Author: b_igi_adm1n

Rwanda Peace Academy is organizing training aimed at gathering in a report of all Rwanda’s peace missions since 2004.

It’s planed that about 40 military officers and 10 police officers that are still in a peace mission or ended their mission will attend this training.

The officers will gather all techniques and peace actions that were done and called Peace Support Opperations (PSO).

The attendants of the training slated to take place at Nyakinama (Musanze district); will study the UN’s contribution and its organs to strengthening peace actions, actions on human rights and prevailing peace conflicts.

The training also explore what has been achieved and the problems faced in Rwanda’s peace actions in UN missions since 2004 when it contributed to peace mission in Sudan that ended in 2007.

The training that will start on 26th to 30th September; is to make in files four actions carried out by the Rwandan military and police in UNAMID in Darfur, MINUSTAH in Haiti, UNMIL in Liberia and UNMIS in Sudan that started last July.

The Natural Fire 11 training aimed at military cooperation in the East African Community closed today with a graduation of 37 RDF soldiers in 300 attendants.

The training started September 16th 2011 in Zanzibar, RDF was led by Brig.Gen. Mushyo Kamanzi who also was coordinating a group called Combined Joint Task Force.

During the closing ceremony, the second Vice President of Zanzibar; Ambassador Seif Idd urged that actions aimed at developing the community should be announced publicly for people to know of their importance.

“Seeing us great because of our community, our people do not know about it. For that reason, its benefits should be announced,” added Ambassador Seif Idd.

He emphasized that military cooperation was necessary because of security problems at boarders.

Seif demanded that cooperating within the community armies could expand and reach development actions like rail way constructions and other infrastructure.

The Tanzanian Minister in charge of army and public services, Dr. Hussein Mwinyi said that Natural Fire 11 training was a test to see whether the region could overcome its own problems.

The USAFRICOM, Gen. David Hogg said that the exercise showed the EAC need to promote security in countries and the region in general.

During training officials from Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and USA exercised on rescue operations, fighting against disasters, terrorists and bandits.

Early Friday, an exodus of 100 Rwandan refugees most of whom women and children crossed the border from DRC to Rwanda at Rubavu entry point.

The appearance of returning refugees confirmed the bad conditions they have been living in. Security forces at the Rwanda side of border allowed Igihe.com to interview the refuges briefly before they were taken to Nkamira camp in Kanzenze Sector.

They told Igihe.com that their coming back to Rwanda was a voluntary act by themselves for they had been living in poor conditions in the DR-Congo forests.

“We were told constantly to return home that Rwanda is beautiful and safe,” one refugee said.

“I have never gone to school, don’t know how to read and write. I am surprised to see all people around smart and healthy,” one refugee only indentified as Felix a 23 year old said during the interview.

“We have been living in poor conditions with no hospitals, roads absolute poverty and always on the move searching for peace and security for our lives,” Felix explained to our reporter.

Asked on the whereabouts of their husbands, the ladies replied that their husbands were reluctant about returning and feared being persecuted once they return to Rwanda.

Some of the women also told our reporter that their husbands couldn’t come to Rwanda because they are of Congolese origin.

The refugees boarded trucks that transported them to Nkamira camp but security officials denied independent journalists and only RTV crew were allowed to proceed to the camp.

Election of senators scheduled for 26th-27, will start with senators contesting in Kigali city, 4 provinces and end with elections for representatives of both government and private Educational institutions.

51candidates are vying for senatorial seats.

Prof. Dr. Karangwa Chrysologue the chairman of electoral commission confirmed to journalists that there will be no interference during the campaigns and expects that even the elections will be conduted in peace.

“ I also want to remind the electoral committee to keep in mind that they are voting on behalf of Rwandese who trusted them to cast their votes in an appropriate way,” he said.

He also added that all people are allowed to monitor the whole process of voting and all people who will vote to be on polling stations at time.

The candidates who will represent both government and private educational institutions will be voted by fellow researchers and professors to present their interests.

The national electoral commission has put a lot of efforts explaining to the public, why the elections were not for all people to vote, but a committee of people trusted by them through local government.

The actual voting will take place after 2/3 of the voters have reached at the polling station and it will be officially opened from morning until 3pm evening.

Also the electoral commission appreciates good conduct exhibited by all candidates showed during campaigns.

In the ongoing debate on press freedom, the Minister in charge of information Protais Musoni has urged journalists to conduct research about their field in different countries comparing with Rwanda.

People still give their point of view and some want the media to be free and others show their concern that media could again contribute to sensitising people to killing as for the 1994 genocide.

The Forum of Private Newspapers carried out a one day meeting this Friday concerning different journalists working in Rwanda.

The debate turned around the crime of defamation in crimes followed by the government to be abolished.

Some insisted that the government should not defend someone whose private life has been invaded instead it should be him/her to complain before courts because government does not have interest.

Minister Musoni finds it necessary to have more training first before requesting for changes as they are the people’s watchdogs.

“You should first get training in journalism because before being a that one who can change some people’s minds you should be able to provide some thing for them,” added Musoni.

