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In a wake unclear circumstances on whether some schools would accommodate students, the State Minister in charge of primary and secondary school have come up with a directive of only schools of excellence to be allowed to accommodate students.

The selection of which schools and how it will be conducted was main focus during a one day meeting here in Kigali that brought together the ministry of education, and secondary school directors.

The meeting was aimed at making preparations for the next academic year 2012 scheduled to commence on January 9, 2012.

While addressing educationalists the State minister Dr. Mathias Harebamungu, said that this year, more than 79,000 students qualify to join secondary schools, a number bigger than 40,000 students of previous years.

During the meeting it was stated that the government will transfer students in schools with adequate dormitories to accommodate all students.

The schools should have enough beds so that no student sleeps with another, and should have a adequate facilities like dining rooms and the like.

Minister Harebamungu further said that selections for students to join a boarding system will depend on the points student got, his or her school of choice and the location of the school.

For district Schools of 9 and 12 years basic education, will continue to function normally but each district will have to choose the kind of system they want.

Minister Dr. Mathias Harebamungu asked Districts to include in their reports those schools where students still trekking long distances so that the Ministry of Education can increase facilities for the 12 years basic education.

The meeting also attracted District Vice Mayors in charge of Social Affairs, District education officers, principals of schools with both lower and upper secondary with boarding school system, and principals of former ESI high schools.

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Researchers from Institute of Policy Analysis and Research of Rwanda (IPAR), have called for strong collaboration between the population and the leadership, to ensure impact oriented researches.

Meeting in a research conference, Researchers noted that their research should improve lives of ordinary Rwandan.

The call was made at the closure of the Annual IPAR Research Conference that took place in Kigali.

Under the theme: “Improving the Lives of Ordinary Rwandans: Evidence for Policy”, the meeting attracted researchers who have conducted their researches in Rwanda, on poverty reduction and promotion of economy.

The Antonia Mutoro the Executive Director of IPAR, says that researchers in and outside Rwanda, who carried out research in the country were called to present their findings.

During the meeting, it was noted that researches should be carried out without aiming to benefit or give solutions to available problems in the society hence driving towards transformation.

“For researches to improve lives of people, it should be conducted in collaboration with the population and leadership, and the implementing organ of the research resolutions,” Said Mutoro.

The IPAR presented research carried out on the importance of taking street children to a rehabilitation and Vocational Development Centre at IWAWA Island.

The Kigali City Mayor Fideli Ndayisaba who attended the meeting said that such meetings with researchers, is a platform to give in their input and to send them on areas of need.

The Institute of Policy Analysis and Research-Rwanda (IPAR-Rwanda) was established in 2008, as an independent policy research institute whose primary mandate is to conduct research and analysis leading to policy advice to the government, private sector and civil society in Rwanda.

IPAR works with researchers in higher learning institutions, universities and research institutions from countries like Uganda, UK and Tanzania.

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In the latest MTN promotion for their loyal customers dubbed ‘izihize’ one of the winners in the first draw has quested to sell off his gift and use the money to buy a cow since he is a farmer.

Emmanuel Hakizimana a farmer in Rutunga, Gasabo District had won a Samsung Galaxy Tab and told igihe.com that since the tab is not so important to him, he will sell it off and instead buy a cow.

“I am looking for people who can buy it and buy a cow because it will help me more,” he said.

In the automatic draw done a day prior to the first draw held today Dec 9, 72 people went away with 72 prizes.

Among the prizes won included LG phones, Gitego (ZTE F160) phones, Huawei IDEOS phones, Blackberry Torch with one month internet subscription, Samsung Galaxy Tabs and laptops

Recently Makolo said Izihize promotion has been launched in appreciation of customer loyalty and to give some lucky winners a memorable festive season.

“We shall be rewarding a total of 2,872 winners each week and a total of 11, 488 winners by the end of the promotion on 28th December,” she said.

In related development, MTN Rwanda this week opened two Service Centres in Huye District and Muhanga District both in Southern Province, making it a total of 15 service centres countrywide.

According to the press statement, service centres which will employ over 10 permanent staff will both offer a full range of services including data solutions, airtime and simpack sales, sim swaps, and Mobile Money services among many others.

In his remarks while recommending on the two newly inaugurated service centres, Khaled Mikkawi MTN Rwanda CEO pointed out that MTN is a committed partner in the development and extension of ICT in Rwanda.

The service centre development project is a strategic initiative MTN is driving to ensure consistent service delivery for MTN customers everywhere they go.

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A campaign has been launched by a local consumer union aimed at fighting abnormal rise in costs of products during the forthcoming festive season.

Towards the end of the year marked by a festive season, prices of products and services tend to gradually rise to unbearable levels leaving consumers puzzled and unable to do anything about it.

Effective next week, a team from the Association for the Defense of Consumer Rights Protection in Rwanda (ADECOR French abbreviation) will conduct inspections at various wholesale and retail shops in the city.

Damien Ndizeye the union’s executive secretary noted that they aim at ensuring products sold have fair prices and are in good quality.

