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Doctor Jean Damascene Ntawukuriryayo has this afternoon been voted as the new Rwanda Senate President with 20 votes out of 4 votes from his opponent Teddy Gacinya.

The remaining two posts of senate vice presidents were taken by former Prime Minister Bernard Makuza and Jeanne d’Arc Gakuba the ex- Kigali City Vice Mayor in charge of social affairs.

The lower chamber of parliament also had its elections to replace the two vacant positions of the deputy speakers.

The two posts were earlier held by Polisi Deni who resigned claiming personal reasons and Ntawukuriryayo who has just been appointed new senate president.

Both members of lower chamber of parliament Evariste Karisa and Marie Josee Kankera replaced the two on the posts of vice speakers.

In related development, Dr Alvera Mukabaramba, has been appointed a new State Minister in charge of social affairs and community development in the Ministry of local government (MINALOC), replacing Marie Christine Nyatanyi who passed away recently.

Emma Francoise Isumbangabo was also appointed as the State Minister for Energy and Water replacing Eng.Collette Ruhamya in the Ministry of Infrastructure.

Mukabaramba once a presidential aspirant under the Progress and Concord Party (PPC) had just completed her senate mandate while Isumbangabo was a lecturer in ISAE – Busogo in the Northern Province.

Three incoming ambassadors representing United States of America (USA), Belgium and Northern Sudan have vowed to contribute towards the development of Rwanda’s economic growth

They said they will work hard in encouraging investments, development activities and judicial cooperation.

After presenting their credentials to President Paul Kagame at his office Village Urugwiro, they addressed journalists separately at hotel Umubano in Kacyiru to communicate their manifestos.

The first to meet the press was USA ambassador Donald. W. Koran, who had served in Kigali’s American embassy for ten years as deputy chief of mission.

He said that his experience in Rwanda has motivated him to do more in developing the economy especially strengthening areas of health and food security.

“I’ve seen Rwanda grow and I’m optimistic that it’s heading in the right direction,” said Koran.

After he had left, the new Belgium ambassador to Rwanda Marc Pecsteen Buyrswerve, said Belgium will contribute more towards the growth of Rwanda’s economy adding that more developmental cooperation with his country was underway.

“We’re really commited and this can be reflected in the recent signing of a grant worth Euro 200 million(est. Rwf 162.5bn) that will be used in the development of various sectors including infrastructure and agriculture,” Buyrswerve said adding that judicial cooperation was also essential.

“Belgium has so far prosecuted and sentenced 8 genocide fugitives and I must say Rwanda’s judiciary has effectively given us relevant information regarding those who are wanted,” he emphasized.

Also the new ambassador of Northern Sudan to Rwanda, Nasreldin Ahmed Walli hailed Rwanda’s efforts towards peace keeping activities in war ravaged zones in Sudan, Darfur region being the center of rebel conflicts.

“Rwanda alone has 3200 peacekeeping troops in the UNAMID (the joint UN and African Union peacekeeping mission in Sudan) from Nigeria and we too want to extend our appreciation through developmental cooperation such as bringing experts in infrastructure, offer scholarships and many more,” Walli said.

Walli who is the first Sudan ambassador with residence in Kigali, further commended good diplomatic relations between both countries.

The Minister of Gender and Family promotion Aloysia Inyumba has called for a joint efforts to end all kinds of Gender Based Violence.

Minister Inyumba was speaking at the kicking off of the national campaign against Gender Based Violence which will take a whole week.

“The campaign is to value Rwandan citizens by fighting Gender Based Violence which is the best way to promote our families,” Inyumba said at the campaign set off which begun with a fight-against Gender Based Violence walk from Gishushu near RDB to petit Stade, Remera about 3 km distance.

Inyumba called upon all institution to participate in the whole campaign and make the matter never happen again in Rwanda.

The campaign comes at a time when the government is also calling for stronger family values in Rwanda society.

Among other participants, Bonaventure Habimana in the campaign said it will create awareness especially to men in villages who have not yet recognized the importance of women in the society.

According to the police statistics this year, 500 cases were reported on defilement compared to 1654 cases last year and 14 to 34 women were killed by their husbands, 6 to 9 men killed by their women this year and last year respectively.

Others include 171 were rape cases of people above 18 years, 239 fighting cases, and 35 were suicide resulting from the violence.

Both public and private institutions including the Rwanda National Police, Rwanda Defense Forces, Prisons, and schools among others participated.

Previously Assistant Commissioner of Police Vianney Nshimiyimana said that Rwanda has reached at Zero Torrance on Gender Based Violence phase.

Nshimiyimana said however that Gender Based Violence related crimes have reduced and needs to be wiped out from families.

Some argument from public stressed that drugs and alcohol were the major causes of this brutality.

Odda Gasinzigwa the Chief Gender Monitor commended the Rwanda National Police for its increased fight against GBV noting that its due to such actions that GBV crimes has drastically reduced.
She however noted that more needs to be done by general public in the struggle as she stressed that “Intensifying this campaign, it needs us to come together, identify areas to tackle to manage or deal with the various cases of GBV, some of which are psychological,”

The violence includes physical, sexual, psychological and economic abuse, and it cuts across boundaries of age, race, culture, wealth and geography.
These take place in homes, on the streets, schools, workplace, in farm fields, refugee camps, during conflicts and crises.

