Author: b_igi_adm1n

A young Rwandan artist, Edouard Uwayo Bamporiki aged 27, says he will focus his work on ensuring that peace prevails in Rwanda using his natural gift as an artist.

In an exclusive interview he told igihe.com during the two-day unity and reconciliation lectures held at Lycée Notre-Dame de Cîteaux that: “I came to know this school last year when I was invited to give a lecture about unity and reconciliation to the youth.

“I was enticed by the students here, who showed much concern at knowing and getting involved in demonstrating the meaning of the words “peace, unity and reconciliation” to the rest of the youth.

“ I therefore decided to be visiting them annually, give such lectures and my own films, and award the best student to promote peace at the school.” Uwayo emphasized.

The event was organized by Bamporiki himself in partnership with the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC) which was intended to award the best student at the school in promoting peace and unity.

The artist stressed that today Rwandans should be enthusiastic to heroism, and bring back the value of Rwandans.

“Let’s inherit our parents responsibility to reconstruct our nation for a brighter future instead promoting divisionism that cause the inhuman catastrophe that ended a million innocent Rwandans”

Lise-Vivian Rurangwa 18 years old at this girls’ school finished last year andis the only girl who was awarded for her great efforts and heroism in promoting unity and reconciliation.

In appreciation of the Award Rurangwa said: “I think I am given the award on behalf of my colleagues with whom we help activities at this school last year that were symbols of great heroism.

“The activities included composing poems and plays among others practically taught peace and unity to fellow students” she said amidst claps from the audience.

She stressed that to enlighten youth on reconciliation is much easier when the message is delivered through plays and poems and other activities.
Jean Batiste Habyalimana, the NURC’s Executive Secretary present also said; “We normally do sensitization in the youth to show them where the tragedy, the country has gone through.

“Many of them do not know about its history. We want them reconstruct the nation knowing well where it has come from because the youth are the only ones that hold the destiny of Rwanda” he emphasized.

The school’s Directress, Sister Helene Nayituriki said that their role is to empower these young people with knowledge, and show them how to live and to give them moral generosity on how to live with the rest in society both within and outside the school.

Nayituriki added: “In this week I decided to work with the NURC and Edouard to give them reconciliation lectures before they set off for holidays and we have done it for two days which I think will help them even in holidays.”

She challenged the Youth in general to study from the role model people, and learns constructive ideas that will help them cite the example of the awarded former student.

Isimbi Sandrine 18 years old, Head Girl at the school said there were positive recommendations on the lectures.

“Such discussions help us to create a clear focus in our minds because sometimes as young people we think in a childish way.

I think from such discussions we shall build our nation as expected,” she told igihe.com.
Magnifique Mukundwa aged 15, in senior 3 student noted; “What I have leant from Bamporiki’s film is that our parents who could have been involved in 1994 genocide should accept their faults and pledge forgiveness.”

Bamporiki is an Awardwinning Filmmaker, actor and poet who have received national and international attention for his stories of hope, unity and reconciliation.
He wrote, directed, acted and produced “Long Coat” film and others that include “Where the truth is storm is over” and acted “Munyurangabo Film

BUGESERA: The Rwanda National Police has destroyed illicit drugs that were seized during an ongoing operation in the district in collaboration with community policing committees and other security organs.

The police crackdown was held in Ndago, Rusarabuye Sector in Burera district; on Wednesday July 27 where , 578 liters of local brew (kanyanga), 93 dozens of Chief Waragi and 6840 bottles of African Gin which are usually smuggled from neighboring Uganda were all destroyed.

Superintendent Felix Rutayisire, the District Police Commander cautioned residents; “Drinking illicit brew is the main cause of crimes in our area and you should desist from drinking these dangerous substances.”

Zaraduhaye Joseph, the Vice Mayor in charge of Finance and Economic Affairs in Burera District told residents who had gathered at the scene that illicit brew is dangerous to their lives. He said that it leads to crimes such as defilement, family issues as well as other social crimes.

“I urge you to collaborate with police through sharing information so that such criminals may be arrested,” Zaraduhaye added.

Rwanda National Police continues to urge Rwandans to abstain from use of illicit breweries as it affects their health, impacts on their prosperity and causes insecurity

After three years, the Prosecutor General Martin Ngoga has finally broken the silence and revealed that his office has taken to court cases for prosecution on charges of embezzlement of public funds, illegal public procurements, forgery of documents that were exposed in the Auditor General’s annual report2007.

