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According to information from the Nile Basin Discourse Forum (NBDF), a total of 3,225 households located in 111 villages are likely to face eviction during the construction of the regional Rusumo Hydro power project.

The recommendation was made during an open discussion with the NBDF members upon the report made by the forum’s Consultant Rugumire Makuza who conducted a ground survey at the area in a period of 8 days.

According to Makuza’s report 1,125 hectares of agricultural land and Wetland buffer for food security among others will be lost.

During presentation of the report, Makuza also raised the major challenges upon the project implementers as lack of access to information by Stakeholders and Inability to process information even where it is available.

“Some people I talked to are not aware about the move yet citizens should be involved in the project implementation and therefore, a robust communication mechanism is required.” Makuza said while presenting the findings of his study.

Makuza also added that there is need to include other stakeholders at government, and grass root level in decision making processes of the project.

On the environmental part, Makuza said that will reduce the use of fuel wood pretends deforestation, and that also the application of the renewable energy promotes climate protection.

The forum in this regard plays a key role in ensuring that the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI) programs and policies are well designed and properly implemented in Rwanda for sustainability of the community.

NBDF Rwanda also among other objectives to link the grass root level, and has the capacity to raise awareness on various issues at the community level, and ensures ownership by explaining.

Among other comments raised during the meeting by the NBDF members is the issue of planning for the resettlement of citizens that will be evicted.

The study among others looked at how much additional electricity will the project generate, implementation process & involvement of stakeholders, progress to date, likely negative effects of the project at the community level, mitigation, and compensation of the population and resettlement, benefit sharing mechanisms from the project, and critical elements of community contribution to the Rusumo project etc.

The report will include the comments added during the presentation, and compiled together with other stakeholders’ report from Tanzania and Burundi to come up with one report to be tabled in the infrastructure Ministers from the member countries late this year.

Rusumo hydro power project is expected to increase hydro power production by 90 MW in three countries including Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania.

At least fifty upcoming micro-entrepreneurs have completed a three-month Micro-Entrepreneurship Training program (MET).

This has been in an effort to equip participants with innovation, finance, savings and credits, cooperative creation and networking.

The training has been sponsored by education Catalysts (Educat) a Danish based NGO maximizing output for partners and stakeholders working towards a paradigm change in developing world. Educat emphasizes the importance in economic development in order to eradicate poverty.

The NGOs vision is to enable change makers to create significant positive change for themselves, in their community and globally.

In Rwanda, Educat provides training in entrepreneurship and leadership to assist micro-entrepreneurs in building-up their businesses.

It also provide training and coaching to SMEs and larger companies and train trainers and pursue an ambition of making a one-year entrepreneurial course for higher education.

Andreas Norlem Christensen(above), the NGO’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) says that the trained micro-entrepreneurs have been equipped to expand their businesses, on the role of getting registered in the formal private sector, and get access to saving & credit services.

Norlem also adds that in the long run, the program help secure the livelihood of both the entrepreneurs and their dependants

“These trainings are also expected to benefit all micro-entrepreneurs across Rwanda, a group consisting of
90 % of the working force,” he remarked.

Additionally the training also connects the participant to Micro Finance Institutions and helps them apply for loans.

“The MET program helps micro-entrepreneurs step inside the established business and get registered. This helps the national economy since micro businesses tend to not pay taxes and VAT. It is the tax money that helps society progress” said Norlem.

“I have learnt customer care from MET. Now I know how to approach and retain customers. I have moved from a small place to a bigger one and I am doing better for myself as my business keeps growing.” Said Liziki Mutoni a fruits seller.

Her colleague Sharon Umurerwa was quick to point out that she is yet to open an account with Urwego Opportunity banking.

“The aim is to deposit money frequently to show them that my business is doing fine, this in return would boost my chances of acquiring a loan to expand my business,” she remarked.

The Micro Enterprise Training Program is currently being implemented in collaboration between YES Rwanda and Educat. The program is designed to meet the needs of young entrepreneurs working in the information sector.

Students at the National University of Rwanda this month are scrambling at their respective faculty departments to beat the 20th October deadline for submission of their dissertations.

