President Paul Kagame & Jeannette Kagame – The First Couple Of Rwanda

President Paul Kagame, at an RPF rally President Paul Kagame President Kagame was born on October 1957 in the Gitarama Prefecture. His parents Deogratius and Austeria Rutagambwa hail from Central Rwanda. However the massacre of the 1960s forced the family to leave Rwanda and become a refugee in Uganda. It is here that President Paul Kagamecompleted his primary and secondary education. He was a founding member of the Ugandan National Liberation Army along with Yoweri Kaguta Musuveni (President of Uganda) that successfully overthrew the tyrannous and treacherous rule of Idi Amin. From 1980 to 1990, President Kagame served as an officer in the UNLA. In 1990, President Paul Kagame graduated from a Staff...

Read more »

MPs endorse National Itorero Commission

GRADUATES OF ITORERO: Legislators have passed the bill establishing the National Itorero Commission. The New Times/File. PARLIAMENT on Wednesday passed a bill establishing the National Itorero Commission (NIC), a platform for educating and training Rwandans on shared values and taboos in coexistence and contribution to national development.Previously, Itorero, which was launched in 2008, was a task force that operated under the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission.According to the bill, the Commission shall have an overall mission of mobilising and sensitising Rwandans on cultural values and taboos.Its responsibilities will also include educating and training Rwandans to make them espouse a culture of volunteerism by serving the...

Read more »

Youth sign performance contracts

The youth at Connekt Convention at Petit Stade on Wednesday. The New Times/John Mbanda. FOLLOWING the conclusion of the inaugural National Youth Convention held on Wednesday, the youth signed performance contracts for the year 2012-2013 as their roadmap towards fast-tracking national development.The contracts signed include establishment of an exemplary cooperative at each cell around the country and creation and submission of 3,000 projects to the financial institutions to be supported by Business Development Fund (BDF).Other commitments included supporting one young person to initiate a business at the village level (providing start-up/seed capital), fighting against drugs and laziness among the youth and encouraging them in terms of ownership...

Read more »

First Lady urges Green Hills’ old students to be exemplary

It was an opportunity for the former students to network. The New Times/Courtesy. THE First Lady, Jeannette Kagame, on Wednesday evening called upon old students of Green Hills Academy to lead by example.While speaking during the launch of the Green Hills Academy alumni association, she urged the former students to always set good example for their young ones to follow.She expressed gratitude towards the responsible individuals the former students have turned out to be.“We are very proud of who you have become. You are not only legends but our future is in your hands. With this attitude, you will lead this country,” she said.Mrs. Kagame further pledged to facilitate the alumni association while working together with the other board members...

Read more »

Resist western injustice – Kagame

L-R: President Kagame (C), with Senate president Dr Jean Damascène Ntawukuliryayo (L), Speaker Rose Mukantabana (2nd R) and Premier Habumuremyi at the 10th Umushyikirano at the Parliamentary Buildings yesterday. The New Times/Village Urugwiro. PRESIDENT Paul Kagame yesterday called on Rwandans and Africans in general to continually fight against western injustices. A cross section of participants at the Umushyikirano at the Parliamentary Buildings yesterday. The New Times/Village Urugwiro. He was opening the 10th annual National Dialogue (Umushyikirano) at the Parliamentary Buildings in Kimihurura, which attracted participants from within and outside the country, including senior officials, local government leaders, members of...

Read more »

City moves to ease construction permit issuance

KIGALI City is finalising plans to make construction permit application and issuance done online in a project scheduled to be piloted next month.This was revealed during the mini launch of the construction permit management information system (MIS) platform on Wednesday at Kigali. The platform is currently being developed in collaboration with the World Bank’s lending arm, International Finance Corporation (IFC).The project Director Dr Donna Rubinoff said the project’s objective is to improve the doing business climate by making construction permits processed in a short period of time and to improve customer service.Through the system, the entire process will be online including applying for construction permits, payment and issuing of permits. Thomas Juma, the webmaster and software...

Read more »

Health professionals’ council in the pipeline

THE Chamber of Deputies on Tuesday passed a draft law establishing the Rwanda Allied Health Professions’ Council, after approving the report and work done by the Standing Committee on Social Affairs. Many of these professionals operate without proper regulation. There has been no organ to regulate them During an extraordinary session, MP Esperance Mwiza, the chairperson of the committee, reminded the House that apart from providing a necessary regulatory framework, the law is among instruments that will facilitate King Faisal Hospital-Kigali to undergo a second accreditation phase early next year.The new assessment will be conducted by the Council for Health Service Accreditation of Southern Africa (COHSASA), a South African-based NGO that helps healthcare facilities on the continent...

Read more »

Local engineers lack professional body

An instructor at the Integrated Polytechnic Regional Centre (IPRC) Kicukiro. Local engineers have decided to set up a legal professional body. The New Times/File. LACK of a legally-binding professional body has been cited as the reason why local engineers missed out on the regional mutual recognition agreement signed between the East African Community countries of Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.The agreement, which left out Rwanda and Burundi for lack of ‘professional conformity, seeks to help regional engineers by facilitating them to freely move and operate from any of the countries that signed the deal.If Rwanda signs the agreement it means that local engineers will be allowed to explore the regional market and engineers from the...

