Author: b_igi_adm1n

The poor may never lay to rest their lovedones following complaints arising from the high costs of obtaining space at Rusororo public cemetery.

This comes after the recent closure of Remera cemetry (Iwabo wa twese) that filled up and closed down few months ago.

The public has since then turned to Rusororo cemetery currently serving as burial site to most city dwellers yet the vulnerable complain the prices deny them a chance to put their deceased relatives to rest.

Rusororo cemetery has 12 hectares of land with graves of burial ground at a depth of 1.4 meters and pathways of 60cm between the graves. Considering the large size of the burial site, the poor prefer to be exempted from paying grave fees.

“I have four children and fruit vendor on the streets. I don’t make much profit in this business. I cant afford the cheapest grave fees of Frw 15,000 excluding costs of a coffin, mortuary fees, flowers for the ceremony, cement to cover the grave and other burial costs. The government should intervene,” said Jacqueline Nyiramana.

Jean Claude Munara the Gasabo vice mayor in charge of finances noted that the prices were not exaggerated and were similar to charges of the former city cemetery at Remera.

However, she added that the prices of the graves range from Frw 15,000 a site below the main road, Frw 50,000 at the center and Frw 600,000 close to the main road.

“We have set prices for all groups of people and each has a right to choose where they feel comfortable, I really don’t think we have a big problem here, maybe some thought that new cemetery would be cheaper or for free,” she remarked.

The burial fees are only exempted from those who are recognized as vulnerable by the district management.

The on-going stiff competition to construct Bugesera International Airport has seen 22 companies out of the race.

Only 11 companies now have been shortlisted of which one will be chosen to construct the outstanding airport that meets international standards.

It is expected that the airport will be completed and have its first flight by 2015 in its first phase to handle 450 passengers and also capacity to handle 15,500 tonnes of cargo annually with eight flight movement per hour during peak hours.

James Kamanzi, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Infrastructure (Mininfra) has said submitting tender documents for the construction of the airport will be done this week.

“The next step, most likely before the end of this week, is to submit Request For Proposal (RFP) to the companies so they can send their technical and financial proposals”. Kamanzi said.

Bugesera International Airport will come complementing Kigali International Airport which is overwhelmed with the current air traffic.

For instance in 2009, when RwandAir Jet Crashed into VIP Terminal, traffic in and out of Kigali through the only major gateway Kigali International Airport became interrupted due to lack of another alternative runway where planes could be diverted.

Rwanda has experienced a drastic increase in air traffic due to tourism and increased economic activities making the existing airport outdated and having no expansion room due to too close expanding urban center.

In 2009, Kigali International Airport registered a 15 percent growth in passenger volume projecting over 300,000 passengers expected to gradually increase each year.

“Our cargo traffic- exports and imports have also grown tremendously. Our flights have also increased, in value and volume,” Dr. Richard Masozera, Director General of Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority was quoted as saying previously.

Surrounding areas like Kanombe, Kabeza, Samuduha and Kimironko have been residentially developed that there is no room for the airport expansion.

An extensive feasibility study where the airport be built has been done for the area where Bugesera Airport, a 40 kilometers distance towards southern Kigali City, across Nyabarongo River in Bugesera District.

At least US$8.5 million has already been spent on the feasibility studies, architectural designs and review International Civil Aviation Organization.

The first phase of the project is expected to cost about US$450 million and while Phase II is budgeted to cost US$250 million for a total of US$700 million in whole project.

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Two mult-million e-learning labs have been inaugurated at Rwanda’s Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST).

The Labs are equipped with Digital and touch white boards, cameras, sound systems and soft ware worth US $ 500, 000 (est. Rwf 298.9M) to facilitate e-learning at the Rwanda’s only technological university.

It is a donation vowed by a Chinese based technological company HUAWEI when President Paul Kagame visited the company in 2007.

Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. is a Chinese multinational networking and telecommunications equipment and services company headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.

It is said to be the largest China-based networking and telecommunications equipment supplier and the second-largest supplier of mobile telecommunications infrastructure equipment in the world.

In a colourful ceremony the inauguration was presided over by senior Chinese officials led by Hon. Li Yuanchao, Member of the Political Bureau and Secretariat, and Minister of the Organization Department, CPC Central Committee and Rwanda’s Prime Minister Pierre Damien Habumuremyi.

Present was also Ji Ping the Vice Chairperson of HUAWEI Technologies, Shu zhan Ambassador of China to Rwanda, Dr.Vincent Biruta Minister of Education, Ignace Gatare Minister of ICT and others among the Chinese senior delegation on the official visit in the country.

Doctor Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya the Rector of KIST said the project will reducing costs, time and sharing learning resources among students at the same time.

“We thank HUAWEI for this donation and we promise to make good use of this technology, KIST students follow classes conducted by one lecturer teaching different classes at the same time thus this wouldn’t be possible with the classical method of one lecturer per classroom at a given time,” Mujawamariya said.

Ji Ping the Vice Chairperson of Huawei Technology said; “KIST is one of East Africa’s best known Universities, over the years under the leadership of Rwanda Government”

Some of the KIST’s ICT analysts believe the inaugurated e-learning labs have a lot to offer the University administration embarks on exploring all the available opportunities.