Igihe.com went to the university and obtained comments from several students.They are accusing the University authorities for not availing them with enough time to complete their dissertations.

Students claim that it all begun by the change of the academic calendar that intends to begin on 31st October.

“We are here today in large numbers to submit our dissertations so that we are not fined or disqualified from the presumed graduation scheduled December this year.

“Most of us haven’t had time to go home yet the rest of the students are in holidays for their annual vacation. We are tired but anyway glad that we are almost done with this phase of our academics.” one student who did not want to publish his name said.

Students are dissatisfied by the university’s administration arguing that much needs to be done in order to prevent such irritatiing situations.

They blamed the University for not providing necessary facilities required in their writing of dissertations as the rest of the previous years. “We were not given the Rwf 100, 000 during the development of our project.” another anonymous student complained.

This cost us too much given the high prices of commodities. “I conducted my study in Musanze District, Northern Province. I had to spend on transport and food too much money which wasn’t easy for me. I was left financially drained to the extent that I don’t have any money to print my final draft,” Agronomist student only identified as Musafiri narrated.

At the faculty of Arts, Media and Social Science (FAMSS) students told igihe.com that the delay was brought due to some directors who are hard to find especially during holidays. “My director is in Kigali and I have to commute by bus to meet him.” another sociology finalist student identified as Musoni told igihe.com at the University.

“Even though I have relatives in Kigali, I can’t stay there because I use the library so much and want access to free internet here unlike Kigali where i have to pay for it. It is expensive for me to travel back and forth at Frw2600,”Musoni added.

In a telephone interview with Prof. Rama B. Rao Faculty dean of Economics and Management, he refuted students claims, “I have received such arguments from my students but they were given enough time to prepare for their dissertations. They started preparing their dissertations in the first semester.”

Asked on the deadline for submission Prof. Rama told igihe.com, “the deadline students are talking about is false because we haven’t yet fixed it however, it’s on the agenda for today’s meeting.”

The dean however reminded students to always take dissertations seriously as any other course noting that academic rules will apply to any student who will not give the required gravity to dissertations.

The Newly appointed Prime Minister Pierre Damien Habumuremyi has taken his oath of his new office and imidiately named the cabinet.

His new cabinet named constitute 22 Minister and three others still missing including Minister of Education where he has been.

according to the Article 123 of the constitution, before assuming office, the Prime Minister, Ministers, Ministers of State and other members of Cabinet shall take oath before the President of the Republic, Parliament and the Supreme Court.

The swearing-in which was presided over by president Paul Kagame also saw other ministers named re-swearing-in.

President Kagame reminded the cabinet of working in unity and argued them to work harder and identify themselves with their own values other other defining values for them.

Habumuremyi replaced Bernard Makuza who has been also appointed by the president as senate along with other three.

The other three nominated senators include Jean Damascène Ntawukuriryayo the deputy speaker of lower chamber of parliament, Tito Rutaremara the Rwanda’s Ombudsman, and Penelope Kantarama the former western province governor now Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Internal security.

Pierre Damien Habumuremyi was appointed the Minister of Education replacing Charles Murigande, who has been commissioned to Japan as Ambassador in the recent reshuffle.

Bernard Makuza born in 1961 has been the Prime Minister of Rwanda since March 2000.

He was appointed Prime Minister following the resignation of Pierre Célestin Rwigema, who had been strongly criticized in the Rwandan press and by some parliamentarians.

Makuza was the Rwandan Ambassador to Burundi and then to Germany before being appointed as Prime Minister.

The Kenyan based giant store Nakumatt has opened a second branch worth U.S$2.5B in Kigali City Tower.

The supermarket that started operating on a nearly 4,000 square meters in the tower’s two levels, has got the variety of local and international brands provided employment opportunities to over 120 people with the majority being Rwandans.

Speaking to the company’s country manager, Adan Ramata recommended the rapid growth of the Rwandan economy that has attracted them to invest more in the country.

“We are proud to be associated with Rwanda because of the rapid growth and the development of infrastructure and security that provide stability in the country’s investment climate.”