These violations have many manifestations from the most universally prevalent forms of domestic and sexual violence, to harmful practices, abuse during pregnancy, so-called honour killings and other types of femicide.

British High Commissioner to Rwanda Benedict Llewellyn-Jones has hailed Rwanda’s steps towards unity and reconciliation noting the abolition of death penalty.

The envoy made the remarks in an exclusive interview with igihe.com as the world prepares to celebrate World Day against Death Penalty that is marked annually October 10.

This year’s celebration is the 9th World Day Against the Death Penalty of which Rwanda adopted on June 8, 2007.

“It was a brave step and showed the world that Rwanda could put behind the bloodshed of the genocide and would focus on justice instead that gave people a chance to be rehabilitated and reintegrated into society,” Llewellyn-Jones remarked.

“Rwanda, as a country that experienced human massacre and is recovering from the genocide, has through this gesture made a positive statement about the importance of life”.

“I can say that Rwanda has showed a good gesture that reconciliation is more important than punishment.” he added.

The British High Commissioner also suggested that other countries could learn from Rwanda’s approach to this penalty.

“Rwanda should be proud of having abolished the death penalty, having a positive statement about the importance of justice. The whole world should recognize how big a step this was for Rwanda.” He said.

Capital punishment in United Kingdom was in force from at least 1707 until the practice was abolished in the 20th century.

The last execution in the United Kingdom, by hanging, took place in 1964, prior to capital punishment being abolished for murder in 1969 in Great Britain and in 1973 in Northern Ireland.

Although not applied since that time, the death penalty remained on the statute book for certain other offences until 1998 when it was abolished completely in the UK.

The first World Day against the Death Penalty took place in 2003, and the event was launched by the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, which gathers international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), bar associations, unions and local governments from all over the world.

This year’s World Day will focus on the inhumanity of the death penalty as a cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment.

According to the British High Commissioner, the British government is supports Rwandan government in strengthening democracy, developmental projects towards confronting climate change, health, education and agriculture as well as other sectors.

He added that due to transparence, effective and accountable use aid British government decided to increase its funding to Rwanda.

Elsewhere

According to World Coalition Against Death Penalty website, the United Nations in Geneva will host a high level panel on the International jurisprudence regarding the death penalty and the prohibition of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment with experts from several UN and Regional human rights bodies.

Several events will be held in various nations to mark the day like San Juan, Puerto Rico, there will be book releases and conferences in universities and schools.

France is celebrating its 30th anniversary of abolition.

Hundreds of events will also be conducted in Taiwan, in Lebanon, as well as in Malaysia, Japan, Iraq, Morocco, Brazil or the USA.

In London, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister Jeremy Browne MP will be hosting an event including the speakers Professor Nigel Eastman, a consultant forensic psychiatrist and professor at the University of London, and Saul Lehrfreund, one of the co-founders and joint executive directors of The Death Penalty Project.

This year’s World Day Against Death Penalty focuses on the inhumanity of the death penalty as a cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and punishment.

The dreadful conditions on death row inflict extreme psychological suffering and execution is a physical and mental assault.

The most common forms of execution are beheading, electrocution, hanging, lethal injection, shooting and stoning.

There is also stoning which was considered particularly cruel or inhuman by the UN Human Rights Committee, and the lethal injection, sometimes referred to as the most humane method, has caused physical pain equivalent to cruel and inhumane treatment.

The inhumanity of death penalty goes beyond the person facing execution; it dehumanizes the rest of the society.

This World Day is the opportunity for abolitionists to work together all around the world, to help continue the trend towards abolition of the death penalty.

By 2010, 139 countries in the world had abolished the death penalty in law or in practice, and 23 of the 58 retentionist states still executed people.

On World Day, the World Coalition calls on all those which retain the death penalty to establish a moratorium on its use, with a view to abolishing this inhumane practice.

Created in Rome in 2002, the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty (WCADP) brings together 121 bar associations, trade unions, local governments and non-governmental organizations.

It aims at strengthening the international dimension of the fight against the death penalty and at contributing to put an end to death sentences and executions.

In 2003, The WCADP has established the World Day against the Death Penalty on 10 October. It is also officially the European Day against Death Penalty since 2007.

The Rwanda’s Minister of Finance and Economic Planning John Rwangombwa has said that Rwanda will attain 8.8% economy growth this year.

The Minister was presenting the country’s economic status in the RPF general assembly meeting held today presided over by the party chairman and the president of the republic of Rwanda Paul Kagame.

“Even though there is economic instability in the whole world, Rwanda’s economy remains stable and even her currency has not depreciated,” Rwangombwa said.

Minister Rwangombwa said the stability of Rwanda’s economy was due to the increase of Agricultural production.

He also said that Rwanda’s economy has also sustained low inflation by 7.5% as compared to other countries in the region where it has almost doubled.

