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Five pupils at Groupe Scolaire Kagugu have been arrested for stealing 13 One Laptop Per Child computers.

Groupe Scolaire Kagugu is a pilot school of the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) programme which helps children in learning laptops meant to facilitate primary pupils practice computer skills.

These primary five pupils are said to have broken through the window into the store where these computers had been kept and took them away on Friday 30, 2011.

The five boys were unlucky when the security guard only identified as Nikuze learnt of their plan and notified the school authority that also alerted the police and then arrested them.

The police spokesman Supt. Theos Badege told Igihe.com that the prosecution will determine the fate of these minors.

“What police has done is responding and investigating the crime. We got to where they were and found them with the computers and accepted they had stolen them,” Badege narrated.

“The next phase is submitting their file to the prosecution,” he said.

According to Rwandan law, a child over 14 years can be tried and if he/she is convicted can be sentenced in children prison in Nyagatare, Eastern province while bellow age children are put under rehabilitation centers.

Kigali Health Institute is in preparation for the second event to vote for the institution’s beauty queen October 9, 2011.

The institution which has its headquarters in Kigali, has got another branch in Nyamishaba, Karongi presents eight contestants with four of them from its branch.

Before the general event, the students union will promote oral health in the community, empower women in solving problems of the country, create culture of oral hygiene in secondary schools and promote girls’ confidence in getting rid of solving problems that our community faces.

The first event in the history of the institute took place in 2008 where Denise Paola Murebwayire was crowned miss KHI and Josiane Karengera emerged the first run up, since then; they have been still recognized as the ambassadors in different events in the country.

During the event King James, Dream Boys and KHI cultural troop will entertain the audience

The beauty contestant will be sponsorship by Bank of Kigali and a major sponsors Igihe.com, Sulfo, Rwanda Youth Council and Malina Interiors
A major breakthrough was made when KHI started on June 5, 1996.

The status of the institute was later ratified by an Act of Parliament in 2002, paving way for it to become semi-autonomous with the two ministries as key stakeholders.

The institution had the vision centre of excellence in training and development of health professionals in the region whereas its mission was to train and improve the capacity of health workers in the country.

Rwanda’s newly appointed Ambassador to Switzerland Amb. Soline Nyirahabimana presented her Credentials to Her Excellency Micheline CALMY-REY President of the Swiss Confederation on September 20, 2011at the Federal Palace in Bern.

Also Permanent Representative of Rwanda to the United Nations in Geneva, in Switzerland confirmed that she is intending to work with Swiss authorities and institutions to strengthen the existing bilateral relationship between the two countries.

Amb Nyirahabimana expressed the wish to set up a Joint Permanent Commission between Rwanda and Switzerland.

She said the commission will serve as a framework for the two governments for a consultation on all matters relating to the cooperation between Rwanda and Switzerland, through mutual respect.

Ambassador Nyirahabimana also briefed Swiss President on the current socio-economic and political situation in Rwanda that included achievements in Education, Health, Gender and ICT sectors.

She also pointed out some home grown initiatives which are helping to reduce poverty and boost economic development in Rwanda such as Ubudehe, Girinka (One cow per poor family), Umuganda and many more.

The Swiss President acknowledged the progress made in Rwanda adding that Swiss Government is ready to farther bilateral relationship with Rwanda.
Ambassador Nyirahabimana was accompanied by the First Counsellor of Rwandan Embassy in Switzerland, Alphonse Kayitare.

Her Excellency Micheline CALMY-REY officially visited Rwanda in July 2007.

The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MINICOM) has awarded two local musicians whose songs crown the best from 21 competitors in the competition organized by the ministry to produce a song on intellectual property in Rwanda.

The ministry intends to sensitize the public on the importance of intellectual property in Rwanda`s Development, as well as the content of the law and policy on Intellectual property.

Generation Music Group, that was the best and awarded Frw 2.5M said during the press interview.

“We are extremely happy as an upcoming group to see that our song was the best. The award we got today will be used to produce other songs we had in the studio.” Generation Music Group said.

Mboneko Kizito among other participants won the second position with the award of Rwf 1M

According to Kaliza Karuretwa in charge of Trade and investment said the biggest challenge is awareness because the regulatory framework is already in place and that the public has to be sensitized upon it.

Karuretwa said that campaign has been done in seminars and workshops but was not successful as expected and that is why the sensitization is going to be done through music itself.

“Since we have the song, the message will be delivered to every one without calling for meetings because we are going to promote it via radios and television.” she added.

The Tanzania-based UN tribunal (ICTR) has convicted former public service Minister Prosper Mugiraneza and the then trade minister Justin Mugenzi of complicity to committing genocide and incitement to commit genocide.

The tribunal however acquitted two other ministers – Casimir Bizimungu and Jérôme-Clément Bicamumpaka – due to lack of evidence. The judges ordered their immediate release.

Judge Emile Short issued a dissenting opinion on the sentence, saying Mugiraneza and Mugenzi deserved a reduction of five years for violation of right to trial without undue delay.

The four men were members of an interim government that ran the country after president Juvenal Habyarimana’s plane was shot down on April 6, 1994. The 1994 Genocide claimed over I million Tutsis.

Demanding life sentences for the four men in November 2008, prosecutors said the ministers blazed a path to hell for Tutsis.

“They had no intention to stop the massacres.” On the contrary, prosecutor Paul Ng’arua told the judges.

“They poured oil on the flames through incendiary speeches, some of which were relayed on the notorious Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM) radio station. The prosecutors main argument was that wherever the ministers went “they were soon followed by blood-letting and displacement of Tutsi populations,”

In a telephone interview with igihe.com correspondents Bosco Siboyintore in charge of Genocide Fugitive Tracking Unit said that negotiations for appeal are underway in reference to the case in which the two suspects (Casimir Bizimungu and Jérôme-Clément Bicamumpaka) were acquitted.

