Blog

By: Marcel Nzabamwita

APR FC that came top of the table in the last season has also been purchasing new players in order to solidify its position as the leader of the league and also have a better luck in international tournaments.

The PRIMUS cup is scheduled to start on the 17th September.

“We have reached agreements with the players we intended to add to our list and now we are just waiting for them to come and start training with other players. The players include Karekezi Olivier, Jimmy Mulisa, Habib Kavuma and Dan Bagaruka along with other players that will be announced in the press conference” said Adolphe Kalisa, the secretary general of APR FC in an interview with radio Contact FM.

“At the moment I cannot announce the APR FC lineup for next season because we have completed agreements with some but some others are still in process and so we shall announce the full list in a scheduled press conference” he added.

“In regards to Papi Fati and Thierry Kasereka, the details are still being negotiated, and as you know a single detail can change the whole contract and so I do not want to announce until all is completed.”

Mr. Adolphe Kalisa promised that a press release will be issued soon enough so that loyal fans of APR FC could be informed about the team’s plans for the upcoming season.

Training for APR FC is expected to begin on Monday 15th August at the training grounds in Kimironko next to the national stadium.

By: Joram Muhoozi & Agencies

Rwandans living in London UK have been warned by their Diaspora leader Ignatius Mugabo to be carefull and avoid taking part in demonstrations. London riots spreads over to the whole of England.

According to Mugabo, various parts including North London, South/East London, Birmingham, West Midlands and other areas where riots are taking place, are occupied by many Rwandans.

Mugabo asked them not to get involved in any riots going on, not to reach nearby roadsides where riots are taking place, and to follow the rules of anti-riots corps and all necessary ways to evade riot and report any affected Rwandan in such riots.

Rioting has spread across London on a third night of violence, with unrest flaring in other English cities.

Extra 1,700 police officers were deployed in London, where shops were looted and buildings were set alight.

The prime minister has returned early from his holiday to discuss the unrest, which first flared on Saturday after a peaceful protest in Tottenham over the fatal shooting of a man by police.

BBC has reported that least 400 people have been arrested following a wave of “copycat criminal activity” across London over the past three days, the Met Police said. More than 69 people have been charged with various offences.

Three people are being questioned on suspicion of attempted murder after a police officer was injured by a car in Wembley, north-west London, while trying to stop suspected looters.

Monday’s violence started in Hackney after a man was stopped and searched by police but nothing was found.

Groups of people began attacking the police in Hackney at about 16:20 BST, throwing stones and a bin at officers.

Police cars were smashed by youths armed with wooden poles and metal bars. Looters also smashed their way into shops before being dispersed by police.

Nine police forces from other parts of the country have assisted in providing support to the capital city, as well as the City of London Police and British Transport Police.

However, eyewitnesses have reported that as trouble spread across the city, there were often few police officers around when violence flared.

Uganda’s popular Journalist Andrew Mwenda highly believed to have access to the presidents of Uganda and Rwanda has denied Ugandan press reports that he was instrumental in the historic meeting of Presidents Yoweri Museveni and Paul Kagame.

“I can confirm to you that it’s not true because I have no capacity to influence Museveni or Kagame like that. Two presidents can influence each other but not me as Mwenda, who I am I to do that?” he exclusively told igihe.com today in a phone interview.

The Red Pepper, a popular tabloid in Uganda on August 9, reported that Mwenda allegedly in February flew to Kigali and asked President Kagame ‘why he can’t make up with President Museveni’.

Red Pepper wrote that President Kagame that highly believes in Mwenda, agreed to the Ugandan Journalists suggestion of meeting with the Ugandan leader.

The tabloid that regularly publishes exclusive stories about Rwanda, further reported that Mwenda contacted the Uganda first son Lt. Col. Muhoozi Kainerugaba about the possibility of hooking him up with president Museveni and that Muhoozi delivered Mwenda to the President in person making his intentions were made clear.