“Normally foods and beverages have a high demand during the holiday season and some traders are ready to take advantage of the situation by raising the prices, this is a normal trend but it has to change,” he insisted.

Also the transport sector is affected since majority travel upcountry for festivities. ADECOR is collaborating with both the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MINICOM) and Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency (RURA) to ensure bus fares remain at normal rates.

“However we still have a problem, last month we had a meeting with transporters and agreed that bus fares should reduce from Frw20 to Frw18 per kilo meter, but we didn’t have a unanimous agreement since some claim that though fuel prices have reduced commodities relevant to their work are still high, spare parts for example,” he remarked.

In this respect, the consumer union set up a team to investigate whether the complaints were valid or it’s one of those recurring excuses aimed at squeezing more money from consumers during the holiday season.

The campaign will be implemented jointly by MINICOM under its consumer rights protection unit. The head of this department Eseparance Muhongerwa insisted that harsh punishments will be applied to ignorant traders.

Currently MINICOM has the right to confiscate expired goods or arrest traders involved in scandalous activities meant to cheat consumers but ADECOR is only limited to advocacy.

“We might be weak at the moment but we’re optimistic that our activities will be stronger when the president approves the consumer protection law,” said Ndizeye.

For the meantime ADECOR has been training various traders on consumer rights since some are not aware of privileges a consumer is entitled to when they approach them.

“Imagine! some traders would refuse to sell because its lunch time for example or doesn’t advise further the client on a commodity their selling, it even gets worse when they sell expired goods perhaps because they didn’t bother looking at the dates, these are among the basics we train them.”

As way to equip more traders with the knowledge, ADECOR intends to establish a school next year aimed at offering similar lessons.

Muhongerwa’s department also conducts the trainings, “we realized in Rwanda most traders lack competence in handling customers, this is why those in the wrong are first trained and given a warning if they repeat the same mistake, the law takes effect,” she advised.

“Affected consumers should feel free to contact toll free line 3739. If one finds a suspicious substance in their packaged beverage, and the retailer refrains to refund, the affected person should call us, and we will first investigate the matter, if it’s true the consumer will be refunded and the case will be reported to the relevant company for further investigations in order to avoid a wider occurrence of the error.”

United Nations Foods and Agriculture agency(FAO) outing chief Dr. Jacques Diouf is in the country to bid farewell to the president Paul Kagame as he ends his term of office as the agency’s Director General.

Diouf was elected November 8, 1993 and began his first six-year term in January 1994 after completing a second term, he was re-elected to a third six-year term, which began in January 2006.

He also presented a medal to President Kagame for achievements realized by Rwanda in terms of food security.

Speaking to the press after meeting President Kagame, Dr. Diouf said “I came to thank the President for the support he has given to me during my tenure he even flew all the way to Rome to participate and address the entire membership of my organization and even supported the creation of two prizes in my name; one by the African Union and another one by members of FAO,”.

“But this was also an opportunity to review the world food security situation. I congratulate President Kagame for progress made in food production in this country due to the heavy investments made,”Diouf added.

The Minister of agriculture, Dr. Agmes Kalibata said; “During Dr. Diouf’s tenure Rwanda has enjoyed good cooperation with FAO and this resulted in the progress that Rwanda has realized in terms of food security,”.

“FAO provided a lot of assistance as Rwanda worked towards improving food security, especially in satisfying our programmes so that they meet international standards to enable us secures the needed funding.”Kalibata said.

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The newly appointed Minister of Education Dr Vicent Biruta has challenged School of Finance and Banking (SFB) to offer quality professionals who will work towards saving Rwanda’s financial sector.

Biruta who is also the presiding chancellor of SFB has been giving his speech at the just concluded graduation ceremony that took place at the school campus.

“You have a heavy responsibility to have highly qualified professionals in financial management in this era where the world has faced global financial challenges and every nation looks for competent people who can save their own nation from the persistent staggering financial systems,” Biruta has said.

“Stakes are high and you need to raise your aspirations in this regionally-globally competitive environment and the government needs professionals who would compete in all fronts,” Biruta adds.

Biruta said that Rwanda still lacks highly qualified professionals in Finance, Insurance and banking sectors.

He reminded SFB management and the grandaunts that the country was waiting to see their input of their vowed high quality knowledge, skills and determination to change a lot in saving country’s economy.

Biruta also told the invited guests that the government is committed to have quality education that would face global challenges while improving and encouraging research and other relevant tools to have high quality education in the country to meet international standards.

School of Finance and Banking graduated over 500 students in bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (BBA) and 48 students in Master’s Degree in the same discipline (MBA) programs in today’s 6th graduation ceremony.

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The school of Finance and Banking at Mburabuturo is giving Bachalor’s degree and Master’s degrees in Business Administration(BBA) and MBA respectively.

over 550 graduate with Bachalor’s degree and 48 students complete master’s degree and over 2000 students have graduated since its inception.

8:00am the arrival of invited guests(students, parents and relatives.

10:20am the arrival of SFB staff including the new Minister of Education Dr Vicent Biruta, Chairman Board of Directors Prof. Manasseh Nshuti and other invited top officials from other Universities.

