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 The United Kingdom will continue to support Rwanda in her efforts to achieve the
development goals, as she continues to build on the progress that has been
registered for the last 16 years.
The pledge was made by Andrew Mitchell, the visiting UK Secretary of State for
International Development), shortly after holding talks with President Paul
Kagame at Village Urugwiro, yesterday.
Mitchell who is also an MP from the ruling Conservative Party, noted that his
visit was aimed at congratulating President Kagame upon re-election and also
pledge the UK's commitment to support the country's development agenda.
"We had a very interesting discussion...we talked about the plans he and his
government have; to take forward the development agenda. Britain is extremely
supportive of that and we regard Rwanda as a tremendous development partner,"
"There has been great progress over recent years and we want to ensure that
that progress continues and we play our part as Rwanda's partners in achieving
Vision 2020, which the President (Kagame) hopes that should be brought forward
to 2017 and there is lots of ways in which we can help," Mitchell said.
The British Minister added that supporting private sector development is one
way in which the UK will help, adding that, it is through the private sector
that people can work to lift themselves out of poverty.
Mitchell further pledged support in agriculture, health and infrastructure
development.
"We have lots of plans to make sure that the private sector expands and grows
and we are playing our part together with the Government of Rwanda to ensure
that that happens," he said.
The Minister added that Rwanda is aid effective and the UK is impressed with
how Rwanda utilizes aid, adding that what taxpayers back in the UK and all over
the world want, is to see aid money effectively used.
"Aid is very effectively used in Rwanda. We are very clear about the success of
this partnership and we want to build on that. Around the world, hard-pressed
taxpayers directly want to see that their money is well spent and also citizens
want to hold their own leaders accountable for the effectiveness of the money
being spent in their name," Mitchell observed.
He noted that developing Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), infrastructure and
energy, will be a priority and added that his talks with President Kagame
touched on the extraction of methane gas and how it will increase power
generation.
Mitchell, who had earlier held talks with the Ministers of Health, Finance and
Information, noted that empowering the private sector will spur jobs and wealth
creation, noting that the private sector worldwide employs more people than the
public sector.
Speaking shortly after the talks, the Minister of Finance John Rwangombwa
expressed satisfaction with the new commitments made by the UK Government
particularly supporting the growth of the private sector and agriculture
development.
"You must be aware that most donor countries are reviewing their support to
development and one important message we got today is that the UK is committed
to continue supporting Rwanda at the level they have been doing and we even hope
to see them increase the support,"
"The other important message is that they (UK) are going to diversify their
support to government programmes that are aimed at promoting the growth of the
private sector. That's a new area they are joining which is very important,"
Rwangombwa said.
According to Protais Musoni, the Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Acting
Minister of Information, in a meeting held earlier, the British minister pledged
technical support towards the development of the media.
"We discussed media development, the outcome of the media dialogue and we
showed him the plans we have for a vibrant media," Musoni said.
Mr Andrew was accompanied by the British High Commissioner to Rwanda, Nick
Cannon and DfID Country Director, Elizabeth Carriere.
He is scheduled to visit several British-funded projects.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201012090301.html
The Rwandan government secured grants of $4.5 million from the World Bank's
Global Environment Facility and 4 million euros ($5.3 million) from the Nordic
Development Fund for a renewable energy project.
The money will form a grant and credit program for electricity consumers to buy
solar systems, according to an e- mailed statement from the Kigali-based
Ministry of Infrastructure today.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-12-09/rwanda-secures-money-from-environment-funds-for-renewable-energy.html
The population of mountain gorillas in their main central African habitat has
increased by a quarter in seven years, regional authorities said Tuesday.
Most of the world's mountain gorillas are found in the Virunga massif, which
includes three contiguous national parks in Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
The population of the iconic but endangered animal in that area increased from
380 individuals in 2003 to 480, according to a census carried out earlier this
year and funded by a number of local and foreign wildlife organisations.
"The increase in mountain gorilla numbers is a testament that we in the Virunga
massif are all reaping from the conservation efforts sowed on a daily basis,"
Rica Rwigamba, from the Rwanda Development Board said in a statement.
