Igihe

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  • Sustainable Tourism Vital to Green Economy

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    Rwanda’s 2012 gorilla naming ceremony scheduled on 16th June 2012 will attract thousands of people from different parts of the world.

    Under the theme “Sustainable tourism for a green economy”, the ceremony aims at recognizing conservation efforts by local communities.

    Expected at the Kwita Iziana ceremony include the chairman of International Council of Tourism Partners (ICTP).

    A series of accompanying events have been organized including; 3Km marathon, schools soccer, tennis, cycling and music performances.

    Kwita Izina ceremony is a platform to create awareness about protection of the remaining wild mountain gorillas as well as the conservation of Parc National Du Volcan (PNV).

    The Head of Department Tourism and Conservation at RDB, Rica Rwigamba says that since 2005, about 141 mountain gorillas have been named.

    In a census conducted in April 2010 showed a 26.3% increase of the mountain gorillas over the past seven years, with an average 3.7% annual growth rate.

    Rwigamba explains that the population of mountain gorillas is approximately 800. However, there are over 480 gorillas on the Rwandan side.

    Between 2005 and 2011, over Frw1.4 Billion has been expended to support local communities especially improving local infrastructure, water access, schools and handcraft among others.

    Growth in tourism revenues would not be possible without the protection of mountain gorillas and conservation of their habitat.

    The International Council of Tourism Partners (ICTP) is a new grassroots travel & tourism coalition of global destinations committed to Quality Service & Green Growth.

    Rwigamba has also assured the public that the Gorillas are safe in their habitat on the Rwandan side despite the ongoing war in the DRCongo.
    Early May a Congolese rebel group M23 entered the gorillas’ habitat and set up an operating base at Runyoni, a strategic peak in the Rutshuru territory.

    Gun fire, rockets, mortars and anti-aircraft guns are fired towards Virunga park.

    However, Rwigamba explains that the damage caused by the war in DRC has not been assessed because Rwandan side does not deploy beyond the boundary although before the uprising, park authorities from both sides conducted joint patrols.

    Rwigamba cautions tourists infected with flu and cough not to get any closer to the mountain gorillas, “anybody found sick of cough and flu will be denied access to the gorillas and will be refunded”.

    Responding to querries about Poaching , Rwigamba explained that the vice has tremendously dropped since 2005 in the Virunga Park. Most of the former poachers are currently engaged in income generating activities and have since dropped poaching activities.

    ICTP is a new grassroots travel & tourism coalition of global destinations committed to Quality Service & Green Growth.

    The Department of tourism and conservation at RDB is also working closely with East African tourism platform, Association of Hotels in the region and regional media in a bid to make the Kwita Izina Ceremony a regional concept.

  • Nyungwe Animal Attack Victims to get Compensation

    Inhabitants of areas surrounding Nyungwe National Park whose poperty were destroyed by wild animals from the park, shall be compensated very soon.

    The announcement was made by the Head of Nyungwe park Rugerinyange Louis.

    This was during a meeting held between Park authorities and stakeholders in the conservation of the park.

    Nyungwe park spans between Rusizi and Nyamasheke districts. The meeting also agreed on strategies that would control any fire outbreaks in the park.

    The meeting also reccommended punishment of anybody found engaging in illegal activities within the Park including poaching, illegal mining of minerals during the dry season.

  • Getting Ready for ‘Kwita Izina’

    “Kwita Izina” from is derived from its original concept and definition in the Rwandan culture–a respected child naming ceremony.

    Traditionally the child’s name was given by the father, clan members, friends and well wishers. Names were carefully chosen in order to avoid any kind of discomfort for the child when grown up and they had to have a meaning.

    From that ceremony rose a big event also called “kwita izina”. This one is not about naming children but baby mountain gorillas.

    In one of the most beautiful, magnificent and majestic places in Rwanda, in the Virunga Mountains situated in the Northern Province of the country where six Volcanoes form a chain is a mountain forest, home to the Mountain Gorillas.

    They used to be in danger, they were killed, their territory was invaded and as time passed by they reduced in number.

    In 1925, a measure was taken by creating the Volcanoes National Park which was the first national park to be created in Africa. Its creation was majorly to avoid or even stop poaching and other kinds of invasions.

