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Lower Chamber of parliament has voted for the setting of an adhoc committee which will investigate Rukarara hydro power and Mutobo water projects.

This followed most of the parliamentarians’ dissatisfaction over explanations both Minister of Infrastructure Albert Nsengiyumva and State Minister in charge of Energy and Water Emma Francoise Isumbingabo presented.

The house chaired by the speaker of parliament Rose Mukantabana, 59 over 68 MPs present voted for the setting of the adhoc committee.

According to several MPs Ezekias Rwabuhihi, Charles Kamanda, Connie Bwiza and others questioned how firms given a tender of developing the projects are made a follow up, and how their contracts are managed.

Other issues included explanations of how US $ 2.42m was spent over Rukarara hydro power project, how to penalized entrepreneurs who fail to accomplish their tasks or perform shoddy work and accountability of the 0.5MW which will not be produced yet it was budgeted for.

MPs also questioned poor distribution of electricity where you find some areas get together and request for their connectivity and some are connected while others are left out.

Lawmakers also wondered why water continues to be scarce yet the matter has been discussed and projects mentioned in several speeches but implementations continue to fail.

“I don’t understand why water continues to be tabled and continues to scarce yet we get promised of things to get better even in the past years. It seems there could have been corruption involved,” Ezekias Rwabuhihi said.

“This donor money of which they also give accountability to their tax payers, there should be an audit which will avail details of how that fund was spent so as we get a clear picture too,” Connie Bwiza also said.

The speaker of the parliament however responded to Connie Bwiza that the adhoc Committee to be set will decide what is right to be done, whether it goes its self and compiles the whole required data or if it will ask the auditor general office to audit the project since it will be having the competence to do so.

Minister explained how to achieve 1000 MW in six year, 230MW from micro-hydro power projects in the country which include those hydro projects we share with the neighboring countries that have been funded so far.

He said that a feasibility study has been done on other two projects which are still in negotiations which will produce at least 100MW each.

The Minister said that there is another feasibility study to also get geothermal energy in Kalisimbi, Kinigi, Bugarama, Rusizi and Rubavu which expects to produce 700MW.

The state minister Isumbingabo re-explained in details the Rukarara hydro power project where she told the house that they have a security of US $ 2.7m and penalties to refund the ministry for the delay due to breach of contracts.

Despite other explanations to several other questions asked, lawmaker showed their discontent hence voting for independent inquiry.

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A new monthly teenage girl-focused magazine, ‘Ni Nyaminga’ has been launched. The magazine will work along with weekly radio shows highlighting the adolescent girls’ potential giving them tools that will enable them become future leaders.

The launch took place today, in an event hosted by Girl Hub, a joint venture by the Nike Foundation and the UK’s Department for International Development and held at the Girl Hub head office in Kigali.

Speaking to the press shortly after the launch Jessica Thornley, Brand Manager for Girl Hub’s Rwanda office said,“Ni Nyampinga is about fostering a culture for girls that gives them the space, time and tools needed to experience their teenage years in the most positive way.”

“This is the time for girls to not just dream big and plan for their futures but also equip themselves with the tools to make it happen.”

Thornley added that the magazine and radio programs will be great motivators for girls, while also having a positive impact on their parents and brothers.

Among the participants Antoinette Umuhoza defined the initiative, as a girl who knows what she is doing to create a platform for her future.

She added that Ni Nyaminga will help express the needs and raise voices by young girls to the rest through hosting the programs over the radios and writing for the magazine.

The initiative will cover topics such as Rwandan culture, Health, English development and Economic empowerment and sharing stories and advice from inspirational role models and providing fun ways to share experiences.

It will be hosted by a team of teenage girl journalists that will create shows about the issues that matter to them and their peers.

Both platforms will prompt audiences for feedback and input through social media, mobile, and suggestion boxes in the community.

The event also mirrored the G(irls)20 Summit that held recently in Paris and attended by girls from the 20 leading nations of the world, plus two girls from Rwanda.

Two top officials from the Ministry of Infrastructure (MINIFRA) have just started facing parliamentary questioning about water and energy situation in the country.

The pressing issue that remained unanswered yesterday was the controversy of Rukarara hydro power project and the electricity distribution and water distribution of 80% in the country.