The only place outside of the Virunga massif where mountain gorillas are found
is Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Along with 302 individuals believed to dwell in Bwindi and four orphans living
in a sanctuary in DR Congo, the census put the known world population of
mountain gorillas at 786.
Mountain gorillas, who have fallen prey to conflict and poaching over the
years, were famously brought to the world's attention by the late Dian Fossey
and are one the region's main tourist attractions.
President Paul Kagame, last weekend in Brussels, met with more than 2500 members
of the Rwandan diaspora living across Europe.
While addressing them, he advised that they should be good ambassadors, who
speak the truth about their country and disregard the lies propagated by
Rwanda's detractors.
Rwandans know, more than anyone else, what the new Rwanda represents, having
experienced, firsthand, the brutality and discriminatory practices of the
previous regimes.
They understand that, prior to the liberation struggle, children had no equal
access to quality education, a section of the population had been banished to
life in exile, human rights violations were the norm, and that ordinary
Rwandans, generally, had no right to demand leaders to deliver public goods -
healthcare, roads, water, among others.
Rwandans anywhere, are now more welcome than ever, to return home and join
their compatriots in building their motherland. The masses freely choose their
leadership and are free to recall them when they fail to deliver.
Rwandans have foras in which they meaningfully engage in constructive debates.
Women, at all levels, are now empowered and are actively involved in the
country's socio-economic and political processes.
This is the Rwanda which many people risked their lives for, and we should all
jealously guard it against anyone, foreign or Rwandan, seeking to take the
Rwandan people back to the dark days.
Indeed, the task to build and defend this country is every Rwandan's
responsibility, including the Diaspora community.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201012070264.html
The Kigali Institute of Education (KIE), held its sixth graduation ceremony,
yesterday, with a total of 1, 210 graduands conferred upon degrees, diplomas and
certificates in various disciplines.
The graduation also saw students from Rukara and Kavumu Colleges of Education
graduate for the first time since the establishment of the two institutions in
2008. The two colleges are affiliated to KIE.
Out of the 1, 210 graduands, 1, 126 are already teaching at various education
institutions in the country.
From the two colleges, a total of 631 teachers qualified for upper basic (Tronc
Commun) with a diploma in education after two years of pre-service in these
colleges while three were awarded a diploma in education after their in-service
training by distance education.
For Secondary schools, 70 were conferred with a Bachelors Arts with Education,
191 with a Bachelor of Science with education, 131 with a Bachelor of Social
Science with education and 65 tutors for primary teacher colleges with a
Bachelor of education.
In other fields, 84 graduands were awarded a Bachelor of Business Studies while
in KIE's effort to professionalise teaching in higher education, a total of 35
members of academic staff from KHI and KIE were conferred with a Post Graduate
Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, the Rector of KIE Prof. George Njoroge
said that the huge responsibility in regard to quality of teachers rested on the
shoulders of KIE and the two colleges.
He however, lauded government's effort in expanding the colleges and its
commitment to funding alternative means of training such as the distance
education.
To the graduates, the rector said: "As you prepare to join the hustles of and
bustles of work life in your new status, remember that there are many before you
and certainly there will be many after you. What will distinguish you from all
the others is your positive addition to the world."
In his address, the State Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Dr.
Mathias Harebamungu said that it would be risky not to consolidate the gains
that have been made by the government by investing in the establishment of KIE
and the two colleges.
He said that by the year 2020, the projected school teacher demand for primary
will be about 52, 000, upper basic will be 33, 000 and upper secondary will be
13, 000.
"This clearly shows that we have to think unusually in matters of teacher
development and retention."
Harebamungu noted that many of the graduates from KIE have ended up in other
fields causing a gap that the government has been forced to fill by recruiting
teachers from other countries.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201012030243.html
Mix three buckets of cow dung with an equal amount of water - that's the recipe
Francine Musanabera follows on a daily basis to produce the energy she needs to
run her home.
"It gives me two hours of gaslight and six hours of cooking gas every day,"
says the schoolteacher. She was one of the first people in Rwanda to equip her
property with a biogas installation, which converts methane from decomposing
animal waste into power.
Over 90 percent of Rwandans still cook using wood, charcoal or kerosene. These
fuels pollute the environment and deplete the country's forests.
The government had hoped to help 15,000 households set up biogas installations
by 2012, but has put back that ambitious target to 2015. Today, almost 1,000
homes have one.