10:23am a nationa anthem sung and immidiately the Prof. Nshuti welcomes the invited guests.

10:30am the Rector of the school gives his speech where he asked the student to take the discipline they have attained at school to the various institutions that are anxiously waiting for their skills.

10:37am Prof. Nshuti gives his speech where he says that a higher percentage of the school students have comepeted favourably on the job market.

He said that 46% of the students from SFB have been taken by different institutions in Rwanda like banks, and insurance adding that the school has set standard in the region.

10:45am Vice Rector of SFB opens the confirmation of the Degrees as the lecturers heading different departments reading the names of those students who have successfully completed their degrees. right now they are reading the names of those who have completed in accounting.

The management of the School of Finance and Banking (SFB) continues to read the names of thise people who have successfully completed their studies on the 6th graduation.
Like several speeches that have been addressed to the invited guests SFB is said to be dispatching qualified and talented group of people to the field to join others in developing the nation by applying the knowledge and skills they have acquired from different disciplines.
11:02am The lecturer heading the department of Business Administration in Finance reads the names of the students who have successfully completed their studies.

11:17am The lecturer heading the department of Business Administration in Human Resources management reads the names of the students who have successfully completed their studies.

11:21am The lecturer heading the department of Business Administration in marketing reads the names of the students who have successfully completed their studies.

11:24am The Vice Rector in charge of academics reads the 48 students who have completed master’s degree program in Finance and Project management.

11:30am presentations of names to be awarded degrees is completed as the incumbent Chancellor Dr Vicent Biruta conferred upon them and immediately a poem for the SFB begins by Jean Claude Mutabaruka.

11:36am BBA student representative gives her speech and 11:45am the MC apologises and requests the invited guests to be patient saying that 95% of the whole program has been covered and invites MBA student representative to give her speech at 11:47am which will be followed by giving merit award to the students who have extra-ordinary talented students.

Different companies like Sulfo Industries, Bralirwa and others are now giving their awards. And MINICOFIN giving scholarships to Umulisa Alice and Mukasonga Febrone.

Right now Tony Elumelu, who is the founder and the owner of the Elumelu Foundation” that originates from Nigeria is giving his speech. The foundation focuses greatly on the entrepreneurship development especially, in Africa.

12:27om the MC announces the end of the graduation ceremony and calls upon the chairman of the board of the board directors Prof. Manasseh Nshuti to dissolve the event.

12:28pm Prof. Nshuti comes and dissolves the ceremony.

12:30pm a national anthem is sung to finally dissolve the ceremony and thereafter the MC announces the order of departure and invited guest are reminded of the cocktail at the school’s auditorium.

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Chief Justice Aloysea Cyanzayire has said that Rwandan Judiciary has reformed largely ten years down the road.

Cyanzayire was briefing President Paul Kagame at his office Village Urugwiro on the progress of Judiciary in Rwanda.

This follows yesterday’s nomination of her successor Sam Rugege who has been her deputy since 2004.

According to the press statement from the president’s office, Cyanzayire whose 8 year non-renewable term of office ends this month made a courtesy call to thank President Kagame for relentless support towards the growth of judiciary.

With support of the president Kagame, Rwandan Judiciary is seen as the most reforming institution in the region using ICT to deliver justice, according to Cyanzayire.

Cyanzaire said that other areas where the Judiciary registered great success include capacity-building, where a big number of judicial staff have been able to acquire skills and experience.

Over the last 10 years, the Rwandan judicial system has undergone various reforms putting it on the international standards.

Members of the judiciary have received intensive training, both academic and on-job, and now they have the capacity to deliver justice, professionally.

The reforms have also seen a backlog of cases concluded and the population now gaining confidence in the justice system.

In August, the nominated Chief Justice Rugege made the remarks during a town hall meeting, broadcasted live on public television and radio that since, 2004, about 247,000 cases filed overwhelming judges, but with the reforms, more than 200,000 have been concluded.

He however added that some of the cases filed in the courts can be solved through unconventional means to bring down the rapidly increasing number of cases which is the major bottlenecks in the effecting justice.

“Cases are now unnecessarily multiplying in courts. The sad thing is that people skip the lower and the higher instance courts to file their grievances in the high court which increases the burden on the system.” He said.

He underscored that cases such as family issues would better be addressed by local leaders prior to going to the courts.

“Before 2004, only 74 judges had bachelor’s degree in law out of 702. This number has since been raised to 281. We train our judges before they begin to practice while others are sponsored for study tours,” Rugenge added.

Cases can also be filed online while video conferencing has been introduced to enable court proceeding to go on without having the concerned parties physically in the court rooms.

Cyanzayire who made her call to president Kagame to day, She also said that the rehabilitation and construction of court premises all over the country have had a big impact on the strengthening of the judiciary.

The Chief Justice told President Kagame that the Judiciary still faces a few challenges though, including the big number of outstanding cases and lack of highly experienced staff. Nonetheless, she pointed out that strategies were being devised to address them.

President Kagame thanked Cyanzayire for her services to her country and also pledged his and government’s continued support in building a strong judiciary that will serve Rwandans better.

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