At least 30 private secondary schools in Rwanda closed down at the beginning of 2017 and more are likely to fall in the peril as student enrollment dramatically reduces.

Private schools started losing students in favour of public schools in 2009 when the government introduced free-of-charge Nine-Year Basic Education which extended to 12-Year Basic Education (12YBE) in 2012 to help provide universal access.

According to Jean Marie Vianney Usengumuremyi, Chairman of Private Schools Association, only government can save the struggling schools by subsidising them, the idea that government has always rejected.

He said the association which once counted over 200 members, remains with slightly over 100 and 70% of them are struggling to stay afloat.

Isaac Munyakazi, the Minister of State in charge of Primary and Secondary Education, told to media last week that he has not received any report on the problems of private schools but encouraged them to offer a better education than public schools do in order to win a good number of students.

However, prior to the appointment of Munyakazi in the docket in October 2016, Usengumuremyi said the association reported to and held talks with the Ministry of Education (Mineduc) in 2015 and later received a letter from the Minister advising them not to expect government support, something which seriously discouraged private school owners.

“Government should help with staff remunerations, offer school materials as it does for other government-aided schools because we all educate the country’s children. Introduction of 12YBE is good but government forgot of private schools’ mandate,” said Usengumuremyi.

He sharply questioned the government’s attitude towards private schools, saying the government encouraged private investors to build schools at the time the country had no means to meet education requirements while others were established by parents back in the 1980s as public schools were few.

He also suggested that government partner with owners of vacant establishments which have already phased down in re-opening them to offer Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) or other education purposes.

Most of the staggering schools belong to parents’ associations whose efforts to contribute to country’s education should be recognised instead of letting grasses cover establishments they dearly contributed for, according to Jean-Léonard Sekanyange, the headteacher of APECOM, a parents’ secondary school in Gatsibo District, Kiramuruzi Sector.

Sekanyange said APECOM used to have 1200 students but they have reduced to 250 in 2017 and are likely to reduce further every year, leaving many school facilities idle.

Government may use vacant facilities

Minister Munyakazi encouraged owners of battling private schools to contact the ministry which can take over the establishments if investors show that they are getting out without any debts attached to the schools.

“They are many other private schools faring well because they are academically performing well. Some students are still ignoring admission to public schools to pay dearly in private schools. I urge all of them to give quality education to win parents’ choice on where to educate their children,” he said, adding that a study is needed to know why some private schools lack students while others have them in abundance.

Munyakazi said that government-aided schools access support in accordance with the agreement but private investors should start a school when they are ready to compete and convince parents on why they should give them their children.

“We do recognise private schools’ contribution in our education and we help them in many ways including giving them land for establishments, free training of their personnel, inspection and examinations at no cost. We cannot go beyond that to pay their staff and school materials while we still have public schools which need renovation, materials or new facilities,” he said.

Munyakazi said vacant establishments can be used as TVET centres once they are found to be meeting the requirements while others can be used to offer basic education depending on the need in their respective areas.

Statistics from Mineduc show there are at least 1575 secondary schools in the country including 460 government owned, 1037 owned by religious communities with some of them aided by government while 178 were founded by parents and private individuals.

Nearly 20 years ago, a five-metre-long crocodile lay severely injured on the bank of the Parasmina River in Costa Rica after being shot by a farmer. Lucky for that crocodile, a kind local named Chito couldn’t bear to let him die. Chito rescued Pocho, as he called the croc, and nursed him back to health.

“I just wanted him to feel that someone loved him, that not all humans are bad”, Chito told The Tico Times. “I love all animals, especially ones that have suffered.”

When Pocho the crocodile had regained his strength, Chito took him back along the river to release him. But Pocho didn’t want to be left behind, and followed Chito home! With permission from the Minister for Environment and the help of a vet, Chito looked after Pocho for nearly two decades.

As their bond strengthened over the years, Chito and Pocho grew to trust each other so completely that they spent hours each day swimming and playing together. Remarkably, Pocho the crocodile was gentle and patient with his human companion and would even respond to his name when called. Thousands of tourists, scientists and animal behaviour experts came to see Chito and Pocho having fun.

After many years of friendship, Pocho the crocodile died of natural causes last year at the age of 50. Hundreds of people attended his funeral. Chito was naturally devastated by Pocho’s death, but continues to share his friend’s story to raise awareness about just how special crocodiles are.