“ you can use it for uploading course materials, students can chat with lecturers in a session of asking questions, it will reduce students-lecturer’s ratio and cost reduction to the University which will differently have a reduced cost pressure to the students,” one of the ICT scholars said.

“We are connected to broadband like many institutions that have benefited from fiber optic, we are now connected to many universities, our lecturer can benefit other universities while conducting any module in the same time and the vice versa,”

“Any visiting lecturer would not now be firmly expensive because time to spend in Rwanda lecturing the same course unit in different classes will be reduced. The work load will have reduced so it makes bargaining for payment easy,” Eric Mugisha the head of Communication told IGIHE.com.

ENDS

The Plane Falcon 50 carrying the Former President of Rwanda Juvenal Habyarimana was according to a new report allegedly shot down by power hungry insiders in his regime.

According to the report, When former President, Juvenal Habyarimana, took off from Tanzania on April 6, 1994, it was already dark. Due to the late hour and insecurity in Rwanda, Habyarimana’s French team tried to convince him to wait until the next day to leave. In vain.

He was in a hurry to leave the summit in Dar es Salaam, where, under pressure, he had to promise to finally implement the peace agreement providing for the sharing of power with the Tutsi rebels.

The Plane was also to bring home his Burundian counterpart, Cyprien Ntaryamira who had also attended the meeting.

At 8:21 p.m., the Falcon announced its approach to the control tower at the airport in Kigali. It appears any lights on in the black sky when a tracer line to meet him, describes a curve, then falls. A second orange flame from the ground and this time, on target.

At 8:25 p.m., the plane exploded in flight and crashed near the presidential residence. The dismembered body of Juvenal Habyarimana will be found in his own gardens, as well as the remains of three French crew members, Jacky Heraud, Jean-Pierre and Jean-MichelMinaberry Perrine.

Hence the missile is he gone? The question may seem anecdotal, if exceeded, eighteen years after the fact.

To judge Jean-Louis Bruguière, who first heard the case, never go there, the rocket was fired by rebels of RPF, the RPF Paul Kagame, since Masaka, a wooded hill, located just 4 km from the airport. The goal? Trigger a process of war to topple the regime.

Unlike their predecessors, the two judges who have taken four years of instruction,Nathalie Poux and Marc Trévidic, left the field and not statements taken mainly from exiled opponents to President Paul Kagame.

Seven experts were dispatched to the scene: three experts in aeronautics, two surveyors, a ballistics and acoustics.

Their report will be presented this afternoon to the parties a little more fragile the conclusions of Judge Bruguière alreadyundermined by the withdrawal of several witnesses.

Reportedly, they were able to establish that the aircraft flying at very low altitude then was hit on its left side near the crash site, is more than three kilometers from the farm in Masaka, the starting point of the alleged missile.

This would imply that the shooter then hung the Falcon as it arrived in his direction, then missed and shot it from behind. The experts also studied two ancient stories, passed unnoticed at the time.

The first from Dr. Massimo Pasuch, a military doctor Belgian member of UNAMIR, the UN mission, who lived at a camp for Rwandan Armed Forces (FAR) in Kanombe, near the airstrip.The man was questioned by the Military Prosecutor in Brussels a few months after the attack.

April 6 at night, he was in his living room when he “heard a noise blast” and saw “an orange light spinning” and finally “a fireball that crashed on the plot of the President.”

The second witness is a French, Gregory of Saint-Quentin, Lieutenant-Colonel marine troops. Military Assistant to the FAR, he also lived inside the military camp at Kanombe in the last row of houses.

“Around 20 am 30, I heard the shots initially and then the explosion, he said on PV Jean-Louis Bruguière, June 8, 2000. Then I saw a fireball in the sky “.

This man has since become general was heard again by the judge Trévidic on 7 December. He confirmed that he “heard two shots departures” that is 500 or 1000 meters from the villa.He added: “It was close enough that I think we attacked the camp.”

The expert in acoustics has studied the precise configuration of the place, the temperature, weather conditions, to find out how to spread the noise that night.

It seems highly unlikely that the two soldiers were able to perceive the breath of missiles fired from there to 3.750km at a place called the farm in Masaka.

More importantly, the speed of light is a hundred times faster than sound, the two men should have seen the plane explode before you hear the rockets.

Conclusion: the shooters were near or inside the Kanombe camp, run by Rwandan officers for the most hostile to the peace settlement which required the merger of the rebels and the army.

The other track has never really been explored by Judge Brugière: that of a coup perpetrated by Hutu extremists determined to prevent the application of the Treaty of Arusha and end once and for all with Tutsis.

The Governor of Eastern Province, Odette Uwamariya has urged Gatsibo residents to work hand in hand with local leaders in the fight against corruption and violence.

This was revealed Tuesday during the launching of the governance month in Gatsibo District at Ngarama sector.

Uwamariya commended residents for their development actions and their role in the good governance process.

Gatsibo is ranked 5th at national Level and on the top place in Eastern Province in good governance, fighting corruption and violence.

Governor Uwamariya and other delegates welcomed questions from the public where most included land disputes between families.

