Author: b_igi_adm1n

The World Bank Country Manager Omomunmi Mimi Ladipo has declined to give data pertaining unemployment in Rwanda.

Unemployment or jobs issues is one of the top priority item on the agenda to be discussed in the World Bank spring annual meeting to take place September 23-25 in Washington DC.

Ladipo was addressing the journalists from both public and private media in a press conference that took place at WB country office in Kigali.

“That one I know is an area with a lot of concern, attention and interest. We can’t and we are not yet in a position to give the specific data but this is what the government is looking at very closely-across the whole of Africa for example we know 7-10 million youth are coming up on Job market every year,”Ladipo said today.

“It is very significant proportion about our population and the expectations is that Rwanda is also somehow similarly impacted so I don’t want to go into data now, what we are trying to do in Rwanda is to pre-empt the possibility of it becoming a significant development issue,” Ladipo added.

She however said that the WB has supported social protection sector projects support aimed at making government to be in a position to provide employment and opportunities for youth in rural country side.

According to Ladipo priorities selected to be listed on the meeting’s agenda base on a combination of a lot of things driven by what is happening in the world giving an example of Jobs referring to what has been happening in the Middle East.

In April this year, Rwanda’s Minister of Public Service Anastase Murekezi the government was targeting to reduce unemployment rate to 4 percent from the current 8 percent in seven years through the formation of cooperatives.

According to the Minister, the working age group stood at 5.3 million with 670,000 still in school while public servants account for two percent representing 120,000 jobs.

It emerged that on average, between 100,000 and 140,000 new jobs are created per year out of a target of 200,000 new jobs by the year 2017.

While formal sector share of vacancies is 6.2 percent, the informal sector is said to dominate the employment industry with 93.8 percent.

Experts say unemployment currently stands at over 205 million worldwide which is the highest-ever recorded.

This year’s theme for the WB spring meeting is ‘Jobs, Gender and Climate change’ of which she said these affect different region differently and they don’t carry the amount of emphasis.

The meeting allows number of lectures, talks and seminars aimed at information sharing across countries and number of cooperate events are organized with Africa region specific events.

“There is accountability of one side done on the other side. It is about what we’ve been doing and about what we see as possible changes in policy direction. Basically to pick back what they think we should be doing and what we are not doing, if they think we have been doing things we shouldn’t have done they would tell us and if they think we have been doing more of a certain things they would also tell us,” Ladipo enlightened about the meeting.

On Rwanda’s context, Ladipo said that the meeting will focus mainly on how WB can continue supporting Rwanda to generate electricity to attain her target of 1000 megawatts by 2017, private sector development and how to support Secretary General Dr. Richard Sezibera’s plans at EAC secretariat.

The Rwandan delegation will be led by John Rwangombwa the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning and Rwanda’s Central Bank Governor Claver Gatete.

Finally, Kenyans in Rwanda under the association named All Kenyans in Rwanda have voted Boniface Mutua as their chairman, though at some point his candidature was derailed for a month by a few who allegedly wanted to cling to the executive posts.

According to some voters who turned up at the Kenyan Embassy located in Kacyiru, voting Mutua was the way forward to the association’s growth..

“Many promise us wonders when they are campaigning but once we elect them they shy away from their pledges.Anyway, Mutua seems to be a performer and a visionary man we hope he doesn’t change,” says one Caroline Wambui.

On his part the unopposed Mutua assured AKR members that he will do his best to change the leadership history of the association where the outgoing executive is accused of be having been corrupt and greedy.

He adds that his first task is to register members who had paid registration fees but didn’t appear anywhere on the members list. “This is one of the signs of corrupt activities I want to end,” Mutua assured voters.

Prior to his nomination, Mutua had already started a campaign to collect donations of food and money to help those suffering of hunger in Kenya’s famine stricken areas.

He also wants foreigners to take part in national activities since they are also part of the society. He has organized several initiatives and among them is the communal cleaning (Umuganda) at Bwiza cell in Kacyiru.

What is more, Mutua who’s also the country director of PKF an auditing firm, urges those who are professionals to act like mentors especially to local students who have just finished their higher learning educations as there are few local companies to nature their skills.

“On my part as an accountant, I intend to connect some Rwandans who are practicing accounting for instance to some of the Nairobi’s renowned auditing firms and those in Rwanda for them to gain experience ,” he said.

Contributing to the society is not only forced task to Mutua but also a passion. So far he has constructed a school in his village situated in Kenya’s Mwala district close to Machakos town, in the same community he took part in the construction of a water well which connects more than 200 households.

Moreover, he wants to replicate the same in Rwanda by constructing houses to orphans as well as sponsor students who were unable to continue with their education.

“I can’t work alone, that’s why I’m encouraging my fellow Kenyans to contribute to the great progress of this country Rwanda,” he said.

The National Police of Rwanda, department of traffic has cautioned both drivers and pedestrians to respect Zebra crossings.

Disrespecting zebra closings by drivers will even attract punishments, according to the Chief Supt Célestin Twahirwa c/o Traffic Police.

In an interview with igihe.com today, C.Supt. Twahirwa noted, “Pedestrians should respect zebra crossings and avoid mixing themselves with cars, something may attract accidents.”

He added that disrespecting of zebra closings is a traffic offence that will also attract punishments.

The police is continuously sending text messages to mobile telephone subscribers cautioning the public to refrain from talking and texting messages using the phone while driving. This is an offense that is punishable.

“RNP reminds you that talking and texting on phone while driving is a traffic offence. Disregarding Zebra crossing also attracts punishment,” reads the text.

Years ago, Bicycles were banned from the main tarmac roads of the city. Then they were the largest source of road accidents.

Later Motor cycle Taxis emerged and dominated the transport sector within the city. They too took over as leader in road traffic accidents claiming many lives and serious injuries. This attracted the introduction of compulsory Helmets.

However, it has since become easy for many to acquire motorcycles through bank loans resulting into the presence of many motorcycles on roads without proper legal documents especially drivers permit and technical control pass. Many have been impounded in the on going crackdown by traffic police.

However, there are many road accidents in the countryside most of which are a result of ignorance about the road traffic rules by the citizens and reckless driving,overspeeding,non herded cattle crossing and use of phones while driving.