News in brief

BBC names finalists BBC Swahili named six finalists of the Faidika na BBC (prosper with BBC) young entrepreneur competition on 29 July. The finalists are Aladin Hakizimana, from Rwanda, Bone Ciza, from Burundi, Angelique Nyota Kikkukama, from Kenya, Juma Mbaraka, from Tanzania and Roy Gakuo, from Uganda have each demonsrated innovative ideas on how to start with US $5,000, a successful business that will have a positive impact on their community. They were selected from over 10,000 entrants from Swahili speaking territories; each of them submitted their proposals for the contest. Credit for women development Last month, Rwandan officials announced a new programme that aims at strengthening women’s economic capacity by providing more access to credit and enabling them to start income generating projects. The central bank has been given the responsibility of identifying beneficiaries - the sole criteria being that the projects should be aimed at women’s empowerment.Some of the projects that qualified for funding included coffee farming, shops, agribusiness and tourism, according to the central bank. Electrogaz goes on fibre optic The public company for the production, transport and distribution of electricity (Electrogaz) will effective today start using the fibre optic in their undertakings. The fibre will be used through a system called SCADA and it will be launched today afternoon. Canadian drugs shunned The much-publicized Canadian HIV/Aids drug Apo-TriAvir is to be subject of a major study after patients abandoned their doses because the tablets have a strangely bitter taste. In September last year, Rwanda received some 7million pills to treat about 20,000 patients over a period of one year. The medicines were then seen as some of the best available on the market because of their small dosage. However, a nation-wide study on the pills is scheduled to take place early this month after a patient-survey at a clinic in Kigali revealed some patients missed doses of the treatment due its taste. Days numbered for questnet The financial dealings of network marketing group QuestNet are illegal and should seize or will be forced to end operations, the Central Bank said recently. Central Bank Governor François Kanimba said last week that the days of QuestNet and other similar groups are “numbered”. He said company’s practices are fraudulent as it uses illegal methods to con prospective clients. Students complain Students from school of finance and banking (SFB) have been complaining of congestion for the past two weeks after they were urgently moved to a lecturer’s house because the hostel in which they were residing started leaking. One of the students who declined to reveal her names said that the lecturer’ house is too small to accommodate them, adding that four students sleep on one bed. Ends

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News in brief