"It requires a big investment for the average family," explains Erik van
Waveren of the Dutch development organisation SNV, which has an advising role in
the government biogas project.
Each installation costs nearly $1,300, with the government providing a subsidy
of a little over $500. Households can do it more cheaply by supplying the sand
and stones for building the underground receptacle, and helping construct it
themselves. They can also take out a special low-interest bank loan.
Only 10 percent of Rwanda's population of over 10 million is connected to the
national electricity grid.
At Francine Musanabera's modest house in Gasabo, 30 km south of the capital
Kigali, the power cables run straight over her little garden where the biogas
installation abuts a small cow shed containing two animals.
In this village, no one is connected to the grid. "Too expensive," says
Musanabera.
'LIFE-CHANGING' INVESTMENT
Village households that own cattle, as well as families living on the outskirts
of cities, are required by the government to practice "zero grazing" - where
animals are fed cut grass and other crops rather than grazing on land directly.
The policy is an attempt to control soil erosion in the mountainous country.
The loss of fertile soil washed away by rains has been identified as one of the
major threats to Rwanda's food security.
The government enforces zero grazing strictly, slapping a fine of $50 on owners
of any animal found wandering free in villages.
"Zero grazing also prevents conflicts with the neighbours. Cattle often nibble
at the crops of other villagers and it always causes problems," explains
Musanabera. Her ducks and chicken stay behind a closed gate, and her goat is
tethered to a little shed that offers some shade.
The teacher had to think twice about investing in a biogas installation on her
small plot. "It involved a lot of money. But now three years later I am so glad
I did it. It changed our lives," she says.
"My children can study at night and do not have to inhale the bad fumes of
kerosene lamps. I save money because I hardly need to buy kerosene and charcoal
for cooking. And biogas makes cooking so much faster."
Another benefit is the liquid fertiliser obtained at the end of the biogas
generation process. Musanabera uses it on her small vegetable garden where she
grows beans, bananas and tomatoes.
"The yield of my garden has almost doubled since I've been using the
fertiliser," she says. "So I also save because I have to buy less food in the
market."
PUTTING METHANE TO GOOD USE
The government has launched an advertising campaign to raise awareness about
the possibilities of biogas. Though Rwanda is a small country, most people in
remote areas have no idea about this green source of energy, nor the financial
help the government is offering them to start producing it.
The easy part is having the livestock required to produce the biogas. Cows are
at the centre of Rwanda's social life. They are considered superior presents,
and used as dowry gifts.
Traditionally, wealth was measured by the number of cows a person owned, and
that is still the case in some parts of the country.
Under a government scheme, each poor family receives one cow, of which the
first calf must be donated to another poor neighbour. The aim has been to put
people back on the path to prosperity after the destruction of the 1994
genocide, in which Hutu extremists killed 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus. A
further objective is to heal damaged social relations among the traumatised
population.
But after researchers established that livestock herds are a major producer of
the greenhouse gas methane through their digestive processes, the government has
been trying to limit the country's cow population.
One solution is to channel the planet-warming methane they emit into the new
biogas installations to produce much-needed energy.
Rwanda's biogas project not only supplies power but is also creating jobs. SNV
has trained nearly 500 people who can now build and maintain the installations.
Most of them work for one of the 60 small companies that have specialised in
biogas in recent years.
And the Rwandan government isn't limiting itself to small-scale production
involving cow dung. Human waste is also being used in several big biogas
installations in prisons.
These generate enough gas to cook for the inmates, as well as fertiliser for
the vegetable gardens that supply a major proportion of their food. Besides
cutting the cost of running the prisons, the biogas installations dispose of the
sewage from large, concentrated groups of residents, which could otherwise pose
a health hazard.
Ilona Eveleens is a freelance writer based in Nairobi.
http://www.alertnet.org/db/an_art/60167/2010/10/26-155316-1.htm
Over 50,000 teachers from Primary and Secondary schools around the country,
yesterday, started a five-week English language training course.
The official launch of the programme, presided over by Dr. Mathias Harebamungu,
the State Minister in charge of Primary and Secondary Education, was held at
College APAPE in Gikondo, Kicukiro District, where part of about 1, 300 teachers
from the district converged.The training, supported by the British Council and
United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is the second of its
kind, and aims at equipping teachers with communication skills.
