Today Monday at 7:10AM, a motor taxi driver was crashed to death and the passenger seriously injured in an accident along Nyabugogo-kinamba route.
The accident was caused by a speeding car that attempted to overtake another and in the process crashed the motor taxi instantly killing the driver. The female passenger was seriously injured and rushed to the hospital.
Makhtar Diop, a Senegalese national with more than 25 years of development experience, has assumed a new role as World Bank Vice-President for Africa.
Diop was previously Country Director for Brazil since 2009 where he managed the World Bank’s largest country program. Prior to joining the Bank, Diop worked at the International Monetary Fund and served as Minister of Finance of Senegal, and as Chair of the West African Monetary Union (WAEMU) Board of Finance Ministers.
After joining the World Bank in 2001, Makhtar Diop held various senior positions, including Country Director for Kenya, Eritrea and Somalia, as well as Director of Infrastructure and Director of Strategy and Operations in the Bank’s Latin America and Caribbean region.
“It is an honor to return to the Africa region as Vice-President at a time when the continent is on the rise, with strong growth led by private investment, and a new sense of optimism,” said Diop.
“With world-class development knowledge and innovative financing, we can help support Africa’s momentum and ensure that all Africans, especially the poor, share in the continent’s economic and social transformation.”
The World Bank is a partner of 48 countries in Sub Saharan Africa and finances approximately 500 projects in the region. The Banks’ portfolio includes projects and programs in areas such as agriculture, trade and transport, energy, education, health, water and sanitation.
In fiscal year 2011, the World Bank committed more than US$ 7.0 billion in new development financing for Africa, and disbursed over US$ 5.5 billion, in addition to producing more than 200 analytical studies.
Following the Saturday graduation ceremony Prime Minister Dr.Pierre Damien Habumuremyi met on Sunday Rwandan students’ community of California Baptist University in USA .
Dr. Habumuremyi was accompanied by Rwandan Ambassador in Washington Ambassador Kimonyo James.
Over 60 Rwandan students welcomed the Prime Minister with traditional dances as an expression of joy and pride to be where they are.
The students thanked Prime Minister for taking time to meet them as a testimony of support offered to all Rwandans by the good and dedicated leadership.
Students said, “We recognize that the outstanding leadership qualities of President Paul Kagame have delivered rwanda from the dark past.
They said, “we stand as a testimony of governments efforts in promoting equal and strong education opportunities for all Rwandans.
“We promise all Rwandans is that we shall always remember and work for our country. We shall honour Rwanda throughout all our experiences.”.
Addressing students, Dr. Habumuremyi said : “ whereby in the pre-genocide period, access to education was predicated on rank, privilege and ethnicity, today merit has taken the center stage.”
Dr. Habumuremyi congratulated 2 graduants and each one was offered a Rwanda national flag as a sign of the good job they have done being good ambassadors of Rwanda at CBU.
The Prime Minister noted that the country needs hardworking citizens to propel the country to development.
Dr. Habumuremyi urged graduants to contribute to national development encouraging them to specialise in domains lacking in Rwanda .
Graduants were encouraged to return home with projects that could be transformed into business opportunities and respond to needs of population.
Authorities of Huye district have called upon everybody to support genocide survivors regardless the quantity of their wealth.
This was said on 3rd May 2012, during the handover of cows to windows at Mwurire cell of Mbazi sector. The cows were donated by the Rwanda insurance society SONARWA.
The recipients appreciated the support from SONARWA especially during such hard times.
The Executive Secretary of Mbazi sector thanked SONARWA for their help and promised that they will take good care of the cows and also help other residents to get cows from those they received.
The representative of SONARWA Tissien Muberangabo said SONARWA gave cows to genocide widows to support them in what they lost in genocide and pleaged continued support.
The Mayor of Huye district Kayiranga Muzuka Eugene urged others to emulate SONARWA even when one has a little wealth.
He explained that helping genocide survivors does not require giving too much but just expressing that you always think about them.
President Paul Kagame also Chairman of Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) urged leaders to step up the fight against corruption and injustices.
He said that the campaign against corruption should start with judiciary which can play a leading role against injustices.
Kagame was addressing members of the ruling RPF Political Bureau at Petit Stade in Remera, Kigali.
He said RPF Political Bureau meetings aim at re-focusing on the past achievements and planning for the future.
President Kagame told party members that if they wanted to progress, they needed to put national interests ahead of individual interests; “whatever leaders do has a big impact on the people,” cautioning leaders against any form of malpractices.
The Party chairman urged party members to lead by example otherwise it would affect the national agenda of ensuring the welfare of the people and the development of the nation.
Prosecution at the Special court for Sierra Leone in The Hague has requested an 80-year sentence for former Liberian President Charles Taylor.
A hearing session has been set for May 16, 2012 and pronouncement of the punishment will be on May 30th.
Taylor was convicted on April 26 for war crimes committed between 1996 and 2002, including aiding and abetting murder and rape on a mass scale.
Prosecutor Brenda Hollis argued: “Taylor was not a simple weapons procurer or financier who sat on the sidelines of a civil war raging in a neighbouring country. The court’s findings reveal the reality of Taylor’s role in the peace process.”
She also noted that ‘while the accused publicly played a substantial role in the Sierra Leone peace process secretly he was fuelling hostilities between the AFRC/RUF and the democratically elected authorities in Sierra Leone, by urging the former not to disarm and actively providing them with arms and ammunition … acting as a two-headed Janus’.
Court found that Taylor provided military, operational and financial support to Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels in Sierra Leone in the knowledge that they were committing serious crimes, including murder, rape, sexual slavery, conscripting and using child soldiers.