Addressing a press conference Wednesday at his office in Kimihurura, Ngoga revealed that about 223 people are involved in the charges but refused to disclose identities of officials accused and the institutions they represented.

When Journalists insisted on revelation of the implicated public officials, the prosecutor general said: “We are not authorized to publicise their identities before the Prime Minister-the head of government business has gone through the report” Ngoga said amidst murmurs from the scribes.

After the explanations, Ngoga said the investigations established that public officials embezzled Frw 3.2 billion while other financial irregularities including; evasion of taxes and public procurement, fines have been imposed and funds have been recovered.

He further clarified that not all the cases were criminal by nature and that some accountability documents that were not available during the external audit were later acquired by the institutions concerned and exonerated.

The prosecutor general pointed out that of the 112, twenty six of them implicating 66 public officials amounting to Frw 125.3million were investigated and taken to court while over Frw 40.7 million was recovered and returned to government coffers.

“It was either through fines on procurement irregularities or the implicated officials returned the funds in good faith”, Ngoga stressed but hastened to explain that such were cases that are not above Frw 5million related to breach of tendering procedures whereby those involved have a fine to pay as the law stipulates.

“We decided to settle these cases internally where those involved pay the taxes for instance including the fines.

“If this happens to the same official twice irrespective of the amount they are taken to court or relieved from their duties,” Ngoga emphasized.

As such, the government charged Frw 22.8 million worth of fines, and recovered Frw17.9 million from officials who voluntarily returned funds.

Out of a total of 112 cases, only 26 have been forwarded to courts, 13 were fined and resolved out of court, 4 were sent to military courts while 32 are still under investigations. It was further revealed that a whooping 37 cases lacked credible evidence for prosecution.

The allegations are the result of a year long investigation and those being charged include directors of national institutions, university heads and national researchers.

What appeared to be a big challenge on the anti-corruption crusade, however, is that besides the huge backlog cases for the 2007 annual report, the proceeding three year annual reports have exposed a whooping over Frw 25 billion unaccounted for and culprits are yet to be forwarded to judiciary.

By: Dianah Mutimura

The East Africa Music Awards (EMAs) nomination list has been released and the publication was presented at the Stanley Hotel in Nairobi.

The Board of Judges drawn from eight East African Countries presented the publication in the presence of many Kenyan artistes according to a Ugandan Daily newspaper, the Red Pepper

Rwanda’s Dr. Claude is seen in the same group with, Bebe Cool from Uganda, Nhaitty from Ethiopia and Jaguar from Kenya who are nominated in the Male Artiste of the Year category.

Liza Kamikazi from Rwanda competes with Kenya’s Wahu, Lady Jay Dee from Tanzania, and Juliana Kanyomozi from Uganda who has two nominations including Female Artiste of the Year.

She is also up for the Best Collaboration awards for her ‘Haturudi Nyuma’ alongside Kidum.

The best group nominees include P-Unit from Kenya with their ‘Kare’ song, Rwanda’s Just Family with Bareke and ‘Nakudatta’ by Goodlyfe duo of Moze Radio and Weasel TV.

Keko has a nod in the most talented artiste category while soul artist Maurice Kirya is nominated in the Afro Fusion category all from Uganda.

IGIHE.com communicated with just family about how they feel to have been nominated in the East African music awards and they were over excited with the achievement.

“We are so happy to represent our country and we are calling Rwandans to support us through out and continue to love their country music ever” Just family talking on the telephone.

EMA’s have nominees from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia and the new independent African state Southern Sudan.

The awards aim at rewarding the contribution of talented singers in East Africa.

The awarding ceremony is set to August 20 and will be broadcasted in over ten television channels including DSTV.

Uganda’s President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni will set foot in Rwanda on Friday to start his four-day state visit and will join Rwandans in the monthly communal work (umuganda) this Saturday.

President Museveni will be accompanied by other Uganda government officials including the Foreign Affairs Minister, Sam Kutesa.

In a statement released by the Rwanda Foreign Affairs Ministry, Minister Louise Mushikiwabo explains, “Uganda and Rwanda enjoy strong and historical ties, including shared membership in the East African Community as well as the Commonwealth; and we are constantly looking for ways the people of our two countries can continually benefit from that relationship.”

The statement also says that the visit aims at advancing the ongoing multi-sectoral cooperation between Rwanda and Uganda.