Chaired by speaker Rose Mukantabana, the parliament is now listening to what the two MINIFRA top officials Albert Nsengiyumva the Minister of Infrastructure and the state Minister in charge of Energy and water have to respond to the questions not answered yesterday.

The speaker has immediately opened the meeting with allowing more questions from the MPs that were not asked their questions yesterday.

Most MPs that have so far asked their questions have repeatedly questioned the leasing of Rukarara hydro power project to a local firm Digitech Solution for 40 years, contract management and accountability of the previous firms that managed the project previously.

MPs are questioning the exorbitant funds spent during the project implementation noting millions of funds used to visit Sri-Lanka entrepreneur who managed the micro-hydro power before being leased.

Deputy Charles Kamanda begun the questioning session also suggesting an adhoc committee to thoroughly investigate the project and refuting what the officials said that 80% of Rwandans have access to safe water.

While Ezekias Rwabuhihi suggested that a full audit report is needed about the project and wondered why a problem of water scarcity continues to come back in the past years and it looks not to be solved.

Rwabuhihi noted that this recurring problem of water scarcity and electricity in many places may be involving some corruption acts since it keeps on returning to be tabled and never seem to be closer to be resolved.

He said that not only an adhoc committee is needed but also auditor general’s office is also needed to begin a full audit so as to avail full statistical information about Rukarara hydro project.

Much as women in Rwanda now top the world rankings in decision making, Rwanda has not been ranked in Global Gender Gap report 2011 released yesterday.

The report was released by World Economic Forum, a non-government organization based Geneva, Switzerland.

Another Geneva based organization Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) had observed that Rwanda had overtaken the long-time leader, Sweden in women empowerment but still some reports suggest Rwanda success has been only in political section.

The released report measures the inequality between men and women with political, educational and economic opportunities.

Not only Rwanda was not ranked but also DR Congo and Lesotho emerged number one in Sub-Saharan Africa followed by South Africa then followed Burundi which is ranked on 3rd position in the region hence toping East African Community bloc.

No country has yet to achieve gender equality, although research points to empowering women being the key to unlocking potential and stimulating economies.

Among the headlines this year, women hold less than 20% of all national decision-making positions, India ranks lowest on gender parity.

The report underscore that the world has however made great progress in eliminating inequality between men and women in health and education, but not in economic participation and political empowerment, according to a survey of 135 nations.

The annual survey shows that four Nordic countries, Iceland, Norway, Finland and Sweden, led the world again in promoting gender equality with United States rankings rising from 19th to 17th position.

“A world where women make up less than 20 percent of the global decision-makers is a world that is missing a huge opportunity for growth and ignoring an untapped reservoir of potential,” Klaus Schwab, founder and chairman of the World Economic Forum, said in a statement.

The annual survey, released at a press conference in New York, showed that over the past six years about 85 percent of countries have narrowed the gender gap.

But in other countries the gap widened and the situation for women worsened, including in Nigeria, Mali, Colombia, Tanzania and El Salvador. Pakistan, Chad and Yemen were at the bottom of the list.

Saadia Zahidi, head of the forum’s women leaders and gender parity program, said the world as a whole has closed about 96% of the gender gap in health and 93% in education, but only about 60% of the gap in economic participation and less than 20% in political empowerment.

“So women are starting to be as healthy and as educated as men, and yet, are not being channeled into the economy, into decision-making structures,” Zahidi said.

Zahidi said closing the gender gaps are directly correlated with increased economic competitiveness with the world focused on job creation and economic growth adding that gender equality is the key to unlocking potential and stimulating economies.

The survey shows that a number of relatively developing countries have made major strides to close the gender gap and rank in the top 25, the Philippines, Lesotho, South Africa, Cuba, the Bahamas and Burundi.

The Global Gender Gap Index introduced by the World Economic Forum in 2006, is a framework for capturing the magnitude and scope of gender-based disparities and tracking their progress.

The Index benchmarks national gender gaps on economic, political, education- and health-based criteria.

African women in the on-going two-day meeting in Kigali have condemned what they termed lack of political commitment by most governments to ensure the development of women in African continent.

It is a Pre- Eighth African Governance Forum (AGF-VIII) meeting on Gender Equality, Elections and the Management of Diversity in Africa.

Participants blame their governments saying that if they were dedicated to gender promotion, no African woman would be suffering to date.

