Weekly Review

Kigali-Gatuna highway to cost Rwf32bn Construction works on the Kigali-Gatuna highway are expected to start in May next year at a cost Rwf32 billion. The revelation was made Tuesday by the State Minister in charge of Transport, Dr. Alexis Nzahabwanimana. The 77.8 km stretch will be constructed by the German firm, Strabag International. The firm will begin setting up work stations in January but real construction work begins in May next year. The contract involves works to rehabilitate the road and swampy areas which have been severely damaged and have actually become black spots. The Kigali-Gatuna highway is the busiest road in terms of traffic and mainly serves as the main transport channel between Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Burundi. It is part of the 600km road network supposed to be constructed over a period of seven years. Former Gakenke officials convicted of forgery Nyagatare Intermediate Court on Tuesday sentenced three former officials of Gakenke District to three-year jail terms over forgery.The trio are former district notary, Prudence Nsanzumuhire, former president of Gakenke Sector Advisory Council, Jean De Dieu Dukuzumuremyi, and his wife Emerthe Mukeshimana and Emmanuel Senzira, formerly in charge of Good Governance at the district. According to prosecution, the suspects, along with three other accomplices still at large, used their powers as leaders to falsify support documents that enabled, Jean Baptiste Nshmiyimana, to grab a house belonging to his ex-wife. Flood victims get relief People displaced by flood waters in Rwamagana District on Tuesday received relief supplies from the Ministry of Refugees and Disaster Preparedness and Rwanda Red Cross to alleviate their suffering. Heavy rains and strong winds have devastated several villages in Rwamagana District. The floods affected more that 500 people and have caused many to seek shelter in relief assistance camps after more than 150 houses were destroyed.The Mayor, Nehemie Uwimana, said the items including beddings, utensils, clothes and food were provided to the victims as the district seeks means to acquire iron sheets to facilitate them to reconstruct their houses. The coordinator of Rwanda Red Cross in the area, Eugene Bwanakweli, promised more aid to the victims. EAC to enact cyber laws Regional states are working on ways of enacting harmonised cyber laws to holistically address challenges of the increasing reliance on ICT for commercial and administrative activities. The laws will facilitate electronic commerce; fight incidents of cyber crime, safeguard privacy and data protection, among others, as the regional integration deepens.The EAC Cyber Laws reform programme began in November 2006, after the approval of the regional e-Government strategy by the EAC Council of Ministers. In an interview with The New Times on Wednesday, Jean de Dieu Ndacyayisenga, an expert with the Ministry of EAC, said that the harmonised cyber laws will deter efforts to undermine the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information and communication in the region. Clerics unmoved by NGO’s pro-abortion stance Several religious leaders have raised concerns over an advocacy campaign championed by a nongovernmental organization, Health Development Initiative (HDI), to decriminalise abortion. According to HDI, continued criminalisation of the act leads to unsafe abortion which might cause death and other complications. HDI says that legalising abortion would lead to the use of safer methods to avoid unnecessary deaths.The Archbishop of Rwanda Anglican Church, Onesphore Rwaje also plainly voiced his church’s views against abortion and its decriminalisation.“We are working against it. It’s murder because after fertilisation, the foetus is considered a child. It’s also against the Christian ethics and beliefs,” said the Archbishop. Pastor Geoffrey Killi of the Kigali English Adventist Church similarly said his position was pro-life. Rwanda hands back seized DRC minerals Rwanda, on Thursday, handed back to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) about 82 tonnes of smuggled minerals seized by Rwanda police.The minerals which included cassitarite, wolframite, tungsten and Tantalum, were received by the head of the Congolese delegation, Moise Nkongolo M’Vita, the chief inspector in the department of mines of DRC.The handover, which took place at the Rwanda-DRC border in Rubavu, was effected by Rwandan Minister of Natural Resources Stanislas Kamanzi. Kamanzi used the occasion to dismiss allegations that Rwanda was involved in plundering and illegal trade of minerals especially from the DR Congo.The minerals, which had been seized over the last five months, were reportedly not tagged, and had been smuggled through porous borders. Nkongolo commended Rwanda’s commitment to fight fraud, and pledged collaboration to stop the cross-border smuggling. RDB launches new tourism package The newly introduced tourism product named “Congo Nile Trail” will contribute to the growth of the tourism industry in Rwanda. Rica Rwigamba, Head of the Tourism and Conservation at Rwanda Development Board (RDB), told the media on Thursday, that the new hiking project on the shoresof Lake Kivu creates the western Rwanda corridor that links Nyungwe and Volcanoes national parks.The 227 kilometre trail stretches from Lake Kivu shores across from the DR Congo and extends southwards to Rusizi through Karongi and Nyamasheke Districts. The 10-day by foot and 3-day by vehicle trail was developed by RDB in collaboration with United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and SNV Rwanda. The Congo Nile Trail will be launched on November 25 at Kivu Serena Hotel in Rubavu District. Rwanda currently has three national parks, the home of the Mountain Gorillas, Nyungwe Forest National Park and the Akagera national Park. Couple arrested over grenade attack A middle aged couple was arrested and is detained at Rwamagana Police Station allegedly for the murder of 28-year old man in Karenge Sector in Rwamagana District. Jean Baptiste Nsanzimana and his wife Consolata Ndacyayisenga, are said to have detonated a grenade which killed Saveri Habimana, at around 9.30pm on Wednesday, according to Police.The victim was in his sitting room and died instantly, police said. Police spokesperson, Superintendent Theos Badege, told The New Times that the suspects were arrested after a tip off from the deceased’s neighbours. He warned the public against keeping illegal weapons, adding that those who voluntarily surrender the weapons would not be prosecuted. Ends