Burundi transfers pension contribution for Rwandans

The Burundian government has finally transferred more than Brf111 million (about Rwf48 million) in contributions by Rwandans who worked in the country’s public service before the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.The shares were transferred through the National Bank of Rwanda; a dummy cheque was presented to Rwandan government officials on Wednesday by Anicet Niyongabo, the director of Cabinet in the Office of the Burundian First Vice-Presidency.This was during the meeting of the joint permanent commission comprising senior officials from the ministries of public service and foreign affairs from the two countries.Also participating in the meeting are heads of the social security boards of the two countries and among the attributes of the permanent...

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The youth, new technology and Africa’s transformation

While addressing participants at the just concluded Transform Africa 2014 Summit in Kigali, this week, the Secretary-General of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Dr Hamadoun Touré, disclosed a new fond name world technology enthusiasts have bestowed on the host–President Paul Kagame.At the ITU, he said, Kagame is referred to as the ‘Digital President.’Considering how technology development is being prioritised in the country, in addition to being an ardent user of the latest technology and all that comes with it, the Digital President reference is definitely apt.The Transform Africa Summit 2013, which sought to push for a major ICT revolution across the continent, attracted more than 1,500 delegates, and was graced by seven...

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One-Laptop-Per-Child director wants teachers included in the project

The Chief Executive of One-Laptop-per-Child, Rodrigo Arboleda, has announced intentions to partner with Rwanda on a long-term project that would benefit both teachers and pupils.Arboleda disclosed this yesterday after meeting with President Paul Kagame at Village Urigwiro, where the two took stock of the just concluded Transform Africa Summit and the progress of the One-Laptop-per-Child project in Rwanda.“The programme should be labelled One-Laptop-Per-Child-and-Teacher because the first person that should have these laptops is the teacher, otherwise they can’t pass on the elements… it’s a complete eco-system of learning that we should set up,” he said.The government launched in September 2008, the One-Laptop-per-Child  programme targeting...

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Kigali summit adopts Smart Africa Manifesto

African countries have adopted a manifesto that seeks to ensure leaders place information and communication technology at the chore of national socio-economic development agenda.The Smart Africa Manifesto, adopted at the closure of the four-day Transform Africa 2013 Summit in Kigali, yesterday, is expected to transform Africa using the power of ICT.It places ICT at the chore of socio-economic development, enhancing capacity to develop ICTs, improving accountability and transparency, putting private sector at the engine of economic transformation, and promoting cost-effective technology.Closing the meeting, Prime Minister Pierre Damien Habumuremyi called for more commitments toward projects that will transform the continent.He said the conference...

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BK shares boost RSE bourse

 Today on RSE, the market recorded 115,900 BoK shares valued at Rwf 22, 253,100 in three deals compared to the previous trading session which recorded 7,400 BoK shares and 4,500 Bralirwa shares that were valued at Rwf 5, 070,600 in ten deals.The RSE share index (RSI) went up 0.26 points to close at 218.19 and mainly pushed by the rising BoK share price which closed at Rwf 195. The BoK counter traded at a high of Rwf 195 and low of Rwf 192 before closing at RwF 195, increasing by Rwf 1 from yesterday’s closing price whereas Bralirwa counter was quiet with no shares recorded.KCB shares last transacted at Rwf 175 while NMG and Uchumi Supermarket shares last transacted at Rwf 1,200 and Rwf 175 respectively.At the end of formal trading hours,...

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I am uncomfortable to reveal my girlfriend – Jules Sentore

Singer SentoreAt a Question and Answer session, Jules Sentore sarcastically said that he felt totally uncomfortable revealing the name of his love, saying that he does not need much media attention.He however revealed that “She gives me that shiver down my spine…”Meanwhile preparations are underway for his mega album launch titled Udatsikira at Kigali Serena Hotel on October 27, 2013.Speaking to the media, Sentore invited his fans to come expecting big things. He said, “I have been working hard on this project and it will be one of my biggest projects in my music career. It’s challenging nowadays because there is a lot of competition.”During this live concert, all Gakondo Group artists shall be present, plus legendary musicians like Makanyaga...

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Huye awards hardworking Rural Women

The exemplary local women who have worked for their development from 14 sectors of Huye District have been awarded for their exemplary work.The awarding activity was happened during the celebrations of the International Rural Women Day on Saturday October 26, 2013.The International Rural Woman Day was celebrated in Maraba sector. The day is usually celebrated on the on October 15 annually worldwide, but Rwanda postponed the celebrations to coincide with the local Community Work (Umuganda) on Saturday.14 women representing the 14 sectors of Huye District were awarded with mattresses by Care International.Vestine Munganyinka a resident of Maraba sector who has participated in many projects of development than all local women in her locality in...