Ambassador Fatuma Ndangiza, the Deputy CEO of Rwanda Governance Board (RGB) praised Gatsibo residents for their achievements and their support to government programs especially on good governance.

She requested local leaders to deliver good services to the population and address every problem that residents face in their daily lives.

The Governance Month that kicked off on December 13 last year and ends on January 30, assesses and strengthens good governance through service delivery and demands of ordinary citizens that need further improvement.

Organised by the Local Government Ministry in collaboration with Rwanda Governance Board (RGB), the Governance Month involves leaders at various levels meeting citizens, listening to their concerns as well as developing suggestions and actionable programmes.

Sylvestre Nsanzabaganwa a resident of Kibumbwe sector Nyamagabe District in Southern Province was killed by unkown people and his toungue removed in the night of 8th -9th January 2012.

Security authorities at Kibumbwe sector said the prime suspects are relatives of Nsanzabaganwa with whom he had been involved in a land dispute before succumbing to gruesome murder.

Emmanuel Kanamugire and Evariste Ntabahigimana are relatives of the deceased. The two are suspected of having a hand in the death of Nsanzabaganwa after losing to the deceased in a court battle for legal ownership of land recently.

The police spokesman, supt. Theos Badege confirmed the gruesome murder of Nsanzabaganwa adding that there is another suspect of the killing who is still on the run.

Police in Nyamagabe have arrested 6 people including a bar owner where the deceased had been drinking before his murder. Among others arrested include people who were with Nsanzabaganwa at the bar and the one who escorted him.

The executive secretary of Kicukiro district, Adarbert RUKEBANUKA has said that the district still faces a challenge of poor hygiene. He said that there are places in Kicukiro where people are still living in poor levels of hygiene.

“Once we find shopkeepers operating in unhygienic environment we shall close their shops and punish them accordingly after the removal of the rubbish,” Rukebanuka told IGIHE.com.

Kayiranga Jean Damascene, executive secretary of Kanserege cell, said daily patrols are conducted every morning before work time ensuring the places are well cleaned.

He said, “Those found lacking proper hygiene are summoned to the general assembly before residents for advice. To avoid shame on them, those exposed do their best to promote hygiene.”

Francoise Nyirambarushimana, shopkeeper in Kanserege II village, Kanserege cell, Gikondo Sector, Kicukiro District said, “people with poor hygiene especially shopkeepers must know that they are victimizing their customers through dirty merchandises.”

The government is doing its best to promote hygiene in the country especially in cities hence the introduction of companies in charge of cleaning roads and streets found in cities like Kigali

China has issued a grant worth Frw5 Billion to Rwanda repayable with no interest. The support aims at facilitating economic and technical cooperation with Rwanda.

The agreement was signed by both ministers of foreign affairs Louise Mushikibawo and Chen Jian vice minister of commerce in China.

Mushikibawo noted that the agreement was significant to Rwanda.

“It is consistent with the government’s efforts to develope our country and substantially change the livelihood of our entire population.
It also confirms our determination to move forward on all aspects of serious economic development of our country,” she said.

She further noted that the amount will be used to support national developmental projects, though officials haven’t prioritized any scheme.

“So far we haven’t discussed on any projects but I think we will select activities that are in line with upgrading infrastructure.”

Regarding economic cooperation, she hailed trade relations with china adding that sustainable development can only result from private business engagement in nation building, yet this can be achieved through the governments will to encourage this option.

Jiani took positively Mushikibawo’s request for both countries to go beyond state to state cooperation to investments in the private sector.

He also promised to advocate for more Chinese entrepreneurs to invest in the country.

IGIHE.com has reliably learnt that a French court in Versailles has today 10th January 2012 turned down Rwanda’s request for the extradition of a former magistrate Manasse Bigwenzaré accused of involvement in the 1994 Tutsi genocide.

Bigwenzaré said he was happy with the outcome, adding that he had “always known it was a lie”, and that he had never been politically active in Rwanda.

Government of Rwanda had obtained an international arrest warrant for Bigwenzaré, on charges of crimes against humanity and genocide.

The judge noted that Bigwenzaré could be persecuted if he returned to Rwanda.
The judge also ordered the lifting of judicial controls which had applied to Bigwenzaré since his arrest in June, just north of Paris, where he lives in a retirement home.

Bigwenzaré obtained French nationality in 2010, after fleeing Rwanda on 8th April 1994, just after the killing began, according to his lawyer.

Huye district has managed to construct 84 classrooms in various secondary schools in the district meant to accommodate students in the recently approved 12-Year basic education program.

This development puts Huye district ahead of other districts in the country.

Each classroom will accommodate 46 students who will be taught various subjects including; sciences, humanities and literature.

Eugene Kayiranga the mayor of Huye district attributed the progress to support given by residents adding that the cooperation should be replicated in other parts of the country.

“We urge residents to take part in building classrooms if we want our students to start learning without delaying. Those who are reluctant to provide support to us, let this success be a lesson to them.

I hope they will be inspired to take part in construction of remaining classrooms,” he advised.

Normally, residents offer support ranging from finances, manual work, donation of construction materials among requirements.