A total of 1,022 facilitators, 500 from neighbouring countries, were hired to
conduct the training.
Harebamungu, observed that about 84 percent of the teachers turned up for the
training on the first day, but warned that those who will not attend the
training risk losing their jobs.
"We will not tolerate such teachers and all departments we work with were
informed on this issue. We cannot continue working with teachers who fail to
attend such an essential training which the government has spent huge sums of
money," Harebamungu warned.
Each foreign trainer is expected to earn about Rwf 25,000 per day, while a
local trainer will be paid Rwf20,000 daily. The training is scheduled to end on
December 24.
"These will be the same teachers who will complain that they can't teach in
English," Harebamungu, said in reference to those who did not show up on the
first day of the course.
He called on the trainees to effectively use the knowledge they will acquire in
the training to raise the country's education standards.
The minister also noted that the use of French as a language of instruction in
schools will officially end this year.
"All Primary and Secondary Schools will now be using English as a language of
instruction, and all the exams will be set in English," the Minister observed.
This year, only Primary Schools had their examinations set in English, while
only few Secondary Schools had their exams in English
http://allafrica.com/stories/201011230170.html
It is common during peak days to find passengers queuing outside the terminal
building at Kigali International Airport as they wait to be checked before
boarding their flight. The long lines are just one indication that Kigali
International Airport, situated in Kanombe, 10 km east of Kigali City Centre,
has reached its optimal operational capacity, signalling the need to expand the
facilities that were originally built to serve interests of colonialists. The
lone runway limits air traffic in and out of the country, and at 3.5 km long,
not all airplanes are logistically able to land and take off.
"When there is in-coming traffic from Brussels Airways, Kenya Airways and
Ethiopian Airlines at once, it becomes almost impossible to handle the traffic,
to find parking of the airplanes and refuelling of airplanes," explains Vincent
Karega, Rwanda's Infrastructure Minister.
Mercy Mboninempa, the Air Uganda sales representative in Rwanda says the small
nature of the airport is also inconveniencing passengers. "There is one conveyor
belt which cannot take everybody at once, therefore the passengers at times have
to wait," says Mboninempa. "At one time 50 of us were checking in only the
trolleys. We had to carry the heavy luggage in our hands."
Kenya Airways' country manager for Rwanda, Isaac Wambua, describes Kigali
airport as small but appreciates that the airport authority is trying to
maximize the terminal building by allocating more space to the airport's core
business. "The beauty of it is a lot of expansion is taking place at Kigali
International Airport," says Wambua in a telephone Interview. But the
"expansion," he says, is limited to the one main terminal building.
Expanding Kigali International Airport into heavily settled areas in the city
would be politically and monetarily costly, and according to analysts the
current government lacks these resources. Moreover, there is a lack of
development space in the surrounding villages such as Kironko, Kabeza and
Kanombe as modern residential buildings are being developed daily. There are
also potential hurdles from environmentalists and locals living nearby who
oppose the pollution and noise that accompanies the air traffic.
As a result, in 2009 the Rwandan government employed TPS, a British engineering
firm, to design and carry out a feasibility study to develop a new airport in
Nyamata village in Bugesera, 40 km south of Kigali. According to a report by
TPS, the new airport would be able to handle one million passengers and 150
million tonnes of cargo annually during its first phase from 2015 to 2025.
Subsequent phases will follow with higher passenger and cargo capacities. Its
estimated cost is US$700m.
"Phase I will start with a terminal and a bigger runway, and facilities for
fuelling and security among many basic requirements of a world class airport,"
says Karega. As traffic grows, Phase II will incorporate building a second
runway to approximate the capacity of the largest world airports.
The airport is also designed to provide leisure, hotels and conference
facilities. It is further hoped a free trade zone will be created in the area
which will spur economic development. The funding of the project, the minister
told the press, will be through a Public-Private Partnerships (PPP's) model.
Reports indicate the government has already recruited PricewaterhouseCoopers as
a transaction advisor. The firm will mobilizing the private capital to invest in
the project.
"PricewaterhouseCoopers is still working out on the material and content. They
will soon organize a roundtable on the Bugesera Airport," Karega told the press.