Theodore Ntarindwa the forum leader told Igihe.com that they are looking for a way media could provide professional objects.

“We are planning to establish a way that each newspaper can work in one place and get specialized,” Ntarindwa said adding that the forum needs ideas and help from government.

Ntarindwa said that they are planning to create a social found to help newspapers in a case of financial crisis.

On Thursday 22 September, the general assembly of the chamber of deputies, adopted the bill of the establishment of the centre of registering national Identity known as NIDA and the law governing contracts.

Due to the president’s appeal, the general assembly amended the law governing the contract and obliterated article 62 and be substituted.

The major intention of removing article 62 was due to the contradiction that typified this article in the second paragraph of 201 of the national constitution of Rwanda which states “ignorance of the law which has been duly published shall not be a defense”.

Apart from article 62 which was detached, the committee of economic development and finance studied other draft laws to insert or eliminate in order to strengthen it.

Two articles were removed from the law; one was added while 27 others were studied.

The general assembly also studied a report carried out by the committee of social affairs, human rights and petition in the senate.

The chamber of deputies after studying the reports given by senate approved them and the whole bill in general.

Immigrants at Gihembe refugee camp have claimed they are delayed and kept for long time at the verification hall where the ongoing re-registration exercise is taking place.

They have claimed that they are left to wait with their children and wives and no one is left back home to prepare meals for them and some also stay in the hall for a week or more.

Jean Nsengiyera the camp president confirmed the allegations saying that the whole family is asked to be in the hall and children go hungry since no one remains back to prepare their meals.

However, Nsengiyera did not confirm his colleagues’ allegations that some refugees spend between one day and a week in the verification hall.

“We have children that go there and spend the whole day with their mothers who cannot cook for them while attending the re-registration exercise, we have had several meetings with them showing our grievances and we are wait to see a change,” Nsengiyera told igihe.com in the camp.

Anouck Bronée External Relations Officer at United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says parents at Gihembe camp decided to make their own choice to bring their children at the verification hall where the re-registration is commencing.

“Indeed sometimes the process takes longer. Refugees are summoned in the morning and the exercise takes several hours, that one I will not deny.

However, we have a plan that they should not bring their children, that they should leave their children at school and their children will be registered separately,” Bronee told igihe.com.

“It is a parents’ choice to bring their children. We have advised them not to but they prefer to bring their children…I don’t know why they want to bring their children with them. You should know that UNHCR has advised that the children remain at school,” Bronee explained.

Perturbed by the allegations, Bronee also emphasised, “No refugee stays overnight in the verification hall, I want to confirm that and to make that very clear, it is a misrepresentation on behalf the refugees”.

According to Bronee the objective of the re-registration exercise is for UNHCR and its partners to obtain accurate information on refugees other than fears in the camp that the refugees were going to be relocated.

“We work now on the assumption that we have about 56000 refugees in Rwanda but it may be that we have much less than that so every three-four years UNHCR and its partners embark on this exercise to update our data. To know how we can help them better, there is no relocation involved whatsoever,” Bronee cleared the air.

Bronee said that the verification exercise has so far admitted at least 12289 refugees (meaning they have not yet completed all stages of the re-registration exercise), 7419 refugees have completed all stages of the re-registration exercise.

The exercise involves obtaining numbers of refugees, biometric, information on families, and photographs compiling information related to every individual.

The exercise will also be extended to other refugee camps of Kiziba and Nyabiheke camps in Karongi and Northern Province respectively.

It is expected that the whole exercise will be completed by the end of this year while Gihembe camp alone is expected to be completed by the end of this month.

“You know its work in progress, we may be delayed or we may increase our pace, it is not a confirmed dates, it is a projection,” Bronee said.

As you move around the city, there are a number of construction activities especially buildings but the question that lingers in the minds of policy makers and urban planners are how to sustain the development.

The second National Urban Forum tried to address some of the key factors that would enhance sustainability of the urban development activities and much emphasis was put on lowering the cost of construction with an aim of having affordable decent houses.

Yet with ongoing implementation of the Kigali master plan then, it was revealed that a lot of money was being spent in importing construction materials.

Donna Rubinoff, the Kigali City director of urban planning and One Stop Centre emphasized on the use of local materials which were affordable.

“In taxi parks for instance there’re should be solar lights which should reduce on the cost of electricity.” She advised.

Rubinoff was also backed by participant who is an engineer. “we can also use Agro stone which is a block made of manure and other farm waste, yet stone doesn’t require a lot of technology, magnesium phosphate for instance a kilo costs Frw 1,200 which can make 78 blocks another material is larva from volcanic mountains which is available in Rwanda’s Virunga mountains.

“We have all the materials what’s delaying us? Look at Ethiopia they ’re doing well this kind of stone,” said the engineer.

In this respect, Rubinoff insists that there’re should be a research institute in the country meant to indentify some of the local construction materials which facilitate affordable housing.

However, a complaint from participants criticized the breakdown of hydro-foam machine which was used to make bricks.

