blanket back to you.

  • Rwanda,Burundi Police to Install Scanners at Common Boarders

    Rwanda and Burundi Police chiefs have called for increased cooperation and information sharing between Police forces of the two countries.

    This was announced Monday during a 3-day meeting held at Police General Headquarters in Kacyiru aimed at reviweing combat against cross boarder crimes.

    The implementation status of the MoU between the two police institutions was reviewed and the follow up of the recommendations of the Chiefs of Police held last year in Ngozi, Burundi on July 21, 2011.

    Inspector General of Police Emmanuel K. Gasana highlighted the success registered over the years in overcoming post conflict policing challenges and noted that, this was possible due to visionary leadership in the two countries.

    The meeting also suggested cooperating in training, installing scanners at the common boarders, periodical review meeting, tracking of criminals as well as sharing culture and sporting activities.

    IGP Gasana underscored the need for common strategy in the fight against transnational crimes emphasising cooperation in training and exchange of better practices to develop capabilities of the two police forces.

    Director General of Burundi Police, CPP Fabien Ndayishimiye highlighted challenges of transnational crimes and the need for cooperation between the two sister institutions.

  • Rwanda, Rhineland-Palatinate Represented at Mayence Marathon

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    Rwandans and Germans from state Rhineland-Palatinate (RLP) jointly participated in the annual Mayence Marathon May 6th for the first time.

    Participants in the race included; Rwanda’s Ambassador to Germany, H.E. Christine Nkulikiyinka, RLP Minister of Economy, Hon. Eveline Lemke, five Secretary of States as well as Members of Parliament.

    The Rwandan community abroad was also represented and joined the marathon.

    The participants ran in couples of representatives from Rwanda and Rhineland-Palatinate through the city center of Mayence alongside the other 11.000 runners who had travelled from the entire region.

    More than 50.000 viewers followed the marathon and cheered the runners up. They were especially delighted to see the Rwanda/Rhineland-Palatinate team.
    Rwanda and the partnership also gained the attention of regional broadcasters who reported about the event.

    The race provided a good opportunity of exchange between the participants and enabled the Rwandan runners to provide information about the partnership country.

    The joy was great when majority of participants reached finishing line together.

    The relay race is one of many activities organized on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the partnership between Rwanda and Rhineland-Palatinate.