"They are quite optimistic that we will attract many investors and good
contractors."
The first phase of the project will cost about US$450 million and at least
US$8.5 million has already been spent on the feasibility studies, architectural
designs and review International Civil Aviation Organization.
According to Karega, government has taken the initiative to foot this bill in
its totality so as to kick start the project.
[An artistic impression of the new airport in Nyamata village in Bugesera,
Kigali.]
An artistic impression of the new airport in Nyamata village in Bugesera,
Kigali.
With the technical and feasibility studies already completed and architectural
design done, the minister is optimistic the airport should be ready by 2015.
"Construction only takes two years and the site is not a densely inhabited area
so there will not be much time spent on compensating and relocating people," he
says. "As soon as money is available work will start immediately."
The news of the new airport has been welcomed by operators. "It is a dream come
true," says Wambua.
The new airport is crucial for Rwanda to achieve its dream of becoming a
regional airline, industrial, ICT and logistics hub.
Charles Ngarambe, who has worked in the airline business as the country manager
for Burundi Air, welcomes the new airport arguing it positions Rwanda to be
competitive in the East African Community.
"The New Bugesera International Airport project is a brilliant idea," says
Ngarambe. "International aviation practice dictates airports have to have two
runways. [But] Kigali International Airport has got only one."
The two runways are recommended, partly to handle traffic in case of any
incidences.
For instance on Nov. 12, 2009, when RwandAir Jet Crashed into VIP Terminal in
Kigali, traffic in and out of Kigali had to be interrupted for a period of time
as the airport had no alternative runway where planes could be diverted.
Bugesera, according to Ngarambe, is an ideal location for an international
airport. "Internationally 40 kilometers is acceptable for an airport and as
Kigali expands the two areas will marry," says Ngarambe.
Regarding the viability of the project, Ngarambe says it has the potential to
be a regional airline hub serving the entire African continent because Rwanda is
centrally located.
James Nziremo, a resident of Bugesera, says the airport is going to turn around
their lives and spur economic development in an area which had been neglected by
previous governments.
"The airport will definitely create employment for many people in this area.
Hotels are to develop. More roads are to come up. The airport therefore answers
Bugesera's woes."
The airport project comes at a time Rwanda is promoting the horticulture sector
after realizing the country has a lot of potential but untapped.
Rosemary Mbabazi, from Rwanda Development Board investment unit says the
country has the best climate condition that can allow growing of fruits,
vegetables and flowers in all seasons.
She says horticulture already employs one million Rwandans and when they
graduate from substance to commercial, the sector will definitely need larger
cargo aircrafts which can only land at the planned airport.
Mbabazi revealed that the demand for horticultural products from East Africa is
also showing positive demand in the markets.
Double landlocked Rwanda looks at air transport to link it to the rest of the
world; developing a world class airport is consequently very strategic.
Last year, Kigali International Airport registered a 15 percent growth in
passenger volume while this year, Rwanda's Civil Aviation Authority projects
will handle over 300,000 passengers and the numbers are expected to grow more.
"Our cargo traffic- exports and imports have also grown tremendously. Our
flights have also increased, in value and volume," says Dr. Richard Masozera,
Director General of Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority.
http://www.independent.co.ug/index.php/cover-story/cover-story/82-cover-story/3674-new-bugesera-international-airport-could-change-rwanda-
This year's award winner lost her husband in the Rwandan genocide, yet overcame
her grief to inspire the country's widows...
Read about the inspirational story here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/journalismcompetition/international-development-achievement-award-winner
Rwanda's central bank cut its key repo rate by one percentage point to 6.0
percent, the second reduction this year designed to stimulate lending to the
private sector, according to a statement seen on Tuesday.
"One of the policies to encourage the increase of bank loans to private sector
is to reduce incentives for banks to invest in the National Bank of Rwanda and
in government instruments by lowering the Key Repo Rate (KRR)," said the
statement from the bank's Monetary Policy Committee.
"Consequently, the Monetary Policy Committee decided to reduce the KRR by 1
percentage point, from its current level of 7 percent to 6 percent, to be in
force during the remaining part of 2010 and the first quarter of 2011," it said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSWEA971920101116
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