The Daily Monitor also a Ugandan Newspaper had on July 29 reported that: “A source said the visit was put together by Uganda’s former ambassador to Rwanda, Adonia Ayebare, who is also a former journalist, and AndrewMwenda, a journalist who is also a public relations consultant to President Kagame and is equally known to have been advising President Museveni on the media since last year.”

Ambassador Ayebare is known to have been the diplomat ‘in very good books’ with the Kigali administration apparently due to his soft-spoken and assertive manner of handling both private life and bureaucratic dynamics.

As the European countries continue to suffer the hurting effects of the global economic crisis, German’s chargé d’ Affairs, Wolfgang Wiesner has affirmed that the German government shall continue giving financial support to Rwanda despite the ongoing financial crisis in the Euro zone.

German is being depended upon by collapsing countries like Italy and Spain.

Wiesner made the remarks during a signing ceremony of Euros 10 million grant to Rwanda’s general budget support and Public Financial Management (PFM) systems.

The minister of finance and economic planning John Rwangombwa highlighted that Euros 7million will be channeled through general budget and will be used specifically in the implementation of the Economic Development Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS) 2008-2012 while Euros 3 million will be used to implement PFM reform strategy.

Mr. Rwangombwa noted that the reforms are aimed at ensuring effective and accountable use of public funds as a basis for economic development and poverty alleviation through improved service delivery.

“We are committed to better planning of the budgetary process, accounting and all forms of finance management,” he assured the German delegation.

Wiesner also pointed out that the German government cooperation with Rwanda has showed significant results especially in health, good governance, poverty reduction amongst others.

Meanwhile, Rwangombwa noted Rwanda had confidence in German’s support and he had no worry that the ongoing financial crisis in the Euro zone would affect German funded activities in Rwanda.

“With the EDPRS program for instance we have Rwf 3.6 trillion more than what we had targeted which is Rwf 3.4 trillion and the implementation process is moving smoothly.

GISENYI: The National Police at Gisenyi town is holding a group of Congolese and Rwandan men for smuggling an infant mountain gorilla from the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.

The smuggled male baby gorilla less than a year old was seiezed by Gisenyi Police yesterday night.

Veterinarians from the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project (MGVP), a nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving gorillas through health care, were called to the scene to help the infant gorillas.

While primarily working with wild gorillas, MGVP also provides care to gorillas orphaned as a result of the illegal wildlife trade or armed conflict.

“The MGVP team arrived at Gisenyi police station at 10 pm to find a very stressed, exhausted mountain gorilla infant of less than one year old,” revealed Dr. Jan Ramer, Regional Veterinary Manager of MGVP.

However, the arrested men claimed that the gorilla was taken from the Bukima area of Virunga National Park in DRC. They said they had kept the gorilla for about a week, feeding him bananas and sugar cane. No other details were provided.

“MGVP Orphan Caretaker Fabien Bahati, who has raised many orphan gorillas, scooped the gorilla up, and after a discussion with police we headed to Kinigi to reopen the MGVP Orphan Quarantine Facility,” says Dr. Ramer.

MGVP closed this facility only two weeks ago after transferring six lowland gorilla orphans to the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education (GRACE) center in DRC.

“We got to Kinigi around midnight and performed a short health inspection of the male baby gorilla: He had a very bad cough and a runny nose, but was strong,” said Ramer. “Bahati stayed with him overnight, and this morning the gorilla is even stronger.”

MGVP will work in close partnership with the Congolese and Rwandan wildlife authorities (L’Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature and the Rwanda Development Board) and Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International (DFGFI) to determine the best course of action for the gorilla’s future.

The orphan will most likely be transferred to the Senkwekwe center in Virunga National Park currently home to four other orphaned mountain gorillas: Ndeze, Ndakasi, Maisha, and Kaboko.

Meanwhile, the gorilla rescued last night will undergo 30days of health quarantine at Kinigi facility, where he will receive 24-hour care provided by the MGVP staff and DFGFI Orphan Caretaker Jean De Dieu.

“We are cautiously optimistic about this little guy, he is tense, but accepting of people, and is eating,” commented Ramer. “All are good signs for his eventual recovery.”