Tag: HomeNews

Robert Muhire in his 20s is profiting from the floods at Nyabugogo area by carrying people on his back to cross over the floods near Nyabugogo bus terminal. the floods have submerged an area about 1km in diameter.

“I don’t mind about the rains or the flood because I am earning something. People who wish to cross the bridge just have to pay Rwf 200 and within no minute I rush them to the other side,” Muhire said.

As people gathered waiting for commuter taxi, while others crossed to another side to board taxi to get to their respective homes, Muhire scooped a chance to make more money as he worked alone.

Chantal Munyeshyaka who was trying to cross the flooded road below Nyabugogo Taxi Park has said the rate at which the swamp is rising is too fast.

“This swamp normally floods during rainy seasons but this time things have changed. The swamp is rising rapidly. Crossing the road is now a problem for us. I am scared that accidents will increase because the road is now slippery” Munyeshyaka said.

Kigali city has been for the past two days experiencing long hours of rainfall that has led to the flooding of Nyabugogo swamp.

This has affected the movement of pedestrians, while business in the area coming to a standstill.

The President of Rwanda Paul Kagame has said death penalty is not a form of justice people need. Kagame was addressing hundreds of worldwide participants who turned up for death penalty conference in Kigali.

Death penalty conference held in Kigali was among high profiled events across the globe to mark world day against death penalty.

Kagame’s remarks while addressing the participants, referred to Rwanda’s experience after 1994 Genocide.

“After wide consultations and debts Rwandans came to the conclusion that under these circumstances of executing criminals was not the form of justice that the people needed. Both victims and perpetrators need to restore their faith in the value and sanctity of life, believe in the ability to live together again and a more humane sense of justice,” Kagame said.

“The government couldn’t become a mass executioner in order to correct mass murder. So we chose to break with the past and abolish death penalty in order to move forward. We have never regretted that decision,” Kagame added.

He said that because of Rwanda’s decision towards death penalty, legal and social environment in the country provides a sense of satisfaction and security among the citizenry which reinforces belief in communal harmony and value of life.

He told the participants that Rwandans have achieved a degree of unity and reconciliation in just a decade and half because a culture of forgiveness not vengeance has taken root.

In practical terms, Kagame added saying death penalty would have meant executing more than a million people in addition to the loss Rwanda had already witnessed during the genocide.

“Regardless of the extreme circumstances there is no doubt the social consequences that would have accompanied such mass execution. What we needed most was away to punish crime and impunity, heal the physical and emotional wounds of survivors of the genocide and deliver justice to all,” He emphasied.

He said Rwanda’s experience illustrated was to make people get inspired not held by a sense of idealism opposition to the penalty.

President wondered what results have the world witnessed after centuries of administering Death penalty saying that the general conscious shows there are results adding that this should the time people to have another careful look at the issue and possibly move forward towards abolishing it.

“In my opinion to whether the death penalty should or should not be abolished lies in another question- Does the legal taking away of life really provide the most effective deterrent offering us enough substantive evidence to tie us to this form of punishment? I believe it does not,”. Kagame wondered.

Despite the pain and desire for justice Rwanda’s victims’ families felt which is understandable and cannot be ignored the kind of punishment policy would be put in a broader context.

It is this reason and historical circumstances that Rwanda took a definite stand on the subject and abolished the death penalty in the year 2007, according to president Kagame.

He says Rwanda is committed to the protection of fundamental human rights for all even though there was a time in history when some Rwandans were denied these rights including the right to life which denial culminated to the death of over 1million people in the genocide of 1994.

The genocide and its aftermath raised serious issues of justices some practical others philosophical that the government had to deal with.

The law as it existed then provided that those who had committed genocide should suffer the ultimate punishment of death.

In a just completed re-registration exercise at Gihembe refugee camp, over 2500 congolese refugees have returned Rwandan national IDs allegedly having acquired illegally.

Late August United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and its partners including Rwandan government decided to carry out re-registration exercise to update refugee data base in the country.

As the process begun, officials discovered that some refugees had acquired Rwandan national IDs yet they can’t be both refugees and Rwandan nationals.

“We didn’t have refugee identity cards, some of us thought it wise to get Rwandan national IDs as we look for jobs because there is no way one can give you a job without any identification,” one of the refugees was quoted as saying recently adding that they had to disguise themselves as Rwandans since they spoke the same language.

Jean Claude Rwahama, the Director General in charge of Refugee Affairs in the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs, said that however that the government has also issued electronic refugee identity cards.

Rwahama says that the new issued electronic refugee cards enables them apply for jobs in any office given one’s competence.

Anouck Bronée External Relations Officer at United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says the re-registration process is now will be extended to Kiziba camp in Karongi District.

