Author: b_igi_adm1n

Rwanda’s first mobile telephone network provider (MTN) Foundation has equipped Ecole de Science de Gisenyi with a fully furnished computer lab.

The school is located in Rubavu District in Northern Province.

The foundation furnished the lab with brand new 36 computers with a full year internet connection.

Esri Hakuzimana the director of the school overwhelmingly appreciated; “we are chanced because our students are going to be groomed with ICT skills”.

“The lab will not only help students but also teachers for research purposes and also will benefit the community including neighboring schools,” Hakuzimana added

According to MTN Foundation Board Member, Zulphat Mukarubega, the donation aims at supporting ICT literacy as one of the country’s vision 2020 key pillars.

“ICT is the future and we want to sell to our young generation an opportunity to develop and harness their ICT skills,” said Mukarubega.

Yvonne Mubiligi, the Head of the Foundation at MTN said that the school was selected because it meets all the requirements to be supported.

Mubiligi said the requirements were school population of over 500 students, significant percentage of girls to be empowered in education, positive results on national exams, and an established adequate infrastructure and sustainable program for computer lab.

“The school must meet the key requirements to apply for the support,” Mubiligi pointed out .

Bonaventure Uwimaniragiye one of the students cheerfully noted: “I am very happy for the donation because this is going to help us in our research purposes and increase on our knowledge let say in history, biology and other relevant subjects”

Ecole de Science de Gisenyi is a mixed school with over 700 students. It has both ‘O’ level and ‘A’ level with majority of science students at High School level offering PCM and MCB combinations.

The MTN Foundation was set up in 2010 as the principal vehicle for its corporate social responsibility program. The company has committed 1% of its profit after tax to finance its Corporate social responsibility program.

Nearly after two months when Uganda’s President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni visted Rwanda, his Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki is in the country for a three- days state visit.

At Kigali International Airport Justice Odoki told igihe.com that his visit aimed at strengthening his country’s judicial cooperation with Rwanda.

In twenty minutes ago on his arrival at Kigali International Airport, Igihe.com got him before heading to Kigali Genocide Memorial Center at Gisozi.

Justice Odoki was received by his Rwandan counterpart Justice Aloysia Cyanzayire, who immediately led him to Kigali Genocide Memorial Center, Gisozi followed by visiting various court rooms.

It is expected that tomorrow, represented by the two Chief Justices will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to farther judicial cooperation between the two countries.

Odoki said that among the terms in the MOU to be signed tomorrow, will focus on capacity building and experience sharing.

“There is a lot both countries can share not only in cooperation but also in improving competence in respective to judicial systems,” Odoki told Igihe.com at the Airport.

“Rwanda will likely benefit since we have enormous years of experience, we also intend to send law teachers from Uganda to train in law learning institutions here,” Odoki added.

The custodian of Ugandan judiciary assured that no Rwandan suspects would seek refuge in Uganda adding that; “even Genocide suspects whom I’m not aware of though many people have asked me about them, will also be transferred to Rwanda once they get arrested,”

Speaking to Igihe.com Alain Mukurarinda the spokesman of the Rwanda’s Public Prosecution Authority, said that there have been seven files Rwanda had requested Uganda to transfer.

Mukurarinda said that five have been transferred and two are still in the investigations. “Our judicial cooperation is so progressing positively, of course when we request any file, we have to let them do their investigations until they complete and transfer the file,” Mukurarinda said.

Rwanda’s Chief Justice Aloysia Cyanzaire added that judicial cooperation will enable the transfer of cases from either country.

“We now expect that Uganda will transfer cases to us efficiently and we too will do the same,” she remarked.

The Rwandan Minister in charge of Justice Hon. Tharcisse KARUGARAMA has officially confirmed that the government of Rwanda has in conjunction with the African Union agreed to prosecute former Chadian president Hussein accused of crimes against humanity.

Hussein is currently taking refuge in Senegal.

In a telephone interview the justice minister said that it is now 2years since the government of Rwanda requested the African Union to prosecute the former Chadian president who is accused of crimes against humanity committed during his term of office in the 1990’s.

“Even though Mr. Hussein is in exile in Senegal, voices to bring him to justice have lately increased but reasons to why he hasn’t been apprehended are up to Senegal”. Karugarama told reporters.

Asked on what interest Rwanda has in prosecuting the case Hon. Karugama said that “Rwanda has no specific interest in the case but we are just helping maintain peace here and there and ensuring justice is delivered.”