“We are waiting for the court submission so that we can analyze and see what the court base on in acquitting Casimir Bizimungu and Jérôme-Clément Bicamumpaka since they claimed lack of evidence pinning the two individuals,” Siboyintore

“In case we find clauses contrary to our understandings, we have up to 30days to appeal against the decision of the court” narrated in a telephone interview.

Multicultural Popular Education Centre (MKFC) Stockholm College and Kigali Institute of Education (KIE) have started a three months e-teacher training to equip teacher training colleges with ICT skills based on research and modern learning processes.

The long-term goal is to equip Rwandan teachers with knowledge and capacity to tutor their online education supported by ICT tools.

Marja Riitta Ritanoro MKFC Chief Executive Officer noted after the training the teachers will follow extra trainings online.

She insisted that online participation expands the classroom and learning environment and disseminates innovative ideas for school management, to teachers, parent groups and students.

James Rutebuka the coordinator of the e-learning based on ICT, highlighted that the program aims to create the use of global and local avenues for social interaction, teamwork and e-learning.

“This program is essential and would facilitate teachers to conduct their work effectively especially those who teach computer courses,” he added,” the One Laptop per Child for instance is not well implement since we don’t have adequate teachers who are conversant with basic computer skills,” he remarked.

Ritanoro was quick to highlight that competent teachers would encourage students to use internet for further research. “Google for instance is a good search engine which students can acquire vast knowledge provided by several websites,” she remarked.

In Rwanda the use of ICT is dominating the service industry, yet it’s impact is not well seen in the education sector partly because not all teachers are competent to utilize the technology, hence training them on similar courses would improve the situation.

The Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) Mountain Gorilla Rally 2011 kicked in high gear set off.

Day1 on Friday September 30, 2011 a ceremonial start took place at the Private sector Federation (Expo Grounds), the cars proceeded to the quarry Grounds of Gahanga, Kicukiro District taking off for approximately 2.5 Km in length.

Today the cars will head to the North which seems to be competitive part situated on the slopes of two famous volcanoes Kalisimbi and Sabyinyo.

Tomorrow Sunday Motorsports will again ride along Kigali Suburbs. The 2011 edition of the KCB Mountain Gorilla Rally will be completed over three days.

The rally will cover the picturesque scenery of Rwanda and will take competitors and fans to the east parts of the country.

The total distance of the rally will be 600 kms. There is a total of 16 Competitive Sections which will be re-run over the course of the rally, the longest of which will be 29 Kms and the shortest 5 Kms.

The competitive sections will be run in groups of 2 or 3. Competitors came from the EAC bloc and beyond, and 20 Motorsport Cars are on the list to compete.

The Rwandan government together with the experts from Singapore has trained local leaders in leadership development training that have taken three weeks.

During the training, expert from Singapore Mr. Shahrill Aj emphasized that it is important leaders to be equipped with leadership.

“Leadership is a key to development so leaders should be equipped with leadership before leading others,” Mr. Shahrill Aj said.

During the closing ceremony the Minister of Local Government James Musoni reminded that trainees of unity in order to work towards one team a great nation.

“What you learnt from here should be put into practice because the country needs to develop as quickly as possible,” Musoni added.

”We are all here for one purpose and we are glad that now we will work out very well and we will fish the best fish to feed our people,” said Dr Aissa Kirabo Kacyira the Eastern Province Governor who spoke on behalf of the trainees.

“We are one team playing one game and aiming at winning,” Aime Bosenibamwe the Northern Province Governor told IGIHE.com.
During the training, the Singapore experts delivered examples from their small country that has acquired a big economy.

Local leaders were trained in leadership and management styles, stages of team development, key concepts of strategic and systems thinking, basic elements in resource management, budgetary reforms, learning and action planning.

The training was funded by the government through the National Decentralisation Implementation Secretariat (NDIS) in collaboration with development partners, namely the German International Cooperation and Swiss Cooperation.

A whooping US $ 39.8 m loan and grant from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to Rwanda to help improvement in Agriculture.

The loan and grant agreements for the Project for Rural Income through Exports (PRICE) and the Support Project for the Strategic Plan for the Transformation of Agriculture (PAPSTA) have been signed by John Rwangombwa the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning and Yukiko Omura Vice-President of IFAD.

Agriculture accounts for 32 per cent of the GDP and employs more than 70 per cent of the country’s population.

Through PRICE and a supplementary grant for the ongoing PAPSTA project, the Government of Rwanda and IFAD will work with the project beneficiaries and the private sector to boost the potential of the agriculture sector to move from subsistence agriculture to market-based farming.

“With its focus on enabling smallholder farmers and vulnerable groups to participate in export value chains for coffee, tea, silk and horticulture, PRICE is a flagship project in terms of public-private partnership,” said Yukiko Omura.

PRICE aims to promote sustainable increased returns to smallholder farmers from the coffee, tea, silk and horticulture value chains by helping farmers to increase the volume and improve the quality of production.

The project will support 170 farmers’ cooperatives nationwide, and will push for a high share of the export price to reach the smallholder producers. More than 125,000 vulnerable households, particularly households headed by women and young people, will benefit from PRICE.

Newly available funding for PAPSTA, which works in the six districts of Bugesera, Kirehe, Gakenke, Ngororero, Nyamagabe and Nyanza, will help to continue rehabilitating an additional 150 hectares of marshland for rice production.

The project will also increase its activities in the areas of agricultural strategy formulation, soil and water conservation and marketing support structures.

With this new Project for Rural Income through Exports, IFAD will have financed 14 programmes and projects in Rwanda for a total investment of US$189.8 million benefiting 500,000 households.