African Wildlife Fund (AWF) has donated 27.8 hectares of land to Rwanda Development Board (RDB) for the expansion of gorillas’ habitat in the Volcanoes National Park.

The handover ceremony took place in Kinigi area of the Northern Province on Tuesday.

The property adds to the 16,000 hectares that had formerly comprised the national park.

Volcanoes National Park is home of the critically endangered mountain gorillas but the space has decreased by 54% since its establishment in 1925. Due to conservation efforts by the Government of Rwanda and its conservation partners, mountain gorilla numbers are recovering.

Gorilla population has increased from 285 in 1978 to 480 in 2010. Between 2003 and 2010, the population increased by 26.3%. This represents an annual growth rate of 3.7%. The increase in the mountain gorilla population has led to a major challenge for an adequate habitat.

Recognising the need for additional land, RDB Chief Executive Officer Clare Akamanzi appreciated African Wildlife Foundation for the land donation.

“Today’s donation to the Volcanoes National Park is a major step in the consolidation of Rwanda’s conservation gains for the benefit of communities today and future generations. Through gorilla conservation and tourism, we are directly benefitting from these wonderful animals. Over the last nine years, revenues from mountain gorilla conservation and the resulting tourism has brought $107 million into the national coffers,” she said.

Over Rwf531,466, 921 was last year distributed by RDB to more than 158 community-based projects through the tourism revenue sharing programme. The support will increase this year following the government’s decision in 2017 to increase the revenue sharing programme from 5% to 10% of all tourism revenues.

“In addition, in partnership with fellow conservationists, over 700 community-based projects providing housing, schools, health clinics, water tanks have been provided for the communities living in 12 sectors from four districts surrounding the Volcanoes National Park”, she said.

Over 298,000 tourists have visited the Volcanoes National Park since 2006. An average number of 29,000 tourists visited the Park annually between 2011 and 2016.

AWF President Kaddu Sebunya said Rwanda had distinguished itself as a leader in conservation following the most remarkable great ape recovery.

“I am excited by the great strides Rwanda is taking to develop its natural heritage sustainably and guarantee long-term socio-economic stability for its people. Through proactive government policies, community involvement and open governance, Rwanda is demonstrating that development and conservation are inseparable. Such a win-win approach to conservation suggests that there is nothing inevitable about conservation challenges in Africa today,” Kaddu said.

He said Rwanda and RDB had provided a template for sustainable development.

“With support from the Annenburg Foundation, AWF bought 27.8 hectares of land directly adjacent to the Park to donate to the Government of Rwanda to be incorporated into the Volcanoes National Park. AWF recognises that if mountain gorillas are going to survive in the long-term, this park must be strategically protected and we are committed to supporting RDB in this endeavour,” he said. src:Igihe

Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame is set to chair the forthcoming African Union (AU) heads of state and government summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from 28-29 January.

A number of continental issues, including the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the revitalization peace efforts in South Sudan, the war in Somalia, among others are expected to dominate the two-day gathering.

A meeting of South Sudan’s warring parties and members of the country’s ex-political detainees is also due in Ethiopia in February.

Kagame takes over the chairmanship of the AU from his Guinean counterpart, Alpha Conde having been elected in Ethiopia last year.

It is the first time Rwanda is heading the the continental body since it was launched in 2002.

The 29th ordinary session of the Assembly of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia elected Rwanda to lead the Union in 2018.

In a recent interview with on Rwanda Television, Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Louise Mushikiwabo said reforms within the AU are progressing well with more than 20 countries already implementing national policies to raise revenue to go towards the AU.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has retained six Cabinet Secretaries under his second term.

The six include Fred Matiangi (Education) Henry Rotich (Treasury) and Najib Balala (Tourism).

Others who have been retained are James Macharia (Transport), Joe Mucheru (ICT) and Charles Keter (Energy).

Those who have been retained have had significant impact in their ministries.

Matiangi has swept through the education sector like a hurricane. He has in the last five years reorganized the school calendar and introduced changes that include an earlier release of Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exam results.

It is also under his tenure that the proposed 2-6-3-3-3 education system will be introduced to phase out the 8-4-4 system.

Balala on the other hand has been recognized for his efforts in reviving the Tourism sector which crumbled to its feet beginning 2012 after spats of terror activities. Under his tenure, Kenya has won several tourism awards, and hosted international conferences which have helped in reviving the sector.

Mucheru has also been instrumental in promoting ICT in Kenya. For instance, under his tenure, Kenya has further used technology to create more jobs through ventures such as the Ajira Digital Program and the Digital Learning Materials which were one of the Jubilee Government’s flagship programmes.

Macharia has been instrumental in major projects in the country which includes the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway, the approval of Kenya’s direct flights to the United States and the upgrading of airports in the country that include expansion of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the opening of the Isiolo Airport.

Rotich’s most remarkable works include floating the Eurobond which Kenyatta’s government says was the biggest financier of some of its biggest infrastructure projects.

On the other hand, Energy’s Keter has been on the front line of rural electrification programme where according to government statistics, more than two million homes were connected to the electrical grid in the last four years.

President Kenyatta is expected to name the rest of his new Cabinet in due course.src: capital FM

The primary court of Nyarugunga has ,on Wednesday 3rd of January, postponed the case of Gacinya Denis, the Vice-President of Rayon Sport Association and the Managing Director of MICON due to bad internet connection.

The ruling of the case of Gacinya Denis was for the court to decide whether the defendant should be granted a bail or held on remand while waiting the trial to begin in its ground. Gacinya Denis is accused of deceiving in a contract, a crime condemnable by article 320 of the penal code of the Republic of Rwanda, his contractors “Rusizi District” whereby according to the provisions of the contract entered between MICON and Rusizi District, MICON was responsible for the supply of 830 electricity poles with the whole contract worth Frw 636 million.
In this case where the prosecution accuses MICON, the prosecution states that a total amount of Rwf 495 was paid in advance whereas Gacinya accepts to have been paid only Frw 460. However, according to REG assessment of the value of the work in the contract proved to be Frw 253 million.
As MICON failed to complete the work in the contract the District contracted another Company in the contract which cost Frw 338 million.

The Prosecution has, last week, requested to the court a 30 days detention for Gacinya Denis as he does not present convincing proofs.
The court has postponed the ruling until Thursday 4th January 2018.
Once convicted, Gacinya may be liable for to a term of imprisonment of six (6) months to one (1) year and a fine of two hundred thousand (200,000) to five million (5,000,000) Rwandan francs or one of these penalties as stipulated by the article 320 of the Penal Code.

WDA Director General Jerome Gasana says merging The Integrated Polytechnic Regional Centres (IPRCs) will be done in order to improve quality of education.

In December Rwanda’s cabinet decided to merge different IPRCs to form one Public institution which will be named “Rwanda Polytechnic” with different colleges.

Merging Integrated Polytechnic Regional Centres, will be done meanwhile the same action were performed to University of Rwanda for the sake of improvement of quality of education, even if it seems that nothing good were rehabilitated till now as stated by beneficiaries(students).

As at December 2015, there are 34 institutions of higher education in Rwanda, 11 public and 23 private.In 2013, the government of Rwanda merged all public universities, leading to one public university, University of Rwanda, with six colleges.

Under the new dispensation, eight colleges will be under the Rwanda polytechnic. These are; College of Kigali, College of Ngoma, College of Karongi, College of Huye, College of Tumba, College of Musanze, College of Gishari, and College of Kitabi.

The College of Kigali (formerly IPRC-Kigali) is likely to host the headquarters of the new institution of higher learning.