The minister however neither detailed exactly the schedule of the trail nor what both Rwanda and the African Union will contribute to the trail “What I can tell you at this moment is that we requested to prosecute the trail and our request has been granted.”

Five pupils at Groupe Scolaire Kagugu have been arrested for stealing 13 One Laptop Per Child computers.

Groupe Scolaire Kagugu is a pilot school of the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) programme which helps children in learning laptops meant to facilitate primary pupils practice computer skills.

These primary five pupils are said to have broken through the window into the store where these computers had been kept and took them away on Friday 30, 2011.

The five boys were unlucky when the security guard only identified as Nikuze learnt of their plan and notified the school authority that also alerted the police and then arrested them.

The police spokesman Supt. Theos Badege told Igihe.com that the prosecution will determine the fate of these minors.

“What police has done is responding and investigating the crime. We got to where they were and found them with the computers and accepted they had stolen them,” Badege narrated.

“The next phase is submitting their file to the prosecution,” he said.

According to Rwandan law, a child over 14 years can be tried and if he/she is convicted can be sentenced in children prison in Nyagatare, Eastern province while bellow age children are put under rehabilitation centers.

Kigali Health Institute is in preparation for the second event to vote for the institution’s beauty queen October 9, 2011.

The institution which has its headquarters in Kigali, has got another branch in Nyamishaba, Karongi presents eight contestants with four of them from its branch.

Before the general event, the students union will promote oral health in the community, empower women in solving problems of the country, create culture of oral hygiene in secondary schools and promote girls’ confidence in getting rid of solving problems that our community faces.

The first event in the history of the institute took place in 2008 where Denise Paola Murebwayire was crowned miss KHI and Josiane Karengera emerged the first run up, since then; they have been still recognized as the ambassadors in different events in the country.

During the event King James, Dream Boys and KHI cultural troop will entertain the audience

The beauty contestant will be sponsorship by Bank of Kigali and a major sponsors Igihe.com, Sulfo, Rwanda Youth Council and Malina Interiors
A major breakthrough was made when KHI started on June 5, 1996.

The status of the institute was later ratified by an Act of Parliament in 2002, paving way for it to become semi-autonomous with the two ministries as key stakeholders.

The institution had the vision centre of excellence in training and development of health professionals in the region whereas its mission was to train and improve the capacity of health workers in the country.

Rwanda’s newly appointed Ambassador to Switzerland Amb. Soline Nyirahabimana presented her Credentials to Her Excellency Micheline CALMY-REY President of the Swiss Confederation on September 20, 2011at the Federal Palace in Bern.

Also Permanent Representative of Rwanda to the United Nations in Geneva, in Switzerland confirmed that she is intending to work with Swiss authorities and institutions to strengthen the existing bilateral relationship between the two countries.

Amb Nyirahabimana expressed the wish to set up a Joint Permanent Commission between Rwanda and Switzerland.

She said the commission will serve as a framework for the two governments for a consultation on all matters relating to the cooperation between Rwanda and Switzerland, through mutual respect.

Ambassador Nyirahabimana also briefed Swiss President on the current socio-economic and political situation in Rwanda that included achievements in Education, Health, Gender and ICT sectors.

She also pointed out some home grown initiatives which are helping to reduce poverty and boost economic development in Rwanda such as Ubudehe, Girinka (One cow per poor family), Umuganda and many more.

The Swiss President acknowledged the progress made in Rwanda adding that Swiss Government is ready to farther bilateral relationship with Rwanda.
Ambassador Nyirahabimana was accompanied by the First Counsellor of Rwandan Embassy in Switzerland, Alphonse Kayitare.

Her Excellency Micheline CALMY-REY officially visited Rwanda in July 2007.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MINICOM) has awarded two local musicians whose songs crown the best from 21 competitors in the competition organized by the ministry to produce a song on intellectual property in Rwanda.

The ministry intends to sensitize the public on the importance of intellectual property in Rwanda`s Development, as well as the content of the law and policy on Intellectual property.

Generation Music Group, that was the best and awarded Frw 2.5M said during the press interview.

“We are extremely happy as an upcoming group to see that our song was the best. The award we got today will be used to produce other songs we had in the studio.” Generation Music Group said.

Mboneko Kizito among other participants won the second position with the award of Rwf 1M

According to Kaliza Karuretwa in charge of Trade and investment said the biggest challenge is awareness because the regulatory framework is already in place and that the public has to be sensitized upon it.