Aloisea Inyumba, Rwanda’s Minister of Gender and Family promotion, told the participants in the meeting yesterday that the government embarked on empowerment strategies to allow gender equality all political, economic and social affairs.

“Women have been brought into the mainstream of our political, economic and social life and our government is determined to do that because we cannot talk about democracy without their involvement in national governance,” said the minister.

According to statistics, Rwandan women form 53 percent of the population and currently, in parliament, they occupy 56.25 percent seats making it a world leader in female parliamentary representation.

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According to the World Bank Group president Robert B. Zoellick, the food crisis is far from over, hence the G-20 ought to put into consideration discussions on food crisis first.

“Averting crisis is not just about banks and debt. Millions of people around the world face a daily crisis of hunger and malnutrition. At Cannes, the G-20 should take steps to address their needs.”Said Zoellick.

The Food price watch reported food crisis in the Horn of Africa invades the wellbeing of over 13.3 million people.

Meanwhile recent floods in Thailand, and worst in 50 years, may consequently worsen the predicted production losses ranging between 16 to 24.

The high instability in low income countries is anticipated to persist in the medium term owing to rising population and changing diets, tangled relations between food and energy prices, along with the increasing production of biofuels.

According to the report, prices of grains augmented 30% from September 2010 to September 2011, with maize increasing by 43%, rice by 26%, wheat 16% and Soybean oil by 26%, conversely, a rise of 3% in the price of grains was generally compensated by a decline of 3% in the prices of fats and oils.

Food Price Watch alerts that a troubled global economy may suppress demand, diminish food prices, and hurt food exporting countries and poor producers in rural areas, while benefiting food importers and consumers.

Consequently developing countries might have limited resources to protect exposed populations.

Additionally concerns regarding the global economy may hinder medium to long-term investments in agricultural research and productive agricultural techniques.

Despite the price rise, increase in supply and stocks convey relief. Recent observations reveal global wheat stocks attaining a 10 year high in 2011-2012, global production of maize augment by 4% attributing to the increased production in Argentina, Brazil, China, Russia and Ukraine.

Global rice output is also prone to go up in 2011-2012 as a result of anticipated abundant harvest in India following conducive monsoon rains.

In order to address volatility-related information, the G-20 agriculture ministers recently initiated the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS) which mainly addresses market transparency on the global food outlook.

The World Bank has prioritized food through its numerous initiatives and partnership such as: the Global Food Crisis Response Program (GFRP), the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP), the Consultative Group for International Agriculture Research (CGIAR), and International Finance Corporation (IFC).

More to that the World Bank increased its spending on agriculture to around $8 billion a year from $4.1 billion in 2008.

The Group of 20 heads of government, who are meeting in Cannes Nov. 3– 4 to discuss the global economy, are expected to endorse a package of concrete actions to improve transparency and policy coordination to detect and correct problems early;

To help countries manage price volatility using sound risk management tools; to promote more productive and resilient agriculture; and to get food to the needy fast through emergency regional humanitarian food reserves and agreement not to ban exports of food for World Food Programme.

As the world population reaches a staggering 7 billion people, it is more important than ever for the global community to galvanize around actions to improve food security.

The Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs(MIDIMAR) has called for joint efforts towards fire safety.

Jean Baptiste Nsengiyumva, the Director of Research and Public Awareness in MIDIMAR, says that the current level of infrastructural development in Rwanda carries high risks of fires.

according to information posted onto the ministry’s official website, Nsengiyumva demands a strong, proactive fire safety management system as well as reactive capability.

“In fact, the rate of fire-caused disasters is not higher. However, in spite of the low rate, fire incidents extremely cause enormous damages than other incidents,” Nsengiyumva said.

In a recent meeting, stakeholders agreed to collect all the fire safety related documents in order to compile an inclusive fire safety policy and set up a committee to draft preliminary regulation- bill.

The established committee headed by MIDIMAR is comprised of Mugold International Ltd, Rwanda Housing Authority, Rwanda Transport Development Agency, Kigali City, EWASA, and Rwanda National Police fire brigade has been assigned the duty of drafting a referential fire safety regulations-bill which is to be submitted to the stakeholder’s general meeting for approval.

The fire safety regulations draft-bill is scheduled to be discussed on November 30, 2011.