    Today, mountain gorillas live freely and have multiplied thanks to national conservation efforts, local population and also the support from the international community.

    Through the years, Rwanda has been working tirelessly promoting conservation of gorillas as well as keeping the ecosystem that provide life and support to both humans and gorillas.

    Kwita Izina event has been existent for 8 years now and happens annually. It is a big event because local big personalities are present, international personalities are also invited to attend.

    The names given to baby Gorillas are from the big personalities present on that day. Some names are given according to the gorilla’s behavior or character.

    The gorillas live in groups and in different parts of the mountain, this is to let them feel free to use their territory as they wish, to live in families and clans and also for the conservation authorities to easily control and take care of them.

    Mountain Gorillas are not very numerous worldwide and they are very wonderful creatures genetically close to humans at 98% of DNA smillarity.

    Celebrating their existence and caring for them by naming them is the least thing we can do.

  • New Innovations Needed To Promote Housing Sector

    The Prime Minister Dr. Pierre Damien Habumuremyi has challenged Africans to come up with new innovations to promote the housing sector.

    The Pan-Afrique meeting (Shelter Afrique 31st Annual General meeting) hosted in kigali on low income housing supply, is held under the theme “Financing Low Cost Housing in Africa: Meeting the challenges”.

    The meeting aims at addressing housing needs of the populations.

    Dr. Habumuremyi asked Africans to promote the housing sector through, new innovations, to reduce on the costs of construction materials and to reduce importation of construction materials such as doors and iron sheets.

    The chairman of the board of directors of Shelter Afrique, Elias N. Mpondela said that participants will learn from experiences of other countries in providing low cost housing.

    Rwanda’s Minister for Infrastructure Albert Nsengiyumva revealed that since Rwanda joined Shelter Afrique in 1987 it has received enormous funding to boost its construction sector.

    Rwanda is yet to raise its stakes in Shelter Africa from US$34000 to US$2 Million.

    Shelter African has 43 member countries. Annual General Meeting will approve the application by Cote D’Ivoire to join this growing body of countries keen to improve housing in Africa as its 44th member.

  • Kenya Adopts Online Business Registration

    Kenya has announced that in the next three months, it will be possible to register businesses online.

    The Finance minister Njeru Githae told Kenya’s Parliament that the country is set to roll out the electronic registration of businesses within the next three months.

    Rwanda is currently the only country in the East African region where online registration of businesses is fully embraced—it only takes six hours to register a business in Rwanda.

    The e-registration in Kenya will ensure that investors have an easy time setting up businesses in the country.

    He added that a Bill –Business Regulation Bill– to simplify the process was in the works and will make it to Parliament as soon as possible to make that dream a reality.

    Julius Kones (Konoin) had noted the long processes and multiple licenses required to set up and operate business in the country, saying they had made Kenya less attractive for foreign and even local entrepreneurs.

    “Why does the government require a Bill to set up an e-registry when you already have a government policy on e-governance?” posed the Konoin MP.

    Dr. Kones said that the 2011-2012 Doing Business Report that was prepared by the International Finance Corporation and the World Bank had passed an indictment on Kenya as an investment destination.

    Kenya was ranked number 109 in the world. Rwanda is ranked number 1 in the region and 3rd in Africa.

    “What reform measures has the government taken to simplify payment of taxes and regulations for investors and what achievements have been made in improving the business environment to attract new investments in the country?” posed Dr Kones.

    It is then that the Finance minister said that the government was aware that the business regulation environment was haphazard and that the processes too were inordinately long.

  • Rwanda to Host First Police Command Post Exercise

    Rwanda National Police will host the first ever Police Command Post Exercise (PCPX) dubbed “Solidarity”.

    This is aimed at promoting partnerships and readiness to combat emerging crimes that are a threat to the region.

    It will harmonize Police practices and procedures to improve EAPCCO members’ collective capability to combat cross-border and transnational crimes.

    The Inspector General of Police and the current EAPCCO chairman Emmanuel K. Gasana says it is imperative that the EAPCCO members pursue a policy of collective security if the region is to efficiently fight security threats that affect the region.

    “We need to share, collaborate and work jointly to better police our people,” IGP Gasana said highlighting terrorism, human trafficking and small arms proliferation as transnational crimes that are on the rise.”

