Weekly review

EAC political parties meet in Nairobi The first ever meeting bringing together political parties from all East African Community (EAC) member states kicked off on Thursday in Nairobi, Kenya, with officials reiterating the need for partner states to cede some powers if integration is to take shape. The forum, that brings together 200 delegates, provides an opportunity to the political organisations to examine their manifestos, establish areas of convergence and propose ways on how to participate in the regional political processes. Lack of political will on the part of some partner states has largely been cited as one major challenge to the current efforts to foster regional integration. Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga said there is still a huge gap between the political class and bureaucrats, which makes it difficult for important decisions to be implemented within partner states. Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) member, Connie Bwiza, told the meeting that if the political federation concept is to achieve any success, it should be taken down to the grassroots for internalisation. Media fraternity urged to promote gender mainstreamingJournalists from various media houses around the country have been called upon to highlight gender based issues. The call was made during a conference on Gender and Governance in East Africa, organised by the Association of Rwanda Female Journalists (ARFEM) in collaboration with Eastern African sub Regional Support initiative for the advancement of Women (EASSI). Addressing journalists, the chairperson of ARFEM, Faith Mbabazi, urged them to mainstream gender in their media content so as to enlighten society about women’s equal role. Mbabazi appealed to journalists to take up their roles and help the government and society take affirmative action by giving due attention to gender based challenges. Nivatiti Nandujja, the EASSI representative also told the media to always pick on key issues that affect women and address them to the public through the media. First Lady attends health summit in WashingtonThe First Lady, Jeannette Kagame, this week attended a high-level two-day summit in Washington DC that focused on improving health for women and children in the world. The “Summit to Save Lives” which was organized by the George W. Bush Institute, was also used as a platform to announce a partnership known as ‘Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon’ that will pull public and private investments to combat cervical and breast cancer, which are the two leading killers of women in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. In her remarks, Mrs. Kagame urged stakeholders to impose their influence as maternal and child health advocates, to accelerate action towards improving women and children’s health. Other speakers included Former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Nancy G. Brinker, Founder and CEO of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure and Professor Awa Marie Coll‐Seck, Executive Director of Roll Back Malaria Partnership, amongst others. 12-YBE to cost over Rwf13bnThe government has set aside over Rwf13 billion to construct classrooms for the 12-Year Basic Education (12-YBE) program across the country. The Minister of Education, Pierre Damien Habumuremyi, announced this on Friday at the end of a-two-day joint review meeting organised by the ministry to assess the progress made by schools to accommodate the program whose implementation starts in January. Once underway, the program will see all Rwandan children guaranteed of attaining secondary education. The government plans to put up over 2,660 classrooms countrywide to accommodate the influx of students and will bear the lion’s share of the costs. Video evidence pins Ingabire on Genocide ideologyOn the fourth day into the second week of the trial involving Victoire Ingabire and her co-accused, prosecution presented to court video and audio material incriminating the opposition politician on the charge of Genocide ideology. Ingabire is on trial on six charges formation of an armed group, complicity to acts of terrorism, conspiracy against the government by use of war and terrorism, inciting the masses to revolt against the government, genocide ideology and provoking divisionism. In his presentation to the panel of judges led by Alice Rulisa, prosecutor Alphonse Hitiyaremye played a video of Ingabire’s press briefing at the Kigali Genocide Memorial. At the memorial, she said that only one side of genocide is depicted, clearly suggesting that there was double Genocide, prosecution averred. Expropriated residents in Bugesera to be compensated soonCompensation for residents set to be displaced by the construction of the proposed new Bugesera International Airport will begin in October. The construction will be carried out in phases through 2013 to 2025.This was revealed by Dr. Alex Nzahabwanimana, the State Minister in the Ministry of Infrastructure in charge of Transport, on Wednesday, while addressing hundreds of families that will be relocated, to pave way for the airport construction. At least 137 families with 700 people are expected to be relocated.The Minister told Bugesera residents that the airport will benefit them in many socio-economic ways. He emphasized that the district was privileged to accommodate local and international guests that offer extraordinary opportunity for economic development. Mayor Louis Rwagaju, said that residents to be relocated were sensitized enough to settle elsewhere and their new settlements were already mapped. Jallow reappointed ICTR Prosecutor The UN Security Council on Wednesday reappointed Hassan Bubacar Jallow as the Prosecutor of the Tanzania-based International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) for a term of three years and three months. The move also saw the Security Council reappoint Serge Brammertz as the prosecutor at the UN Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia (ICTY) who will serve until 2014.The UN News Centre noted that acting on Resolution 2006 (2011), which was adopted unanimously, the Council reappointed Jallow, a Gambian, for a new term with effect from September 15, running until December 31, 2014. Both tribunals are required to take measures to expeditiously complete their remaining work no later than the end of December 2014. Jallow was first appointed to the Tanzanian-based tribunal post on September 4, 2003, taking over from Swiss national, Carla Del Ponte. Ends