Nile waters row: Lawmakers say Egypt is selfish

Egypt says Ethiopia’s move to divert the flow of the Blue Nile river to construct a giant dam is a potential disruption of its national security. Net photo Parliament endorsed the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA), which will  enable the establishment of the Nile Basin Commission. The Commission was initiated by the Nile Basin Initiative. Over 20 members of Parliament this week criticised  on Egypt for what they deem as unfair and unreasonable self-centeredness when it comes to sharing waters of the River Nile. This was on Tuesday as the Chamber of Deputies debated and unanimously endorsed the Bill authorising the ratification of the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) of the Nile basin member states (riparian states)...

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SFB graduates over 500

Some of the graduates during the ceremony yesterday. Saturday Times/ Timothy Kisambira. The School of Finance and Banking (SFB) yesterday held its 8th graduation ceremony in which 563 students were awarded Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Procurement and Business Administration. Speaking at the occasion, the Director of Quality Assurance  in the Ministry of Education, Abdallah Baguma urged the graduates to be good ambassadors of the institution and higher education as a whole, by exhibiting professionalism. “This is the time to fully utilise the knowledge you have acquired to bring about transformation because what you have acquired from is key to success,” he said. He challenged the new graduates to perform their duties with competence...

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Integrated Polytechnic Centre launched in Southern Province

A plumbing students demonstrate what he has learnt as ministers Biruta and Kabarebe look on. Saturday Times/ Jean Pierre Bucyensenge The government will continue to promote technical and vocational training over classic  education in order to accelerate development, the minster for Education has said. Dr Vincent Biruta said the move will ‘promote technical skills for sustainable development’ in a country which aspires to become a middle-income economy by 2020. He was speaking on Thursday during the launch the Integrated Polytechnic Regional Centre in the Southern Province (IPRC-South). The college, which offers technical and vocational courses, is part of a wider plan to set up at least a modern IPRC in every province. Biruta said...

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Mrs. Kagame attends UNAIDS & Lancet Commision Meeting

The UNAIDS and LANCET commission was launched in May 2013 to draw lessons from the AIDS experience and find ways to move to sustainable health. The resources available for HIV/AIDS can and should be used to build stronger and more sustainable health systems. President Joyce Banda of Malawi is co-chair of the commission and invited the First Lady, Mrs. Jeannette Kagame to be one of the high-level commissioners. Mrs Kagame delivered remarks at the opening session of the 2day meeting and shared the Rwandan experience with AIDS and how we have built our health systems with innovative approaches such as community health workers. Alongside President Joyce Banda, the commission is co-chaired by Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, and Peter Piot. There are...

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Gen. Gapfizi laid to rest

Family members including mourners top government officials, as well as former colleagues in the army, some foreign countries such as Uganda, Burundi, and envoys sent by the United States gathered at Kanombe Military Cemetery in Kigali, on June 28, 2013 to bid their last goodbyes to Late Brig. Gen. Dan Gapfizi. They attended the requiem mass held for the late Brig.Gen. Dan Gapfizi at New Life church Gen. Gapfizi 54, died in a fatal automobile accident on June 26, 2013 while driving in Kagitumba-Kayonza road nearing Kizirakombe Eastern Province. One on looker, who described the accident as the worst he had ever seen, saying that the General’s Land Cruiser vehicle first hit the pedestrian and then the cyclist before veering off the...

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Rwandan Returnees Continue To Arrive From DRC As Cessation Clause Nears

Hundreds of Rwandan refugees returning from many countries are adding to thousands of others who have already been reunited with their families in a joint effort between the government of Rwanda and United Nations Refugee Agency. According to the Rwanda’s Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs (MIDIMAR), about 170 Rwandans returned home from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) yesterday through Rubavu boarder and were received at Nkamira Transit centre in Rubavu. Meanwhile, the ministry confirms that the Rubavu boarder is busy almost every day due to the positive response of many Rwandan refugees from DRC amid the ticking hour to close the cessation clause. Rwanda’s Minister for Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs...

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Climate change fund gets Rwf22bn boost

Amb. Gatete and DFID’s Hammond exchange documents after the signing ceremony yesterday.  Government has earmarked Rwf 1.6 billion of domestic resources to kick-start the fund.The United Kingdom has donated more than Rwf22 billion to Fonds National de l’Environnement (FONERWA) a fund created recently to deal with climate change and environmental degradation.The two-year  £22.5 million non-budget support aid to help Rwanda fund its activities to deal with climate change was signed yesterday by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID).FONERWA is a new initiative that the Rwandan government has set up to support environment protection and deal with climate change issues...

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RwandAir acquires new aircraft

The 737-700 NG brand new Aircraft will replace the second Boeing 737-500 which has been serving for about 20 years  RwandAir has added another brand new aircraft to its fleet.A second dry leased Boeing 737-700 NG brand new Aircraft from Germany landed at Kigali International Airport 3:05pm local time yesterday.The aircraft will replace the second Boeing 737-500 which has served for about 20 years, according to John Mirenge, CEO RwandAir.“The arrival of this aircraft means that our fleet is now standing at two owned Boeing 737 – 800NG, two owned CRJ900NG, two dry leased Boeing 737-700NG and one wet leased DASH8,” Mirenge noted.He added that the aircraft will help consolidate the newly launched flight routes in Africa but also enable...

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Gatsibo District eradicating corruption

Gatsibo district with the help of the district’s advisory board are laying strategies to prevent injustice committed to the people as well as prevent and eradicate corruption to create a just and corrupt free district. Sign posts against corruption are positions in many areas Isaie Habarurema the vice mayor for finance and economic development says this will be possible since the members of the Advisory board are from different authoritative levels in the district. The board member will work together with the district to fight corruption and ensure a just district and everyone including local people will have to play their role in ensuring this goal. Habarurema says Gatsibo has no corruption cases but will make sure it doesn’t develop...

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Musanze: Caritas supports former street children

Parents are being blamed for not loving much their children and not giving them the much desired attention and affection prompting children to rush to the streets where their lives are at risk. This was discussed on this Tuesday the 25th.June.2013 when former street kids in Musanze town completed technical skills course by CARITAS association in Ruhengeri Diocese. Most of these former street children say the main reason they moved to the streets from their homes were family problems including orphanage, lack of affection form family members, mistreatment and poverty. Jacqueline Mukayuhi a former street child in Musanze town says she lost her parents when she was young and could not get affection and care from her family members and...

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Rwanda focuses on eliminating Poverty

The Kigali Master plan: Economic growth in Rwanda is pointing to sustainable outcomes such as these The Fourth Edition of the Rwanda Economic Update shows that swift and positive actions taken by the Government have successfully steered Rwanda towards a steady growth and positive outlook. The report says that Rwanda’s economy has grown by a robust 8 percent in 2012, thus continuing a decade-long period of strong economic growth. The growth has made Rwanda to claim for the third year in a row the title of the fastest growing economy in the EAC. The report says that the strong growth in 2012 is attributed to a resilient private sector performance especially in the services sector with trade, telecommunication and transport generating about...

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