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The Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and the National Bank of Rwanda in partnership with Visa International have launched a Financial Literacy campaign aimed at helping citizens with money management skills.

The campaign includes road shows to equip the population with information and tools that will help enable access to financial services.

The launch highlights a country-wide financial education campaign involving the public, private sector and civil society.

It marks the first of 25 performances over a three month period across Rwanda, with the aim of reaching a broad audience.

The show will impart knowledge on key financial tools such as budgeting, saving, opening a bank account and how to use an ATM in an engaging, fun and humorous way.

The Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, John Rwangombwa stressed the importance of financial literacy in building Rwanda’s economy.

“Accessing and understanding financial services endows people with opportunity to take advantage of their abilities. The Government plans to turn Rwanda into a regional financial hub. As Rwanda’s economy grows, we believe that financial partners like Visa will be critical in attaining Vision 2020 targets,” he stated.

The Governor of the National Bank of Rwanda, Ambassador Claver Gatete noted, “Financial literacy is effective in achieving financial inclusion. Thus calls for an all-inclusive approach with all stakeholders both public and private sectors.” he said.

70 female police officers have been conferred upon the rank of Police Constable. This marks the first ever largest number of female recruits into the Rwandan National Police force.

The massive pass out included 77 new police officers including seven men.

The Minister of Internal Security Sheikh Musa Fazil Harelimana noted that the massive pass out of female Police officers shows the intent to bridge the gap between men and women in the Police force.

“The constitution calls for at least 30% gender representation in all activities but given what I see here, we can even surpass the required percentage as the constitution does not bar us,” Minister Fazil noted.

Harelimana noted Rwanda National Police is currently focusing on quality more than quantity given the changing nature of crimes that require Police officers qualified in other disciplines.

“You are on demand to serve in several United Nations missions where your predecessors have served and made the country proud,” Harelimana said.

The New officers were however, cautioned to uphold discipline and work hard as it was the only way to progress in their profession.

Rwanda’s Prime minister Dr. Pierre Damien Habumuremyi has urged those involved in the extraction of methane gas at Lake Kivu to scale up their efforts so that the project is completed on time.

Dr. Habumuremyi was at the site of Methane gas extraction in Karongi district to assess progress of the project.

Exit polls tonight show Opposition candidate Macky Sall has won the presidential Elections in a run-off. Abdoulaye Wade has conceded defeat.

Senegalese state television has reported that President Abdoulaye Wade conceded defeat in a phone call to his main electoral rival Macky Sall.

‘Former president’ Wade “phoned Macky Sall at 21:30GMT congratulating him after the first results showed him to be the winner of a presidential run-off” vote.

Mr. Sall had promised that, if elected, he will shorten the presidential term to five years from the current seven, and enforce a two-term limit. He has also promised to bring in measures to reduce the price of basic foodstuffs.

Polling stations closed after a largely peaceful electoral exercise on Sunday that attracted more than five million voters, with local reports suggesting a high turnout.

Wade was miserably and roundly beaten in his home polling station in the suburb of Point-E.

Wade once said “how can you organise an election and lose it?”

Who is Mr. Macky Sall?

He is 50 years old, a geologist who served as President Abdoulaye Wade’s prime minister between 2004 and 2007 and before that held the interior and mines portfolios. He held several ministry portfolios before becoming prime minister.

He also oversaw the successful re-election of Mr Wade five years ago, heading his electoral campaign – and went on to become president of the National Assembly.

He has twice served as mayor of his home town of Fatick, 120km (75 miles) south of the capital.

Sall and Ade fell out over the handling of public spending by Karim Wade, the ‘former president’s’ unpopular son, whom many believed wass trying to succeed his father.

Democracy in Senegal

Senegal, a former French colony, is seen as a stable democracy with an unbroken series of elections since independence in 1960.

It remains the only West African country where the army has never seized power.

Two people have reportedly died due to family related disputes at Kazo sector in Ngoma district.

Aloys Nkurikiyabera 43 was killed on Friday 22 March due to a land dispute. Nkurikiyabera was beaten to death by family members on Thursday night. Nkurikiyabera was resident at Akabaya, umukamba, Kazo.

Police in Kibungo is holding three Suspects in the death of Nkurikiyabera include; Kalimunda Ivode 31, Nsabimana Damascene 17 and their father Gahigi Faustin 51.

Also a woman was hit with an Axe by her husband Bernard habimana 46 on Saturday 23 March due to a family dispute.she died at kibungo hospital on Saturday morning.

Her killer husband Habimana had completed several years of prison sentence related to the 1994 Tutsi genocide. The victim was resident at Kalisizo, Birenga in Kazo.

Rwanda and Uganda are seen as frontrunners to host the East African Region Referral Forensic Centre (RRFC). Both countries have modern forensic centres.

Uganda has intensified lobbying forensic experts from East African member states to support its bid to host the bloc’s referral forensic centre.

Forensic experts led by the officer in charge of peace and security at the EAC Secretariat, Didacus Kaguta have visited Uganda to assess the country’s readiness to host the Regional Referral Forensic Centre.

The team also includes one forensic expert from each EAC member state and two from Britain and Germany.

Forensic science (forensics) is the application of a broad spectrum of sciences to answer questions of interest to a legal system. This may be in relation to a crime or a civil action.

Governments in the region have been spending big amounts of money on forensic tests that are carried out abroad, mostly in South Africa and the United Kingdom.

Also several criminal cases have been thrown out of court due to poor gathering of forensic evidence. Trained forensic personnel are also few and far between.

However, Uganda’s Criminal Investigations Director Grace Akullo earlier this week said the Uganda police force has a modern forensic laboratory that can handle all criminal investigation challenges in the region.

“I am strongly convinced that our forensic department is better than others in the region and we are better placed to host the referral forensic centre. The political will is there to improve it further so that it matches international standards,” she said.

Rwanda is already conducting record checking and fingerprint lifting at Kigali Forensic Lab however; complicated forensic evidences are still flown out of the country for further analysis.

However, Uganda Police say they plan to acquire a fingerprint machine and integrate ICT in investigating cyber crimes. Uganda has only 70 scene-of-crime officers (Socos) who investigate the at least 99,676 criminal cases reported at police stations annually.

The Assessment Group also earlier this month toured Rwanda’s forensic establishments and supporting amenities.

Rwanda’s IGP Emmanuel Gasana noted that several Rwandan Police officers have schooled in forensic sciences both within the country and abroad. Also forensic science and criminology faculties have been introduced at the Police University in Musanze.

The RRFC is a brainchild of the Council of East African Police Chiefs which, among other duties, addresses challenges in investigations, and strengthens forensic services and criminal justice departments.It also aims to ensure that EAC member states have harmonised forensic centres.

Kaguta says when the regional forensic centre is established; it will train forensic practitioners as well as disseminate information to all national forensic labs.

Establishment of RRFC is sponsored by member countries and the German society of international development commonly (GIZ).