Karuretwa said that campaign has been done in seminars and workshops but was not successful as expected and that is why the sensitization is going to be done through music itself.

“Since we have the song, the message will be delivered to every one without calling for meetings because we are going to promote it via radios and television.” she added.

The Tanzania-based UN tribunal (ICTR) has convicted former public service Minister Prosper Mugiraneza and the then trade minister Justin Mugenzi of complicity to committing genocide and incitement to commit genocide.

The tribunal however acquitted two other ministers – Casimir Bizimungu and Jérôme-Clément Bicamumpaka – due to lack of evidence. The judges ordered their immediate release.

Judge Emile Short issued a dissenting opinion on the sentence, saying Mugiraneza and Mugenzi deserved a reduction of five years for violation of right to trial without undue delay.

The four men were members of an interim government that ran the country after president Juvenal Habyarimana’s plane was shot down on April 6, 1994. The 1994 Genocide claimed over I million Tutsis.

Demanding life sentences for the four men in November 2008, prosecutors said the ministers blazed a path to hell for Tutsis.

“They had no intention to stop the massacres.” On the contrary, prosecutor Paul Ng’arua told the judges.

“They poured oil on the flames through incendiary speeches, some of which were relayed on the notorious Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM) radio station. The prosecutors main argument was that wherever the ministers went “they were soon followed by blood-letting and displacement of Tutsi populations,”

In a telephone interview with igihe.com correspondents Bosco Siboyintore in charge of Genocide Fugitive Tracking Unit said that negotiations for appeal are underway in reference to the case in which the two suspects (Casimir Bizimungu and Jérôme-Clément Bicamumpaka) were acquitted.

“We are waiting for the court submission so that we can analyze and see what the court base on in acquitting Casimir Bizimungu and Jérôme-Clément Bicamumpaka since they claimed lack of evidence pinning the two individuals,” Siboyintore

“In case we find clauses contrary to our understandings, we have up to 30days to appeal against the decision of the court” narrated in a telephone interview.

Multicultural Popular Education Centre (MKFC) Stockholm College and Kigali Institute of Education (KIE) have started a three months e-teacher training to equip teacher training colleges with ICT skills based on research and modern learning processes.

The long-term goal is to equip Rwandan teachers with knowledge and capacity to tutor their online education supported by ICT tools.

Marja Riitta Ritanoro MKFC Chief Executive Officer noted after the training the teachers will follow extra trainings online.

She insisted that online participation expands the classroom and learning environment and disseminates innovative ideas for school management, to teachers, parent groups and students.

James Rutebuka the coordinator of the e-learning based on ICT, highlighted that the program aims to create the use of global and local avenues for social interaction, teamwork and e-learning.

“This program is essential and would facilitate teachers to conduct their work effectively especially those who teach computer courses,” he added,” the One Laptop per Child for instance is not well implement since we don’t have adequate teachers who are conversant with basic computer skills,” he remarked.

Ritanoro was quick to highlight that competent teachers would encourage students to use internet for further research. “Google for instance is a good search engine which students can acquire vast knowledge provided by several websites,” she remarked.

In Rwanda the use of ICT is dominating the service industry, yet it’s impact is not well seen in the education sector partly because not all teachers are competent to utilize the technology, hence training them on similar courses would improve the situation.

The Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) Mountain Gorilla Rally 2011 kicked in high gear set off.

Day1 on Friday September 30, 2011 a ceremonial start took place at the Private sector Federation (Expo Grounds), the cars proceeded to the quarry Grounds of Gahanga, Kicukiro District taking off for approximately 2.5 Km in length.

Today the cars will head to the North which seems to be competitive part situated on the slopes of two famous volcanoes Kalisimbi and Sabyinyo.

Tomorrow Sunday Motorsports will again ride along Kigali Suburbs. The 2011 edition of the KCB Mountain Gorilla Rally will be completed over three days.

The rally will cover the picturesque scenery of Rwanda and will take competitors and fans to the east parts of the country.

The total distance of the rally will be 600 kms. There is a total of 16 Competitive Sections which will be re-run over the course of the rally, the longest of which will be 29 Kms and the shortest 5 Kms.

The competitive sections will be run in groups of 2 or 3. Competitors came from the EAC bloc and beyond, and 20 Motorsport Cars are on the list to compete.