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Rwandan Hehe Ltd scoops Transform Africa honors

President Kagame answering questions at the Youth event last evening (Photo: PPU)Hehe IT solutions a local Rwandan firm was among the top five young African entrepreneurs recognized at the Transform Africa Awards for developing socially transforming IT solutions.Hehe Ltd, founded by Clarisse Iribagiza, one of the most successful Rwandan women, emerged the best receiving US$7500 (Rwf4.8 million) cash prize for a tech startup that is changing society. Other four firms from Kenya (two), Ghana and South Africa were also awarded respectively.Clarisse Iribagiza is among the most successful of her peers, considering her accomplishments in the last three years spent in the industry.The award ceremony was presided over by President Paul Kagame, who...

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Financial institutions commended for contributing to rural women development

Odda Gasinzigwa the Minister of gender and family promotion (MIGEPROF)The ministry of gender and family promotion (MIGEPROF) has praised rural women for their remarkable step made in socio-economic development   through cooperatives and working with financial institutions.The remarks were made during the “rural woman” celebrations in Rwanda on October 26, 2013 during.Marie Rose Ndejeje, vice president of the National Women’s Council highlights that rural women have attained social development through utilizing loans from small financial institutions.“Rural women have taken up accessing loans from financial institutions this year 2013.”Odda Gasinzigwa, the Minister of gender and family promotion confirms that women have developed at...

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Ruhango: Residents advised against stigmatising Children with disabilities

Madalena Nirere, head of the National human rights commission in RwandaParents and residents in Ngororero District have been advised to put forward their children who live with disabilities so that they access rights like other ordinary children.According to Maderena Nirere; Head of National human rights commission people should not isolate the disabled children but they should rather bring them out so that their rights are exercised.Nirere says disabled children have rights like other Rwandans and therefore should enjoy their rights with ease.It’s in this regard that different administrative levels have come up to advocate for the disabled children so that negative attitude is changed among Rwandans, Nirere says.“We ask parents of the disabled...

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Karongi safe with Net Fish farming method, improved fishing

The Net Fish farming has become the solution to fishers in Lake Kivu by providing quality fish production during the period when Lake Kivu is off the limits for fishing.Lake Kivu has made it a routine to close off fishing for two months every year to allow the growth of fish in the lake. A fisherman from feeding fish in the Net Fish Farming With the closure of Fish in Lake Kivu from September to November every year, fishermen in Karongi District are no longer affected by this program. This is after the introduction of Net fishing method by the government of Rwanda and The Integrated Installation and Interior Lakes Management Support Project (PAIGELAC).With this type of fishing, one net is capable of producing quality fish harvest...

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Huye: District focuses to improving academic performance in schools

With the aim of improving the academic performance of Ecole Autonome de Butare School-Huye District, the school has been privatized to Imanzi Investment Group (IIG) that is expected to reshape it.This comes after the school has had challenges like late salary payment to the teachers and mismanagement of funds that led to the poor performance in academics.IIG revealed to the parents during the event to close 2012-2013 academic year that the academic performance is going to change for the best in the next academic year.Imanzi Investment Group is a business company established by the National University of Rwanda (NUR) staff. It’s based in National University of Rwanda, Huye City Southern Province and one of Rwanda’s leading investors for private...

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Girinka Program bringing remarkable change to Gisagara widows

The one cow per family ‘girinka’ programme has been instrumental in getting people out of poverty A cross section of the widows who were given cows in Gisagara District in Girinka Program are grateful to the program that they say has changed their social welfare from – poor to being farmers.These widows are now supporting this program by giving out cows to their neighbours to allow them to also be farmers.Girinka program is a poverty reduction strategy that was initiated in 2006 by President Paul Kagame. This program aims at having every poor household in Rwanda to in due course receive a dairy cow which in turn is expected to result in better livelihood.These are basically are for milk  for consumption and selling, improved agricultural...

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Mothers advised to eat balanced diet during pregnancy for healthy babies

The head of National Women’s Council (NWC) in Gatsibo District Olive Mbabazi, has advised mothers of Karambi cell, Ngarama sector in Gatsibo district to feed children well right from pregnancy for good development because they are the future leaders.The call was made on 26th October 2013 during the event to celebrate international day of rural women which took place during community work (umuganda) to sensitize residents on proper nutrition for children and pregnant women in Rwanda.According to Mbabazi explains that community work and International day of rural women were merged with an aim of reminding women to prepare balanced diet for their families.In his speech, Senator Celestin Sebuhoro who was a guest of honor at the event highlighted...

