Five more arrested over grenade attacks

Police on Thursday arrested five more people in connection with grenade attacks in various parts of the country since last year. The suspects were paraded before journalists at Nyamirambo Police Station. Some of the suspects were found in possession of grenades at the time of arrest. One of the suspects, who said he had been in the country for the last four months, told journalists that he was sent by FDLR to scout and identify locations of military and police barracks. The latest grenade attack occurred Tuesday night leaving 10 people with minor injuries.

Over 30 Kayonza families receive cows

Send a Cow Rwanda gave Friesian cows to 32 families of Ruramira Sector in Kayonza District ons Thursday. The farmers also got livestock drugs and salt worth over one million Rwanda Francs. Anita Mutesi, the Vice Mayor in charge of social affairs, said the national cattle stocking programme has changed people’s livelihoods. The exercise was part of ‘One Cow per Household’ project commonly known as Girinka.

Grenade injures two children

Two children were seriously injured when a hand grenade they were playing with exploded. The incident took place in Kigabiro sector of Rwamagana on Thursday. The children were rushed to Rwamagana Hospital immediately after the incident. The children said that they found the hand grenade by the roadside.

EAC to adopt Rwanda’s investment strategy

Rwanda’s strategy in promoting trade and investment will serve as an example which other East African countries are set to follow.

This was disclosed after a two-day dialogue, held in Kampala, where Rwanda’s success story of investment facilitation, was shared with the other member states. The Chambers of Commerce operating in East Africa vowed to adopt Rwanda’s strategy as a way to fast track business growth in the region.

Transport cooperative launched

The president of the Commuter Taxi Association (ATRACO) Ludovic Twahirwa Dodo, urged commercial taxi operators to consider maximizing their profits as the association positions itself to move from a non profit association to a cooperative. Twahirwa made the comments while launching Rubavu Transport Cooperative (RTC), as part of the campaign to establish Atraco as a profit-oriented cooperative.

Similar transport cooperatives have been formed in Musanze and Gicumbi districts, and the exercise is set to be taken to other parts of the country.

Kagame thanks Girinka supporters

President Paul Kagame, on Thursday, thanked the people who have made the One Cow per Poor Family programme a success, at an event in Rubavu to mark its fifth anniversary. Through the initiative, known as Girinka Munyarwanda, communities nominate needy families to receive a pregnant cow to improve their nutrition and provide manure to increase yields in their farms.

President Kagame told the guests, who included ordinary Rwandans, the police, army, businesses and development partners that he greatly valued their contributions; President Kagame, who initiated the programme in 2006, underscored its importance. He called on government leaders, the private sector and those who have the means to keep giving the less privileged, adding that it creates closer links between them and the people that they lead. During the event, more than 2,000 cows were pledged by various institutions and individuals.

Energy authority takes over electricity generation for Rwanda

The Leadership Retreat on Friday agreed to hand over responsibility for electricity generation to the Energy, Water and Sanitation Authority (EWASA). The decision was part of a renewed drive to address challenges in reaching electricity production targets.

Vincent Karega, Minister of Infrastructure said: "For increased effectiveness, EWASA has been tasked with both generation and distribution of electricity, and the ministry will continue to develop policy and oversee implementation.” Rwanda’s target is 1000MW by 2017 and plans are underway to increase production by 25% in the next year.

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