The Genocide Survivor’s umbrella and Collectif des Parties Civiles pour le Rwanda (CPCR), has disclosed that the case of Wenceslas Munyeshyaka, a priest accused of genocide and crimes against humanity will be returned to Paris Court.

The France-based group dedicated to pursuing justice in relation to the Genocide against the Tutsi, says that it has information Palais de Justice – Law Courts in Paris will re-examine the evidence given about Priest Wenceslas on November 8th, 2017.

In October 2015, a French court dismissed a case against Wenceslas Munyeshyaka that accuses the priest of genocide and crimes against humanity, citing lack of sufficient evidence.

Following the dismissal two years ago, CPCR states that it decided to appeal so that the case should be brought back to court.

Father Wenceslas Munyeshyaka (born 30 July 1958) is a Rwandan priest working in France who was convicted of genocide by a Rwandan military court.

Munyeshyaka was pursued in the French courts but in October 2015 the case was not continued because of the quality of the evidence.

Despite the controversy and his Rwandan conviction, he has been employed as a priest in France since 2001.

Munyeshyaka was responsible for the Sainte-Famille church and parish in Kigali. A military tribunal in Rwanda found him guilty of rape and involvement in the 1994 genocide and sentenced him in absentia to life in prison.

It is alleged that he was found to have delivered hundreds of adults and children to the genocidal militias, which brutally slaughtered them. The military tribunal accused Munyeshyaka and found him guilty of rape and of aiding militias in the killing of hundreds of Tutsi at the Holy Family Cathedral in downtown Kigali, where he was the head priest.

An ICTR arrest warrant was made public on June 21, 2007.

He was arrested in France on July 20, 2007, but released by a French Appeals Court on 1 August 2007.

A revised indictment was released by the ICTR on August 13, 2007, upon which he was re-arrested by French authorities on 5 September 2007.

On November 20, 2007, the ICTR decided to decline jurisdiction over this affair in favour of the French judicial authorities.

On February 20, 2008, the French authorities agreed to try Wenceslas Munyeshkaya in France.

On August 26, 2015, French prosecutors asked for the case against Wenceslas Munyeshyaka to be thrown out.

On October 2, 2015, the investigating French judge ordered the dismissal of the case in accordance with the Prosecutor’s request.

Three days later, she sent me a message. Just ‘hi’. I responded immediately and asked her if I could come see her. She said yes. I was her boyfriend, we loved each other. But I did not go to see her. I forgot.

She finally left. That is said not with an air of sadness. Sadness I do not feel but I know is there.
It had to come to this, there was no other way. See, for the past several months – close to a year, or maybe even a year – I had taken liberties with the relationship.

Not that I did not love the girl anymore, I did not love being in the relationship any more. Ok, that does not make much sense. Truth is, I did not want it any more. I love the girl, she is the perfect girlfriend.
But I do not want to be in a relationship with her anymore. The relationship had become simply LIFELESS. Yes, that is the word, lifeless.

When I thought about her, I felt happy, but I did not want to be with her any more like a man should be in a relationship.
Now, do not go thinking about this sexually, that is not what I am talking about. Though, I sadly must admit that things in that corner had also gone downhill, down a very slippery slope, about the same time I started not liking being with her.

So for some reason, I had gotten bored. And my boredom had bred all kinds of evil in me. I hardly ever called the girl; she called me ALL the time.
Her texts were like a one-sided conversation with ‘ok’ from me dotting the conversation at long intervals. I could see her wondering what had happened to me, and soon, she asked me.
She had to.

“Eugene, what happened to you?” “Nothing happened to me. What do you mean anyway?” “You are strange. You have been acting strange.” “No.” “Yes.” “No.” “Please do not just say no. Tell me what is wrong. Did I do something?”
“No,” I replied.
At this point I knew I was pushing it but I could not help myself. I just did not have any other answer for her. I knew what she was talking about but I had no answer for her. She gave me a long look and walked away.

For three days I did not see her, I did not talk to her. I knew I must call her. I must ask how she is doing.
She was my girlfriend, and we had had a mini-fight and she had walked away. I was supposed to check on her.
But I could not bring myself to do it. I kept telling myself that I would call in the next 30 minutes, I would call before I went to bed, or in the morning, or after lunch.