Brender added that “the purposely cruel and savage crimes committed included public executions and amputations of civilians, the display of decapitated heads at checkpoints, the killing and public disembowelment of a civilian whose intestines were then stretched across the road to make a check point, public rapes of women and girls, and people burned alive in their homes,” she wrote.
“The brutality and impact on the victims should be reflected in M. Taylor sentence” she concluded, then requesting “a prison term of no less than 80 years. No significant mitigating circumstances exist in this case.”
Pierre Célestin Rwigema a former Prime Minister of Rwanda has broken silence denying media rumours that he tried to flee again. He returned to Rwanda in October 2011 after a decade in exile.
Rwigema allegedly attempted to escape from Rwanda but was intercepted at Kigali International Airport..He told state owned vanacular newspaper Imvaho Nshya, “ever since I willingly returned to Rwanda, I have never attempted to flee again”.
The former Prime Minister questioned the intentions behind the media rumour which claimed he attempted to escape and settle in German; “I think the media has hidden motives of spreading this lie”.
Rwigema said the media published the lies without contacting him to give him a chance to respond; “surely I was not contacted. I just heard about this rumour on a local radio which was quoting a newspaper that had published the article containing the lies”.
He expressed surprise about a media outlet that could publish such a story without evidence.
Ever Since Rwigema returned from Exile, he travelled out of rwanda in October 2011 and later travelled again in November 2011. He returned on 7th January 2012 with his wife and they are now settled in Rwanda peacefully.
Rwigema says that’s the last time he stepped at the Kigali International Airport and that he enjoys all rights and liberties like any other citizen especially movement.
Rwigema said that in support of the ongoing government program of Job creation, he is currently involved in Agriculture adding that he is happy and has no problem that could push him back into exile.
In Tanzania, President Jakaya Kikwete has fired six ministers and hired three new officials including Dr. Abdallah Omar Kigoda (Industry and Trade), Dr William Mgimwa (Finance) and Prof Sospeter Muhongo (Energy and Minerals).
The much-anticipated reshuffle saw two deputy ministers dropped and 10 new deputies brought on board.
The sacking of ministers has been much anticipated triggered by revelations of embezzlement of billions of shillings in the latest report of the Controller and Auditor-General (CAG).
According to analysts, President Kikwete’s public trust is expected to catapault in the belief that he is determined to get rid of the rot in government that was exposed in the report.
Ten new deputies include January Makamba (Communications, Science and Technology), Amos Makala (Information, Youth, Culture and Sports), Stephen Maselle (Minerals), George Simbachawene ( Energy) and Dr Seif Suleiman Rashid (Health and Social Welfare). Dr. Charles Tizeba is deputy minister in the transportation docket.
Other new deputy ministers are Dr Binilith Mahenge (Water), Angela Kairuki (Justice and Constitutional Affairs), and Janet Mbene and Ms Saada Mkuya Salum (Finance).
Ruling party (CCM) Secretary General Wilson Mukama said President Kikwete’s move was a clear demonstration of the respect and trust he has for parliament. “This move to drop the six ministers is honourable of the president.”
The Secretary General of the East African Community Amb. Dr. Richard Sezibera has deployed three Deputy Secretaries General to different dockets as directed by the 10th Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State held last week.
In changes announced Wednesday morning the newly appointed Deputy Secretary General Hon. Jesca Eriyo takes over the Productive and Social Sectors docket previously handled by Mr. Jean Claude Nsengiyumva.
Hon. Eriyo, who was sworn in on 28 April 2012 at the 10th Extraordinary Summit, assumed office with effect from 30 April 2012, taking over Uganda’s slot for Deputy Secretary General that was previously held by Hon. Beatrice Kiraso.
Mr. Nsengiyumva has been redeployed as the Deputy Secretary General in charge of Finance and Administration, while his predecessor in that position, Dr. Julius Tangus Rotich, becomes the new Deputy Secretary General in charge of Political Federation, filling a position left vacant by the exit of Hon. Kiraso, whose second and final three-year term came to an end on 28 April.
Dr. Enos Bukuku retained the Planning and Infrastructure docket, while Mr. Peter Kiguta also remains Director General for Customs and Trade.
The number of Deputy Secretaries General is determined by the EAC Council of Ministers, and the Deputy Secretaries General are then appointed by the Summit of Heads of State on the recommendation of the Council and on a rotational basis.
Each Deputy Secretary General serves a three-year term that is renewable once.
The Deputy Secretaries General’s roles include deputizing for the Secretary General and performing such other duties as may be prescribed by the Council.
The Rwanda National Police Friday launched the center for Ethics at the Police Headquarters in Kacyiru. The center aims at instilling high quality ethical standards within the Police force.
The Minister of Internal Security Sheikh Musa Fazil Harelimana noted that the center was long overdue.
“The ethics center will go a long away in ensuring high ethical standards are maintained,” Minister Harelimana said. The center will not only accommodate police officers but also other public servants.
The center will focus on key programs such as advocacy, capacity building, guidance and cancelling. The ethics centre targets senior planners of government agencies, faith based organisations, Partners in policing and Private sector.
The United States Ambassador to Rwanda Donald W. Koran said that the establishment of an ethical center would bring about a well trained and highly professional Police force. The Center is linked to Rwanda’s wide vision to become knowledge based economy.
Koran reminded Police officer’s present that the future of the center belonged in their hands. The ethics center is a nonprofit, nonpartisan center dedicated to focus on ethics and compliance aspects of Police response.
Chief Superintendent (CSP) John Uwamungu, the director of the ethics center noted that the center is built on a pillar of maintaining professional standards values and norms.
“We intend to develop a resource centre for accessing the best available information in Ethics, Values and knowledge,” CSP Uwamungu said.