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Global IT experts in Rwanda for Transform Africa 2013

More than 1,500 ICT experts from across the world are taking part in a four-dayContinental Innovative Conference dubbed Transform Africa at Serena Hotel in Kigali.The Summit is organised under the theme, “The Future Delivered Today,” as leaders, investors, and entrepreneurs from across the world devise ways on how Africa can leverage broadband to transform communities, governments and the private sector.On the first day on October 28, 2013 officials affirmed the role ICT plays in the development of Africa.The delegates have said that Africa has made concrete strives in ICT in its endeavor to use technology in the transformation of its economy.The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Secretary General Dr. Hamadoun Touré said Africa made...

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Elche denounce fans for abusing Nyom

Allan NyomLa Liga club Elche have denounced their own fans who racially abused Granada’s French defender Allan Nyom in Saturday’s La Liga game at their Martinez Valero stadium in Alicante.Nyom reacted to a chorus of what referee Carlos Del Cerro Grande said in his match report were “monkey chants” from one section of the crowd in the 89th minute by angrily booting the ball towards them and was booked.The official then ordered an announcement to be made telling the Elche fans to desist.“The club repudiates in the strongest possible terms the racist chants directed at the player Nyom that came from one very small section of the crowd,” Elche said on their website (www.elchecf.es).“In fact, after the incident, Elche CF called via the public address...

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Young African ICT entrepreneurs honoured in Kigali

President Paul Kagame poses with the winners of the Transform Africa Continental Awards. The New Times/Village UrugwiroFive young African entrepreneurs were yesterday honoured with the Transform Africa Awards for developing socially transforming IT solutions.President Paul Kagame was the guest of honour at the Awards ceremony during which he interacted with more than 500 young ICT enthusiasts drawn from around the continent.Firms from Rwanda, Kenya (two), Ghana and South Africa were awarded, courtesy of Athgo International, a firm dedicated to empowering the youth in the ICT field around the world.Rwanda’s start-up, Hehe Ltd, developed by Clarisse Iribagiza, emerged the best, and received US$7500 (Rwf4.8 million) cash prize.“Hehe Ltd was founded...

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Miss Rwanda pageant for next year

Minister for Sports and Culture Protais Mitali (L), Andrew Kareba of Rwanda Inspiration Backup Ltd (C) and Miss Rwanda Aurore Mutesi Kayibanda. The New Times/Joseph OindoIt’s official. The eagerly awaited Miss Rwanda beauty pageant will not be held this year. This means that reigning Miss Rwanda 2012, Aurore Mutesi Kayibanda will still hold the coveted title until February 22, 2014 when her successor will be known. Kayibanda was crowned Miss Rwanda in September last year.The new date was announced yesterday by the Minister for Sports and Culture Protais Mitali, at a press conference held at the ministry headquarters at Amahoro Stadium, Remera.Mitali said all measures are in place to ensure that Rwanda holds a beauty contest that meets international...

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Police outclass Etincelles

Peter Kagabo scored one goal and was involved in two others as Police thrashed Etincelles 6-0 yesterday at Stade de Kigali. Times Sport/T. KisambiraWednesdayPolice 6-0 EtincellesMukura 0-1 APREspoir  1-2 Rayon SportsEsperance 2-3 MusanzeMarines 0-1 SC KiyovuGicumbi 0-1 AS KigaliAS Muhanga 1-1 AmagajuMIDFIELDER Imran Nshimiyimana netted a brace as Police routed Etincelles 6-0 in the sixth round of the Turbo King Football league yesterday at Stade de Kigali.Sam Ssimbwa’s side displayed fine football as they started from where they stopped in the 2-1 win over Rayon Sports to register the biggest win of the season by any team. APR scored six against Marines on day two of the season, but they...

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Samsung, Oracle laud Rwanda on business and investment

Dr. Hamadoun Toure, the Secretary General of International Telecommunication Union addresses the summit. Participants have tipped Rwanda as a top investment destination. The New Times/T. KisambiraAsured security, functioning commercial systems and the recent reforms that promote business play a huge role in attracting big companies to come and invest in Rwanda, Thierry Boulanger, the Samsung Africa director, has said.“Rwanda has the capacity of becoming an investment and financial hub in Africa. This is why Samsung is here,” he said.According to Boulanger, investors should not look at Rwanda in terms of its market size, but rather focus on how to tap into the vast opportunities the country offers, especially in the exports and technology sectors.He...