Three days later, she sent me a message. Just ‘hi’. I responded immediately and asked her if I could come see her. She said yes. I was her boyfriend, we loved each other. But I did not go to see her. I forgot.
Or I did not want to. It did not really matter. I saw her the next day. I said I was sorry. I think she forgave me. She did not talk about it. But that was three months ago.

What got me kicked out of the door was not even half as bad as that.
She said, “I love you Eugene. But you do not love me anymore. Do you?” And I said, no. I meant it. She looked at me long and hard. There were tears in her eyes.
She then walked out. I went to bed and slept for 14 hours and had a nice dream where I was falling in love; but not with her. I am not going to go after her. I love her, but I do not want to be in a relationship with her anymore. Love fades.

To day Friday, 25th August 2017 at the Amahoro Stadium, Remera, Gasabo District, Kigali City University of Rwanda celebrates its 4^th graduation ceremony since it was established in 2013.     

 In His remarks, Prime Minister Anastase Murekezi has requested 8252 graduates to be in a position of using their skills in bringing creativity, which leads to the attitude of being job creators instead of being job seekers.

PM also ensures the government’s effort to support and to improve the quality of education.

The University of Rwanda was established in September 2013 by a law that repealed the laws establishing the National University of Rwanda and the country’s other public higher education institutes, creating the UR in their place. Law number 71/2013 transferred the contracts, activities, assets, liabilities, and denominations of seven institutions to the UR: the National University of Rwanda (UNR); the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST); the Kigali Institute of Education (KIE); the Higher Institute of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry ; the School of Finance and Banking (SFB); the Higher Institute of Umutara Polytechnic (UP) and the Kigali Health Institute (KHI).

At the time of its creation, education officials reported that they “hoped that the university will improve the quality of education and effectively respond to current national and global needs.”

Rwanda will host a Preparatory Meeting to the 2017 UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial Conference. The meeting will take place at Kigali Convention Centre from 29 to 30 August 2017. The preparatory meetings to be held in Bangladesh, Japan and Rwanda are set to prepare the ground for the 2017 UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial Conference due to take place in Vancouver, Canada from 14 to 15 November this year.

The preparatory meeting in Kigali will bring together more than 100 participants from UN Peacekeeping Operations Troops/Police Contributing Countries and Financial Contributing Countries.

Delegates will discuss “Protecting those at Risk” and “Early Warning and Rapid Deployment” as selected themes. The discussions will be centred on how strengthening performance accountability for Protection of Civilians (POC) and how the Kigali Principles enhance the protection of Civilian mandate. Delegates will also discuss Gender perspectives in Peacekeeping, Progress made on standing up a UN Rapid Deployment Capability among other topics.

The UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial Conference has set out to improve international commitment to the Kigali Principles, identify concrete and innovative ways forward for improving performance on the protection of civilians mandates, and build on recent efforts to strengthen accountability for protection.

The 2017 UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial Conference in Canada will build on the successes of the ones previously held in New York City, USA and London, United Kingdom to review current contributions by UN members, and more importantly, secure new pledges to meet the identified needs of UN peacekeeping operations.

src: Ministry of Defence MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

Former Boss of Ministry of Trade, Industry and EAC Affairs François Kanimba, has advised his successor Vincent Munyeshyaka to do his utmost, to promote Made in Rwanda, government Policy.

It is within this framework Mr. Kanimba has revealed that any time the United States of America can impose punitive sanctions on Rwanda due to banning used clothes.

Mr. Kanimba has advised Munyeshaka to act cunningly and carefully with aim of bringing profits to the citizens of Rwanda.

He says:” Last decision is not yet taken, we ever discussed with them in order to let them know why we took that decision but still it is considered as a serious matter.”

Handover ceremony between outgoing Minister François Kanimba and incoming Minister Vincent Munyeshyaka was conducted this Monday at MINICOM headquarters.

François KANIMBA (Born 1958) was appointed Minister of Trade and Industry of Rwanda on 10th May 2011 after a long career as a banker where he has been serving as the Governor of the Central Bank of Rwanda since 6th May 2002.

His successor, Hon Vincent Munyeshyaka, was Minister of State in charge of Socio-Economic Development in the Ministry of Local Government since 2012.