Weekly Review

WHO, UNAIDS officials meet president over healthThe week started with the arrival and meeting of President Paul Kagame with the Executive Directors of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) with who he held discussions regarding the state of the general health sector. In her address to the media after the meeting Dr Margaret Chan hailed the country’s progress in the health sector for the last 15 years; she noted that what the Rwandan government has done to improve the health sector should be emulated by other African countries. Rwanda connects to optic telecom cableIn the business and Information Technology field, the week started on a glowing note with ALTECH stream Rwanda announcing that it has connected to the interim micro-wave internet technology of the international submarine optic cable systems. Gov’t injects up to 4.3 billion in SACCOS Early this week it was reported that the government has injected money up to a tune of Rwf 4.3 billion to develop the Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOS) in a move which is expected to generate Rwf 60 billion by the end of this year. The fund was released as a result of last years national dialogue to have at least one SACCO in each administrative sector. SSFR invests Rwf 20 billion in real estates Mid this week it was announced that the National Social Security fund of Rwanda as of 31 may invested up to Rwf 20 billion in real estate projects in a move to cut the deficit of house supply. The already established real estate projects are worth Rwf 6.9 billion while ongoing projects are valued at 13 billion. Release of convicted mayor raises eyebrows The unexpected release of Ngororero mayor Cyprian Nsengiyunva by musanze high court to the chagrin of some prosecution is another aspect that started the week with some twist of controversy. The general feeling was that he should be detained because he was evading justice after being convicted and given a jail term of five years for embezzlement.Regional army chiefs meet The regional army chiefs from Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Burundi Monday at the Congolese border of Goma to evaluate the on going joint DRC-UN military operations against FDLR. ICTR to take DRC to UN over delayed extradition of fugitive It was reported that the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) has threatened to take the Democratic republic of Congo to the United Nations Security Council over the delayed extradition of Gregoire Ndahimana a genocide suspect arrested there. Ndahimana a top genocide fugitive was arrested by DRC forces on August 11 in a village in North Kivu but is yet to be handed over to the Arusha based tribunal. The week also wound up with announcement of a life sentence to the former speaker of parliament Alfred Mukezamfura for his role in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. Mukezamfura who was the parliamentary speaker for five years since 2003 was sentenced in absentia by the Gacaca court in Nyakabanda sector in Nyarugenge district. People poisoned at wedding It was also reported that one person died and scores of others admitted to Kibungo hospital after they drank what is suspected to have been poisoned local beer at a wedding party. The incident happened in Zaza sector in Ngoma District at a wedding ceremony of Immaculee Musabyimana and Theonest Gasasira. Ends