    Gasana further noted that while security organs tend to stick to routine, criminals were exploring every single opportunity to destabilize the region.

    “As crimes get sophisticated by the day we cannot afford to do things routinely,” he said.

    The exercise, which is slated for August this year, will focus on human trafficking, counter terrorism and peace support operations.

    Gasana called for the need to have standard operating procedures for all EAPCCO’s member states which require training to understand what needs to be done.

    “We cannot move on when there is still the concept of every man for himself,” He added.

  • IT Companies Plan Software Training

    A training workshop on a software awareness is scheduled to take place on 4th July in Uganda’s Capital Kampala.

    The worshop is organised by Software testing firm, Tezza Solutions, and Information Technology services vendor, HP. It follows a related seminar held in Nairobi in February this year.

    During the workshop particpants will discuss insights on emerging trends, including the importance of training IT staff on software quality assurance and testing.

    It looks at how organisations can successfully implement their software projects as well as what project managers need to know before they embark on them.

    Themed Successful Systems implementation through Test Automation and Performance Testing the half-day seminar shall be held at Kampala-based Sheraton hotel.

    “Particcipants will learn how to leverage the power in HP’s application life management tools such as Quality Center, Quick Test Professional, Load Runner and WebInspect for their organisation’s security, performance, test automation and test management needs,” said Roland Omoresemi, chief executive of Tezza Solutions.

    Prevalence of software bugs

    According to industry statistics, software bugs or errors are prevalent and detrimental. A 2002 study commissioned by US Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) indicated that software errors cost the US economy an estimated $ 59.5 billion annually, or about 0.6% of the gross domestic product.

    The study stated that although all errors cannot be removed, more than a third of these costs, or an estimated $ 22.2 billion, could be eliminated by an improved testing infrastructure that enables earlier and more effective identification and removal of software defects.

    In most countries, over half of the costs associated with software errors are borne by software users and the remainder by software developers or vendors.

    The conference comes at a time when there is an ever increasing need for companies to increase efficiency, profitability and market share.

    Most firms have also recognised that use of software is inevitable should companies want to attain their performance goals but reliance on software means having to accept that humans make mistakes, and that bugs of varying magnitude will make their way into environments where our customers will find them.

    “Dealing with bugs found by customers can be costly, difficult to rectify and can even result in the death of a company.

  • Kigali Palm Trees Washed With Soap

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    Its not new but suprising to many. The Palm trees in the middle of Kigali city roads are washed with OMO detergent soap to keep them absolutely clean and appealing to the public.

    Mbarushimana Assouman is one of the cleaners of Palm trees along Airport road Gishushu-KBC. He told IGIHE that works for IKONDERA cleaning company responsible for cleaniliness withing the city of Kigali.

    “We work seven days a week and throughout the night and day. We have been cleaning these trees with OMO soap,” Mbarushimana said adding that if any car knocks down a palm tree, the driver is fined over a Frw 1 Million.

    Ikondera company also planted all the grass and flowers seen in the city center blouverds.

    Mbarushimana also noted that the cleaning company has a mobile gabbage bin which is carried on a motorcycle.

    “The motorcycle man moves around the city every night picking litter dumped by passengers.”

  • Gicumbi Mayor Resigns

    The Mayor of Gicumbi district, Nyangezi Bonane has resigned from duty citing personal reasons. His resigniation letter has already been submited to district management committee.

    Gatera Jean D`amour the head of the ditrict management told press that he had received Nyangezi’s resignation letter saying the letter didn’t contain any reasons for his resignation.

    Subject to the law the former deputy Mayor will henceforth replace Nyangezi as acting Mayor of the district.

    Mvuyekure Alexandre is now the acting Mayor of Gicumbi district.

  • Ugandan Woman is New EALA Speaker

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    A Ugandan woman Margaret Zziwa (above) is the new Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly with its headquarters in Arusha Tanzania.

    Zziwa beat her Ugandan rival in a hotly contested race which went in a second round to get a winner.

    Zziwa beat her sole rival Dora Byamukama. Both Zziwa and Byamukama belong to the Uganda ruling party NRM.

    In the first round Byamukama got 18 votes while Margaret Zziwa 27. The winner had to obtain about 30 votes which is two-thirds of the members.

    Before the voting exercise, Byamukama was seen as a front runner for speaker job.