“Even the research should also focus on the use of some construction machines and find if it’s really applicable, I worry that those brick-making machines might have broken down due to either lack of competence from users or poor materials.”

She also added that there was a need for the government to develop infrastructure before people settle in a specific area.

“This would promote orderly construction of houses since there’re roads that divide the plots and both electricity and water channels would also facilitate building activities, without this it can lead to slums and poor road network in the neighborhood,” she remarked.

The sewage system on the other hand is an issue affecting most urban dwellers where waste is disposed in a disorderly manner yet when it’s managed efficiently it can be recycled thus promoting the economy.

In Kenya for instance waste from toilets is purified to clean safe water while urine is mostly used to make fertilizer.

What’s more, the Kigali One Stop Construction Centre wants to network its services with district offices, with the aim of enhancing speedy issuing of licenses to those willing to construct houses.

“Indeed we have a lot of people queuing at our head offices and I hope the system will improve how we deliver our services,” Rubinoff remarked.

There is also need for better transportation routes with ample pedestrian paths. Oswald Tuyizere the African Regional Officer of the National Council of Persons with Disabilities urged the city planners to design pedestrian paths which are comfortable to disabled people.

“Most of the buildings in the city are not accessible to people living with disabilities, like this Lemigo hotel we’re having this meeting, it’s not at all friendly to those using wheel chairs for instance kindly take note of my concerns.” He pointed out.

In an earlier interview with the director of National Housing Corporation (NHC) Esther Mutamba, she revealed that there are plans to improve affordable decent houses.

“It’s true we want all citizens to live in well-constructed houses that’s why we’re devising ways to ease building costs to our investors in order to have affordable houses to all”.

However, people should not be excited since currently the government doesn’t have enough money to start constructing descent houses all over the country.

“It’s still a challenge since we don’t have enough finances now that’s why we’re encouraging financial institutions to prolong the repayment period to those who have acquired mortgages,” Mutamba said.

Kigali Institute of Management (KIM) has today Sept 23, graced its first graduation ceremony where 289 students including pioneers of the institute graduated in an event held at institution premises.

In his remarks, Peter Rutaremara the Chairman Board of Directors said; “KIM is celebrating its first graduation ceremony 6 years after its establishment.

“What we are witnessing today is indeed a turning point in the history of the university and justification for the celebrations,” said Rutaremara.

This comes after the institution was awarded a University Charter by the government of Rwanda on recommendation of Higher Education Council on May 11, 2011.

He also said that the 289 grandaunts are well qualified to compete in the working industry whether in Rwanda, in the region and beyond.

Hon. Damien Pierre Habumuremyi, the Minister of Education and the Institution’s Chancellor in his messages to the grandaunts recommended the success in attaining the Degree of Bachelor of Business management.

“This is one of the rewards for your diligent pursuit of your country. The qualification you attain today is the key to the many doors of opportunities that you are to unlock for yourself and for the nation,” Habumuremyi said in remarks.

Among other grandaunts, Josephine Muhongerwa who got the Second Lower Class Degree pointed out that: “As a graduate from KIM, I am happy to reach this special day and to have achieved my goal.”

She Applauded KIM management saying it produces professionals in accounts and finance and that for that matter she will be able to compete favorably on the job market.

Kigali Institute of Management was established in 2005 as an offshoot of the International College of Accountancy and Management (ICAM) which was founded in 2003.

The college (KIM) is a direct response to the country dire need for highly qualified multi-skilled professionals in the fields of business, management and information technology in Rwanda and beyond.

At around noon the recent inaugurated Boeing 737-800 spread its wings to
BUJUMBURA the capital of Burundi for the first time.

The Burundian minister in charge of transportation Kibaya expressed joy as the Boeing touched down at the airport (Aéroport international de Bujumbura).

“I am thankful to the Rwandan government because flights between Bujumbura and Kigali are going to be the catalyst to development in the region especially in the trade sector”

Apart from easing the movement between Kigali and Bujumbura these flights are going to broaden trade in the EAC region and Africa.
Patrick Nkulikiyimfura represented Rwandair CEO.

Nkulikiyimfura explained the specialty of this plane compared to other planes noting that the plane is fast and has a high passenger capacity as compared to other planes they are used to.

“The plane you see before you has a capacity of carrying 154 passengers and can fly non-stop for long distances, and its prices are fair compared to other air companies in the airline business.”

Nkulikiyimfura said that the plane will facilitate Burundians travelling to places they have never traveled to including; India and Johannesburg in South Africa and above all these places will be reached right from Bujumbura other than the usual process where they had to pass several airports before getting to their final destinations.

Reporters questioned whether other airline companies operating in Bujumbura will not lose market due to the introduction of Rwandair carrier but Nkulikiyimfura calmed their fears saying,“We shall continue working normally”.

The boeing 737-800 will be travelling to 13 destinations in africa including; Bujumbura, Dar-es- Salaam and Arusha Tanzania, Entebbe in Uganda, Nairobi and Mombasa in Kenya, Leo mba in Congo Brazzaville, Libreville in Gabon, Luxemburg, Johannesburg and Dubai all at affordable prices.