OLPC Boss calls on Kagame.

The visiting chairman and CEO of One Laptop Per Child (OLPC), Rodrigo Arboleda, Wednesday paid a courtesy call on President Paul Kagame at Village Urugwiro.

Arboleda, told reporters after the meeting that his visit was partly to pay tribute to the Head of State and thank him for transforming the country and overseeing reforms.

"I came here to pay tribute and homage to President Kagame and the people of Rwanda for the miracle they have performed, having been able to overcome the tragedy they went through,” Arboleda said.

Arboleda added that the implementation of the OLPC program has been successful. He observed that Rwanda is now looking at the next stage of improving the use and distribution of computers among school children.

EALA to meet in Kigali next week

The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) will meet in Kigali, next week, for its plenary session, a 10-day gathering that will start on September 5. EALA is the legislative arm of the East African Community (EAC) and has legislative functions as well as oversight of all matters pertaining to the bloc. The meeting will debate on various bills, including the EAC Trans-boundary Ecosystem Management Bill of 2010. According to reports, if the trans-boundary bill is passed, it would enhance the quality of the environment and also ensure sustainable utilisation of shared natural resources in the bloc. However, according to the agenda of the plenary, the much contested harmonization of tuition fees among regional varsities will not feature in the inter-university bill amendment.The regional legislators are also expected to receive a number of reports for consideration by the oversight committee among them a report of the committee on science and technology.

 France extradites Genocide suspect to Belgium

A genocide fugitive who had a European arrest warrant issued by a Brussels judge, Jean Coumans was extradited to Belgium this week. He is the fifth suspect to be taken into Belgian custody this year. Neretse, 54, allegedly murdered a Belgo-Rwandan family, among others, in Kigali, during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. He allegedly allowed the killing of Belgian national, Claire Beckers, her husband, Isaïe Bucyana, and their daughter, Katia, as well as their neighbours. Witnesses claim that it is Neretse, who alerted a soldier only identified as Lieutenant Soteri about the victims’ planned escape, and also witnessed the executions. From 1989 to 1991, Neretse, the then boss of Ocir-Café in the former Ruhengeri Prefecture, was among the influential men in the Habyarimana regime.

Kagame urges Judiciary to address inequality in International Justice

President Paul Kagame, challenged members of the judiciary to stand firm and use their legal expertise to defend the dignity of Rwanda and Africa in general. Addressing members of the judiciary at the Parliamentary Building during the opening of the 2011/12 Judicial Year, President Kagame said that Rwanda, like many African countries, has found itself a victim of the double standards in the universal jurisdiction. He challenged the legal fraternity to defend the dignity of Rwanda and Africa, and stand up against unequal treatment, where certain countries outside the continent seek to be considered superior and untouchable when it comes to international justice.

Kagame receives IOC award

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has bestowed President Paul Kagame with the 2010 IOC award for ‘Inspiring Young People’ around the world. The IOC chairman and president, Jacques Rogge, presented the award to President Kagame at Village Urugwiro, on Thursday. Rogge, who is on his maiden visit to Rwanda, told reporters that the IOC recognised the President for his great support to the development of sport in the country.  The Minister of Sports, Youth and Culture, Protais Mitali, who attended the meeting, said that the head of IOC pledged more support to Rwanda.

Rwandan students stranded as Makerere University closes

Makerere University in Uganda was, on Thursday, closed down indefinitely, leaving many international students, including Rwandans, unsure of their next step. The closure followed a lecturers and students’ strike that took place last week. The university council chairman, Dr. Charles Wana-Etyem, announced the closure on Thursday, prompting students to protest the decision. The staff is demanding for the swift release of their Ush16.7 billion pension funds from the National Insurance Corporation (NIC) on top of a salary increment. The Ush16.7b accumulated between July 1996 and 2005, when the company operated a Deposit Administration Plan (DAP) for the university's pension scheme.
 
Experts to conduct heart disease survey in Gasabo schools

In an effort to eliminate rheumatic heart disease (RHD) among children, medical officers will next week embark on a study targeting school children in 10 primary schools in Gasabo District. The study was commissioned to collect data on the prevalence of rheumatic fever (RF) or RHD among primary school children and adolescents. The chairman of the Rwandan Heart Foundation, Dr. Joseph Mucumbitsi, pointed out that the disease continues to affect children, yet it is 100 percent preventable.

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