Ramata also appreciated the support from both government of Rwanda, loyal customers, suppliers and partners among others who made the success of the opening of the second supermarket in Kigali.

The company targets to open other two supermarkets in Kigali in the next 3 years. It now owns 34 branches in East African Countries.

Rwandan, Nigerian presidents have said that all African heads of state jointly seek solution to the devastated Somalia, the horn of Africa.

The two heads of states were responding to the questions poised to them by the press in a joint press conference held at Rwandan president’s office Village Urugwiro.

“We have to come together and work together, and I think the most important thing is to keep focused on the real issues that matter to the lives of our people, our countries and our continent, there are people who single out small things that really doesn’t help,” Kagame said in a joint press briefing.

“We actually discussed all these issues that affect our countries and our continent, For example we’ve worked very closely with Nigeria on the question of Durfur, we’ve been looking at ways of coming and putting our resources together to see what we can do in Somalia or different other places,” Kagame explained.

In a more elaborated explanation, Kagame said, “It is not just about peace support operations, its about diplomacy, its about different political efforts that we can mobilize working together to see how to solve those issues, naturally those were the points of discussions as we said it is not just bilateral issues that we talked about, when we have problems in Nigeria or have problems in Rwanda it has a way of affecting in other country this is the context in which we had these discussions,”

Kagame was lauded his counterpart Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan that definitely they had to discuss the horn of Africa and other challenges affecting Africa as a continent.

The Nigerian head of state said that he was heading to Ethiopia and then to Ghana where similar discussions will be on their agenda.

When asked what Nigeria can benefit from Rwanda yet his country seems to be more developed than Rwanda, Dr Goodluck said that every country has an area it excels than her neighbor.

Goodluck pointed out that Rwanda has excelled in the areas of public health which Nigeria can learn from and areas of suppressing and resolving conflicts giving an example of Rwanda’s tremendous development post 1994 Genocide.

In an effort to farther the bilateral relationships, Goodluck said that soon a Nigerian embassy will be opened in Rwanda to ease Nigerian Visa applications to those who need to travel to his country.

The two countries also signed bilateral pact to strengthen the ongoing cooperation. Rwanda opened her embassy in Nigeria recently followed by commissioning Joseph Habineza the former Sports and Culture Minister as the first ambassador to Nigeria.

A Nigerian owned aircraft taxi company, Paragon Aircraft Corp. has committed itself to expand its services to Rwanda saying it’s the first country in the region that may fit its market demand due to stability investment climate.

It is intended to meet Rwanda’s business, luxuries, and government travel needs within the country.

The company’s director Olusola Segun told igihe.com, about the the investment plan during the investors’ breakfast for the Nigerian business fraternity held at Kigali Serena Hotel and organized by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB).

The Nigerian billionaire recommended the Rwanda’s stability in doing business. “I have witnessed the first place in EAC that has attracting business investments.”

Olusola added that he is going to have a one year time to make a clear plan and to access possible ways of investing his business in the country.

President of Republic of Rwanda Paul Kagame has accepted the invitation extended to him by his counterpart Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

This has been announced by the Rwanda’s foreign minister Louis Mushikiwabo in a joint communiqué at the joint press conference of the two heads of state that has just concluded at Village Urugwiro.

As she read the communiqué, Mushikiwabo said that the details of Kagame’s visit to Nigeria will be communicated through the normal diplomatic channels but said it will be done soon.

According to the communiqué, the purpose of the Nigeria’s president visit was to strengthen what Mushikiwabo termed as excellent bilateral relations between the two countries in the spirit of African solidarity and joint commitment to enhance peace, security and the development of the continent.

The visit also facilitated the two heads of state the opportunity to exchange the ideas on a wide range of bilateral issues as well as strategies for promoting common positions in continental and international fora.

The two heads of the states agreed on bilateral cooperation and renewed their commitment to enhance cooperation through bilateral meetings and reciprocal visits

They also agreed to consolidate the democratic processes in the African countries, promote peace, stability and development on the continent.

Mushikiwabo also said that the two heads of state agreed to exchange programs and share experiences on the development, technology, and insure social –economic transformation on the key parts of the two sister states in areas like infrastructure, energy, ICT, education and health.