She how however couldn’t disclose the number of refugees registered so far in the Gihembe camp saying they are still cleaning the data collected.

Mid last month, Bronee said UNHCR had in verification exercise admitted at least 12289 refugees (meaning they had not yet completed all stages of the re-registration exercise), and 7419 refugees have completed all stages of the re-registration exercise.

She added that the exercise had been carried out in the usual arrangement of updating their data since they were working on the assumption that there were about 56000 refugees in Rwanda which would mean there could be much less than or more.

The exercise involved getting the numbers of refugees, biometric, information on families, and photographs compiling information related to every individual.
Kiziba camp re-registration exercise which is expected to begin next week, is also expected to be extended Nyabiheke camp in Northern Province.

The whole exercise is expected to be completed by the end of December and results will be announced probably January 2012.

Rwanda National Police has for the first time demobilized some of its officers.

The exercise took place at National Police Academy in Musanze District where 272 police officers were discharged.

The demobilized police officers held ranks ranging from Police Constable (PC) to Chief Sergeant (C/SGT) and discharged in three categories and thus their send off package.

Among the demobilized officers, 147 were in retirement category and will receive a pay package worth 36 months of their salary; the one laid off will receive six months’ pay while those discharged due to medical reasons will receive 18 months pay.

Retired Chief Sergeant Peter Claver Nayigiziki commended RNP for having entrusted them with the noble task of maintaining law and order.

The demobilized police officers were each awarded a certificate of service in recognition for their contribution to law and order.

The police have arrested Theogene Ntabanganyimana for stealing his former American boss equipments worth US $ 5000 (est. Rwf 2.9m).

Ntabanganyimana who is in police custody stole 3 laptops, a cell phone of Blackbery type and hard cash worth Rwf 86000 last week.

He was a house maid of an American identified as Lane Mears who thanked the police calling upon public to always alert the police for any abnormalities that occur in the society.

“After realizing that I was stolen, I immediately alerted the Police and they started investigating,” said Lane Mears.

“When I saw the money and those equipments on the table I was tempted to get them, then I got them and run away and went to Nyagatare where I thought they won’t get me but at one point I thought of returning laptops but I was filled with fear to be arrested,” Ntabanganyimana said.

The Police spokesperson Supt. Theos Badege told igihe.com that the suspect was arrested in Nyagatare after a close investigation that involved members of his family who also cooperated and called for meeting but only to see him arrested.

The Deputy Executive Director and Assistant Secretary-General for UN-HABITAT Doctor Aisha Kirabo Kacyira has thanked Rwanda’s government pointing out president Paul Kagame for the support towards her new appointment.

Speaking to igihe.com, Kirabo said her appointment was an achievement to all Rwandans having been so competitive.

“I am happy that I have been appointed to this position. This is not my personal achievement but an achievement to all Rwandans. This position was an open competitive position that I applied after recommended by my government.” Kirabo said.

“Other factors that led to my success besides the support from my government include the experience I have in various domains right from the parliament to the Kigali City Mayor and now the governor,”She added in a telephone interview.

“I am thankful to the UN community for the trust in me and am ready to give my support, knowledge and skills to the UN-Habitat office in such times that the UN-Habitat is undergoing several changes,”.

Yesterday the United Nations Secretary General’s office in Newyork appointed Kirabo currently the Governor of the Eastern Province as Deputy Executive Director and Assistant Secretary General to UN-Habitat.

United Nations Under-Secretary General and UN-HAIBTAT Executive Director, Dr. Joan Clos, said he was satisfied with the appointment of the new UN-HABITAT Deputy Executive Director who Ms. Inga Björk-Klevby from Sweden.

“Ms.Kirabo brings to UN-HABITAT the experience of someone who knows daily urban challenges that citizens and governments are facing. She has been a Mayor of one of the fastest urbanizing cities in the world, Kigali, and she is currently Governor of Rwanda Eastern Province”. Said Dr. Clos.

“We should be able to build a political commitment to accommodate rapid increases in urban populations, to prevent the emergence of slums, to face climate change and to fight against urban poverty and inequality. I am sure that Ms. Kirabo will be a big support in rethinking the urban agenda and in adopting a new approach to the challenges of urbanization,” He added.

In her new role, Dr. Kirabo will assist the Executive Director, Dr. Joan Clos, in the overall management of UN-HABITAT to achieve its mandate and will support the new UN-HABITAT agenda to face the urban challenges by strengthening urban policies to generate more equitable, wealthy and sustainable cities.

Among her many important responsibilities, Ms. Kirabo will support Dr. Clos in advancing the key reviews currently underway at UN-HABITAT, including the review of UN-Habitat’s strategic priorities for the coming years leading to Habitat III in 2016.