Rwangombwa added that consequences of financial crisis in the developed countries affect developing countries due to the debts they have that make their population not unable to purchase goods from developing countries like Coffee and Tea among others.

According to the Minister the economy of the Sub-Saharan Africa increased by 5.5% in 2010 while world economy increased 4 percent.

In his speech, the party chairman Paul Kagame hailed party members, for having taken a front role in the development of the country.

Kagame also said that it was a time to assess what has not been achieved yet re-emphasizing his speech he gave his cabinet when the new prime minister was swearing in that Rwanda is the most scrutinized nation in the whole world.

President encouraged the party members however that being scrutinized by the world should not discourage them but else make them to work harder and achieve more than what have been achieved.

Rwandan government has warmly welcomed the Sri-Lankan intention to establish diplomatic ties between the two states.

Sri Lankan government spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said Friday October 7, 2011 in Colombo that the decision was taken by the Sri Lankan cabinet meeting this week.

“Rwanda has been expanding its diplomatic reach, especially in Central-West Africa and Asia, therefore the announcement by the Sri-Lankan Authority is a welcome development,” Louise Mushikiwabo Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs has said.

Mushikiwabo however has said that; “We await the usual official paperwork requesting the opening of a diplomatic mission.”

According to China’s online paper Xinhua, the Sri-Lankan spokesman said that his External Affairs Minister G.L Peiris had put forward the proposal that Sri Lanka and Rwanda should establish diplomatic ties.

“Sri Lanka has shared strong ties with many African Nations in the past and it continues to enjoy close ties with these nations,” the Sri Lankan External Affairs reportedly said.

Sri Lanka is reportedly said to currently have diplomatic ties with 32 African countries.

In related development, Sri Lanka is reportedly hopes to establish diplomatic relations with the Republic of South Sudan.

South Sudan is a new African state formed and got her independence from the Northern Sudan in July this year, later accepted by United Nations as a state also accepted by African Union.

The lower chamber of parliament has examined the law establishing the meteorology of Rwanda and Civil Aviation security and a waits to be published in the official gazette.

Speaking to igihe.com Augustine Habimana the Director of communication at parliament said that the two bills have been adopted and will be published in the official gazette soon to be in force.

“The two laws that have been passed will assist in proper functioning of these two government agencies,” Habimana said.

Meteorology law establishes meteorology agency of Rwanda and determine its mission, organization and functions in the country.

The law shall establish the Meteorology Agency of Rwanda referred to METEO RWANDA by abbreviation.

METEO RWANDA shall have legal personality, administrative and financial autonomy and shall be managed in accordance with general provisions governing public institutions.

The weather and climate agency is supposed to implement government’s policy in meteorology using modern technology, research and development itself.

While Civil Aviation security law, shall determine the modalities of regulating the Civil Aviation Security. It is aimed at preventing acts jeopardizing safety of civil aviation by providing security protection.

Security protection will extended to aircrafts used for civil aviation, persons and goods on board a civilian aircraft, airports, persons and goods at airports, air navigation installations which are not at the airports.

It will also monitor and inspect the conduct of persons at airports and on board of aircraft in order to assure aviation security.

The law gives powers and responsibilities to govern and maintain security of all activities of private jets, passengers and their luggage.

This comes following a meeting of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), with King Fiscal Hospital, Rwandair and regional air carriers to help formulate emergency procedures in case of accidents.

Rwanda’s Civil Aviation Authority is in plans to improve the country’s preparedness in cases of emergency at the airports to avert such scenarios that happened in the past.

The upgrade of the emergency response also follows a plane that crashed at Kigali International Airport November 2009 causing panic when a speeding ambulance carrying casualties overturned off the road barely a kilometer from the airport.

A mult-million business complex worth Rwf 1.5bn has opened its doors in Huye town the former Butare District a home of the first University in Rwanda.

Every business activities that have been carried on in the old District market are being shifted to the new business complex named Huye City Complex.

A complex which is owned by Ingenzi cooperative an initiative of Huye business men, houses businesses ventures like banks, mobile service centers, insurance company offices, supermarkets and whole sale shops .

The complex designed to meet the required standards, has what it needs for a modern market with the capacity to accommodate at least 3000 businesses.

“Our customers’ security has been enhanced since we moved to this new complex. In addition to that our merchandise is more secure against robbery, rains and sunburns,”

The businessmen however have claimed the complex has become too expensive compared to the old market.

“A plot (Ikibanza) in this new complex is expensive for most of us. A small plot costs Rwf 10000-15000 compared to our old market where the same size of the plot was Rwf 7000. These high prices are leading us to losses yet we didn’t increase the commodity prices,” Mukamugyema Mutimura a meat seller complained.

“And also customers consistence has reduced because most of them have resorted to other markets in the communities like Rango market fearing the standard of the complex thinking commodities are expensive,” Mutimura added.

Vicent Semuhungu the chairman of Igenizi cooperative said the expensive plots divided in the complex is due to the servicing of the loan that facilitated in building the complex but added that after servicing the loan, rent charges will be reduced.

This four-month old complex was officially inaugurated by President Paul Kagame last May.