Stakeholders include Rwanda National Police, (RNP), Rwanda Defense Force, (RDF), Rwanda Housing Authority, (RHA), Rwanda Transport Development Agency, (RTDA), Mugold International Ltd, Kigali city, Civil Aviation Authority, Rwanda Bureau of Standards, (RBS), The Energy, Water and Sanitation Authority, (EWASA), Rwanda Development Board, (RDB) and the Private Sector Federation, (PSF), and the MIDIMAR which has the duty of coordination.

According to Nsengiyumva, each institution above had local fire safety regulations that need to be converged and consulted to draw up effective and efficient fire safety regulations for sustainable risk management and planning.

“Therefore, the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs took the initiative to coordinate various institutions so as to join their efforts for fire safety” said Nsengiyumva.

He added that the regulations once approved would be adopted as ministerial order to be disseminated to concerned institutions including local administration.

“We expect the fire safety regulations to play a key role in reducing fire risks especially in public spaces, working places, big buildings, transport, environment and elsewhere. We will also propose the locations for firefighting stations so as to ensure fast response once fire incidents occur,” added Nsengiyumva.

Police in Kigali is holding two men that have been extorting money from unsuspecting car owners by convicing them that they would process certification of their automobile at the Motor Inspection Center(MIC), Remera.

Alex Mugabe and Suleiman Ntawumenyumunsi have been swindling money claiming that they would offer a quicker service to the car owners.

They went around charging between Rwf 15,000 and 20,000 but they run out of luck when police seized them and paraded before motor vehicle owners.

“I have done this for a long time. I managed to convince the owner of the vehicles that without my input their vehicles would not be certified quickly,” Alex Mugabe confessed.

A session was immediately organized to explain how MIC operated and to ensure there are no future rip offs to car owners.

Superintendent Dismas Rutaganira, the MIC Director said that there was no need for middlemen because inspection is conducted with the help of computers which determine the state of the vehicles.

“We have seven steps that vehicles have to go through using computerized system before your vehicles are certified, the results determine whether certificate is issued or not,” Rutaganira said.

“The centre is here to serve you, so anything that needs to be improved to make MIC to offer better services is always welcome,” Rutaganira added.

The Police Spokesperson Superintendent Theos Badege advised car owners to always be vigilant to avoid conmen.

“Take your car to garage that knows what is required by the MIC. It is better to bring your vehicle and verify yourself every process,” Badege said.

Police at Muhanga District, Southern Province has detained three suspects accused of breaking into a house and stealing Rwf 27,000, a TV set and cell phone.

According to a press statement from the Police, the two of the suspects Valantin Iyamuremye and Damascene Uwababyeyi admit to breaking into the house.

Tharicisse Nkubiri, found in possession of the stolen equipments, denied any wrong doing but instead claimed he was framed due to his role in reporting criminals.

Police spokesperson Supt. Theos Badege warned that breaking into people’s houses is a gigantic crime and in most cases results in murder as criminals are usually armed with traditional weapons or riffles.

“Muhanga is one of fast growing towns but the development should not be marred by crime,” Badege said.

According to Muhanga District Mayor, Yvonne Mutakwasuku, the arrest was possible due to cooperation between Police, local leaders and reserve forces in the area.

Mutakwasuku also pointed out that the suspects had recently been released from prison where they were serving time for consuming and dealing in marijuana.

As a mechanism to counteract crimes that may arise due to idleness and disorder, the district authorities in collaboration with Police established a Transit Center where people involved in such crimes receive a one week training on technical skills that give them employment opportunities.

The Mayor also said that the district is tirelessly working to have street lights which will contribute in addressing the problem of thieves.

The Permanent Secretary in Kenyan Ministry of Education, James Kiyiapi has said that Rwandan Government made a request to employ 4000 graduate Kenyan teachers.

According to the PS, the request was made, during his recent visit to Rwanda.

Kiyiapi said as Rwanda switches to the English system commonly used in the East African community, there is a deficiency of English teachers, given the fact that Rwandese teachers mostly communicated in French as well as their native language.

Kiyiapi made the statement at AIC Kalyet Secondary School, as a confirmation to students that if they strive hard, there are opportunities after school.

Rwandan state Minister in charge of Primary and Secondary Education, Dr Mathias Harebamungu, confirms the recruitment will be done in January 2012 to coincide with the new academic year and the 12-year basic education programme.