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UN, Facebook and Microsoft root for science education

Children browse the Internet at the summit in Kigali on Tuesday. The New Times/T. KisambiraOfficials from the United Nations, Facebook and Microsoft have pledged to support science-based education in Africa and Rwanda in particular.Matt Perault, Facebook’s head of global policy development, said the social networking media is currently looking at ways of reducing the cost of accessing data on the African continent.He said the company welcomes the idea of supporting innovative projects, especially in data efficiency and data application right at the student level.“We would like the public on this continent to understand that they can use information to drive the outcome on the African continent and more specifically in Rwanda,” Perault said.“Giving...

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Rwanda is hosting the four-day Transform Africa Summit 2013 which has been attended by seven African leaders and over 1,500 delegates from around the world. Executives from Microsoft, Samsung, Facebook and IBM were also in attendance to devise ways on how Africa can leverage broadband to transform communities, governments and the private sector. Below are some of the photos captured in at the eventPresident Kagame tours one of the stands at the Transform Africa Summit 2013 exhibition in KigaliEntertainment at a State Banquet hosted by President Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame Transform Africa Summit as it was followed by President Kagame at one among numerous stands in KigaliPresident Kagame encourages children, seeing their readiness...

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Congo: M23 Can Only Be Eliminated Through Negotiated Settlement – Says US

The US special envoy to the Great Lakes Region has said that Kampala talks should be followed to the end. He told this to the French International Broadcaster RFI and below are excerpts of the interview.Q: War has resumed in the East of the Democratic republic of Congo since Friday and the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) are having the upper-hand. To resolve the problem of M23 rebels is the military force the best solution?Russell Feingold: No. That’s not my reading of things (of the situation). The military solution doesn’t respond to problems caused by the M23 and the forty or forty-five other groups in the region. What it requires us, is a negotiated peace accord with the M23 like the ongoing process, in the framework of the Kampala...

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WB to increase support for innovative reforms

The World Bank will increase its support towards innovative business and infrastructural reforms in order to boost economic development on the African continent.Projects that support market liberalisation, mobile banking, and innovative infrastructural reforms, especially in the ICT industry will be given a priority.“Last fiscal year, we financed projects worth $5.3 billion in the sub-Saharan Africa. We expect this budget for the African continent to increase by the next year because we believe Africa presents high hopes for the rest of the world,” Jean Philippe Prosper Vice president World Bank Group told The New Times on the sidelines of the Transform Africa summit in Kigali. “This year five per cent of our budget went to the  African...

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5,800 demoted from Advanced Level to sit Senior Three exams

A countrywide audit of secondary schools established that over 5,800 students in the upper section of high school had snubbed ordinary level (O’level) examinations, and will need to sit these S.3 exams before they are allowed to proceed.Some of these students, according to Rwanda Education Board (Reb), will be among the 96,000 candidates who will sit the O’level exams that start today, together with the Advanced Level national exams.Reb statistics show that 31,053 candidates will sit A’level papers.The new development comes after government made it a requirement to have the lower level certificate in order to register for the advanced level examinations.Emmanuel Muvunyi, the deputy director for examinations at Reb,  told The New Times...

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Rwanda 2nd best place for business in Africa

Rwanda has overtaken  South Africa to become the second best place to do business in Africa, according to a new World Bank’s Doing Business Report released this week.The annual World Bank report, which assesses country-by-country performance in ease of doing business, indicates that, overall, Rwanda moved 22 places, to 32nd out of 189 countries globally.Mauritius (20th globally) retains its number one spot in Sub-Saharan Africa and on the continent in general.Rwanda was also named the most improved country worldwide since 2005, Ukraine, the country that has improved most over the last one year, while Singapore, for the eighth consecutive year, remained overall best performer globally, followed by Hong Kong, New Zealand, the United States...

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Heads of State push for strong ICT growth

Africa should leverage the Information and Communication Technologies to spur pro-poor, sustainable growth, Heads of State from the continent said yesterday.Presidents Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon, Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta (Mali), Salva Kiir Mayardit (South Sudan), Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya), Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, and Paul Kagame of Rwanda, were speaking during a panel discussion at a major ICT conference underway in Kigali.The seven African leaders sat down with delegates from around the world on the second day of the four-day Transform Africa Summit 2013, which is also attended by executives from Microsoft, Samsung, Facebook and IBM, to devise ways on how Africa can leverage broadband to transform communities,...

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