Read more »

DRC gov’t, M23 in closed door talks

PRELIMINARY negotiations between the DRC government and M23 rebels continued yesterday in closed sessions in Kampala, Uganda, with the facilitator and both sides consulting on the agenda of the talks. Lt Col. Paddy Ankunda, Deputy Spokesman, Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF), said the two sides have for the last two days been deliberating on the rules of procedure and agenda of the talks.“We hope that by the end of today (yesterday) this phase will be concluded and then meet tomorrow for the plenary that will endorse both items,” Ankunda said. The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) facilitator, Dr Crispus Kiyonga, Uganda’s Minister of Defence, mediated the sessions.Both the Kinshasa and the M23 delegations have for the last few days treaded accusations,...

Read more »

Ivan Kagame, the First Son who prefers to do his laundry

Scroll through media and the stories you will find about children of presidents involve mainly scandals. Some First Children are taken up by substance abuse and other anti-social vices. In the case of Ivan Kagame and his siblings, the story reads differently. For them, you will hear and read or watch them interviewed about what they are doing, expectations. As the first born, Cyomoro finds himself in a very unusual position; the siblings look up to him for guidance. He is particularly very close to Ange Kagame, the second born. Publicly in Rwanda, Ivan Cyomoro Kagame is known as this handsome, slander and humble looking young man! Without a conversation, you could underestimate him as being short of words. But make no mistake; you will...

Read more »

Posted in: Ivan Cyomoro Kagame,Ivan Kagame,Kagames son

Rwanda : Questions Arise Over MTN Expert In Kayumba Nyamwasa Shooting Case

A technical expert from MTN South Africa brought by state prosecutors in the assassination case of Kayumba Nyamwasa has been found to be questionable after it emerged today in court that much of her testimony may have been fabricated. The witness is Ms. Hilda Du Plessis, a Data Analyst with MTN Group. Since it is alleged that the six suspects who tried to kill Kayumba had used phones to communicate, the witness was brought in to analyse the data on the phones obtained from the suspects. It is that evidence that she provided to the Jeppestown magistrate court in Johannesburg in the previous sessions presided over by Magistrate Stanley Mkhari. However, when the court resumed today (November 30), and it was time for the defence attorneys...

Read more »

Rwanda | Gicumbi: Local Leaders Rise To Fight Illiteracy Among Adults

  An old man writing on the black board as the rest of the class looks on The vice mayor for social affairs in Gicumbi district, Therese Mujawamariya has remarked that fighting illiteracy is opening the gates to residents’ sustainable development. Mujawamariya revealed this on November 28th 2012 during the meeting to devise modern techniques in teaching the elderly how to read, write and count. Julienne Uwamahoro in charge of education explains that adult education in this area has not been done in a disorganized manner without supervision to know which level this group or that has reached. Uwamahoro highlights that general supervision of teaching guides will ensure improved teaching system. “General supervision will...

Read more »

USAID impressed with Rwanda’s progress on fighting HIV

The Director of the Office of East African Affairs at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Susan Fine, has said that Rwanda has made tremendous progress in fighting HIV/Aids and USAID is proud to partner with Rwanda in these efforts. “It is exciting to witness Rwanda’s impressive progress in the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, and I want to encourage us all – the Government of Rwanda, NGOs, health professionals, communities, and individuals – to renew our efforts this World AIDS Day to preventing the spread of HIV and caring for those living with HIV/AIDS in our communities” Fine remarked. Fine made the remarks during her visit to Rwanda, this December 1, 2012, on World AIDS Day. During her visit, Fine...

Read more »

Rwanda | Ngoma: Leaders vow to increase health insurance

Different cell leaders and health insurance officials have agreed that health insurance coverage in Ngoma district must be 100 percent by the end of 2012.  This was resolved on November 26th 2012 at district headquarters during the meeting of health officials and cell leaders with providence Kirenga, the vice mayor for social affairs in Ngoma district. The purpose of the meeting was to devise new measures of sensitizing residents to embrace the health insurance program and ensure security within the area. The vice-mayor asserted that apart from it being a must for every Rwandan to have mutuelle de santé, every resident should just sit comfortably without health insurance. “Though we have always been concerned with raising the coverage to 91 percent, it is has to change because...

Read more »

Rwanda | Ngoma: Residents urged to prevent malaria outbreak

The director of Ngoma Hospital, Dr William Namanya has asked residents to prevent themselves from malaria, which is on the raise according to the medical reports from different health posts in this place.  This follows after laboratory tests revealed that 13000 people in Ngoma district have suffered from malaria in the past 10 months.  Dr. Namanya explains that this is a big number of people saying measures should be taken to sensitize residents on sleeping under mosquito nets to prevent malaria.  Talking on why malaria is on increase, Dr William asserts: “Residents relax and forget all about preventive measures when there is no malaria. Some people have mosquito nets but are keeping them.” The most malaria affected people are the residents in sectors that neighbor swamps...

Read more »