Targeted countries are Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya, but more attention will be drawn to Kenya, and the concerned are Professional teachers capable of using English as an instructing language.

The 4000 teachers will be deployed to private and public schools across the country, and they are expected to teach students, fellow Rwandan teachers as well as Sector Executive Secretaries.

According to the Ministry records 43,000 teachers have been trained in the English language in two different sessions.

The training sessions were conducted by 1, 035 trainers, whereby 7000 were Rwandans, and the remaining Ugandans.

Ugandans were paid Rwf 25,000 per day, whilst Rwandans received Rwf 20,000.

Harebamungu said that the recruitment aims at putting Rwanda at the same level with the rest of EAC members, and thus boost their competency in the EAC market.

Top Officials of the Ministry of Infrastructure are being grilled by Legistilators in the on-going inquiries about issues of energy and water in the country.

The two officials include; Minister of Infrastructure Albert Nsengiyumva and his assistant Emma Francoise Isumbingabo the state Minister in charge of Energy and Water. They both presented an overall report on status of Energy and water in the country.

Minister Nsengiyumva presented an overview of both demanding sectors while the State Minister Isumbingabo presented an in-depth report on Rukarara hydro power project.

Several parliamentarians from lower chamber of deputies expressed their dissatisfaction about the presentations from the two officials saying that what they presented was contrary to what is reflected on ground.

Parliamentarians are worried if the government will be able to achieve what it aimed to attain by 2017 in only six years remaining to have a national electricity grid.

The MP’s complained that Rukarara hydro power project and other energy related projects have not delivered to what was expected in past ten years.

Parliamentarians are now requesting the speaker of parliament to allow the setting of the adhoc committee to thoroughly investigate and ascertain whether statistics presented by both ministers reflect what is on the ground as first suggested by deputy Abbas Mukama.

Mukama questioned the State Minister about budgeted funds that were meant for production of electricity from the Rukarara hydro power plant since the Minister said that the plant can now only produce 9MW instead of 9.5MW.

“There is where the state Minister said that there is a gap of 0.5MW which will not be produced as planned yet it was budgeted for. These are public funds. The difference of 0.5MW is equal to funds we voted for in the national budget. I remember we voted for over US $ 22m for the whole 9.5MW, where is this fund and how will it be accounted for”.

“My suggestion is that let there be an adhoc committee that will carry out an in-depth investigation on ground to obtain independent findings to compare with what the ministers have presented,” Mukama suggested to the House.

“They have told us about funds worth US $ 100,000(approx Rwf 59.6m) used to visit the entrepreneur of Sri-Lanka now in charge of the power plant. We need to know is that entrepreneur in Rwanda or in Sri-Lanka, visiting for what purpose? Why did it cost that much?,” Mukama added.

Another MP, Henriette Mukamurangwa wondered whether in six years to 2017 target, government will have attained a national electricity grid of 1000MW.

“Madam Speaker I have tried to pick from the figures they have given us and I have added up to 129MW by at least the end of 2012, Madam Speaker I am seeing a very long journey, how many years remaining now?”

“We have a role of calling upon investors in the country, we shall invite investors, they will come and look around and go back, that is a big challenge, listening to the plans the ministry has, it looks like a more of just a speech, they are not tangible, we have heard such kind of speeches from their predecessors,” Mukamurangwa wondered.

Mukamurangwa questioned again; “If the State Minister has told us that water distribution has reached 80%, it simply means that 8 million of Rwandans have water but i see that not reflected in the public, I think she should revisit her statistics and tell us the truth, this why I also propose an adhoc committee,” She added.

According to many parliamentarians that spoke questioned their dissatisfaction about the Rukarara hydro power plant which is currently said to be producing actually 5.5MW and if fully functions it can only produce 7.2MW instead of 9MW mentioned by the state Minister Isumbingabo in her presentation to the lower chamber.

It has been said that one of the three turbines at the power plant does not function.

Before voting for the adhoc committee to be set for detailed investigations of the Rukarara hydro power plant project, the house has instead voted for the two Ministers to go back tomorrow to the lower chamber to respond to the questions fired against them.

The two ministers were summoned after the lawmakers recently showed discontent over the manner in which Rukarara Hydro Power project was leased to a local firm, Digitech Solutions.