The statement also reveals that prior to the state visit, there will be a two-day Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) meeting led by the Foreign Affairs Ministers, Louise Mushikiwabo of Rwanda and Sam Kutesa of Uganda.

The meeting will rotate on the existing areas of trade, customs, security, infrastructure and ICT in order to seek possible ways of enhancing its mutual understandings.

On the first day, President Museveni will meet with Kagame and both Foreign Ministers to validate the recommendations of the meeting.

President Museveni will then visit the recently established Free Trade Zone, and will meet Ugandan Community in Rwanda in a joint press conference together with President Kagame.

Access to credit remains a big challenge to upcoming entrepreneurs despite presentation of well-prepared business proposals to financial institutions.

The financial institutions continue subject loan seekers to high conditions before SMEs access the loans.

Addressing the loan access difficulties, Peter Rwema a programs manager with the Association of Micro Finance Institutions Rwanda (AMIR), encourages potential entrepreneurs to design unique business proposals since majority present pirated proposals that are some times irrelevant to the local market.

“I think they imagine that reusing a business proposal that has been recommended fit for credit before was among the trick to access loans, yet they forget they need to be innovative and that’s what we want,” he advices.

Duplicated business plans can not only be blamed to the aspiring business man but also to some service providers who liaise with the client to get already used successful plans with an aim to access credit from banks.

Rwema discourages the unprofessional habit. “They can rather train them how to write good business plans that can help them acquire loans instead of pirating business plans that are often difficult to implement,” he remarks.

Capacity building would improve the situation especially in areas of management and implementation.

Service providers are also encouraged to conduct research based on the needs of entrepreneurs. Rwema highlights that the information can also be used to advocate for funds or even influence policies that would ease lending to SME’s.

Rebson Dzala the general manager Center for Business Solutions (CBS) highlights that a good analysis would serve as a source of information to those willing to start new ventures or willing to expand their business.

Once the client acquires information about their interest, it’s always better for the service provider to guide them throughout the implementation process.

John Kagarama of Business Development Fund (BDF) that offers financial guarantee to approved projects, urges service providers to work closely with their clients. “They should offer a full package covering the business inception, designing the plan as well as monitoring the implementation process”.

For consultants who lack some expertise it’s advantageous for them to collaborate with other similar firms in order to improve the clients performance.

The collaboration is even better among consultants and financial institutions especially when they have an agreement on lending credit.

This is well reflected by BDF’s collaboration with several banks where those who have their business proposals approved by the special entrepreneur fund are given loans without necessarily presenting securities.

“A professional business plan should be bankable and that’s one of main things that make a lender comfortable,” AMIR’s program manager emphasizes.

Three Congolese children have died on spot while searching for white sand to paint their houses in a long pit located near Gihembe refugee camp in Gicumbi Sector, igihe.com has reliably learned.

The deceased are Paul Mugisha 11 years old, Ingabire Muhoza 13 years old and Denise Nyinawabeza also 11 years old.

A shocked eyewitness who is also a mother of one the deceased Only identified as Nyirakamana 35 expressed grief at the tragic incident: “We escaped death 17 years ago in Congo but now this is another war here in the camp, our people are dying day and night” She is now remaining with only one kid and the husband neglected her three years ago”.

Nyirakamana’s sister, Feza Bamurange noted; “I have to keep a close to my sister otherwise her senses seem to commit suicide.

“The husband neglected her three years ago, her child who has been helping her to survive is gone yet no food to feed the remaining kid, so she is now in the miserable condition” Bamurange lamented.

Thadeo Gatanazi, another parent to a deceased said:”To get to solution to such problems, leaders should always first understand the impact of the decision taken before forcing people to do anything Or they should adopt alternatives and bring for us the sand” he said adding that the refugees have been obliged to paint house with sand yet it is inaccessible.

John Buzizi 63, a grandfather to the one of the deceased kids and also the camp’s zone 8 leaders who has been in the camp since Oct 1997 pointed out: “life here is really worsening as the time goes on and government should help and take us back to Congo where we came from.

“We better die of hunger instead of dying in a refugee camp under such miserable conditions” Buzizi pointed out.

Richard Ndaula, Head of the Field Office in Byumba said; “It’s tragic and quite sad for the incidence but then I wonder why the activity was done by children instead of their parents.”

He added that there are various projects going on in the camp including shelter project where an NGO, the American Refugees Committee is constructing shelter to the refugee and they are supposed to do plastering of their houses.

Ndaula said the policy has been there for over the last 10 years.