February 2014 ~ MTANZANIA BLOG

Friday, 21 February 2014

UN agro-devt agency urged to give small farmers more support

Helping small holder farmers increase production is one of the ways that can reduce global poverty, especially in developing countries. Net photo

The UN agricultural development fund has been asked to focus more on promoting small holder farmers to reduce poverty. The call was made during the 37th session of the Governing Counsel of IFAD in Rome.
Fabrizio Saccomanni, the Italian minister for economy and finance, asserted that ensuring small holder family farmers have adequate access to credit and investment is of paramount importance for poverty reduction.
Speaking to international policy-makers, farmer leaders and private sector representatives, Saccomanni said that while some progress had been made, much remains to be done to eliminate hunger and poverty.
“The challenges ahead require a radical increase in agricultural productivity, but this has to be pursued in a sustainable way.
“Supporting smallholder agriculture is the way-out, as evidence and research show; it breaks the vicious cycle of poverty while preserving scarce natural resources.”
IFAD is a specialised UN agency and international financial institution that provides investment funding aimed at creating a route out of poverty for rural people in developing countries, most of which are involved in Agriculture.
In developing countries, 67 per cent of the population is said to be vulnerable to poverty, with about a third of that number living under poverty line.
In Rwanda, agriculture is the mainstay of the economy, but most of the farmers engage in subsistence farming, whose livelihoods are threatened by the changing climate and lack of assistance to mitigate increasing loss of soil fertility and droughts.
The conference noted that farming families are important for socio-economic development and stability. It emphasised the important role women play in food security, saying that through their empowerment, poverty can be eradicated.
IFAD President, Kanayo Nwanze, noted that agriculture has an unprecedented potential to drive economic development and inclusive growth.

Tanzania’s participation in Games hangs in the balance

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With just five months left before the start of the 2014 Commonwealth Games, hopes for Tanzania minting medals at the quadrennial meet are increasingly fading.

Tanzania, a country boasting a glorious past, has no single athlete with the marks to compete at the event planned for Glasgow, Scotland from July 23.

Despite planning for camps abroad, the likes of Kenya and Ethiopia, who always grab medals at various events, have qualified athletes who have already been honing their skills at different camps.

With sports associations moving at a snail’s pace, the Tanzania Olympic Committee (TOC) has come out expressing concern over the country’s participation at the Glasgow event.

TOC secretary general Filbert Bayi told The Citizen yesterday that all sports bodies have failed to comply with regulations guiding the Commonwealth Games participation. Bayi whose 1974 Commonwealth Games record has yet to be broken disclosed that no association has submitted details of their athletes to them, dropping a hint that Tanzania may as well miss out on this edition.

“It is a cause for concern; Tanzania is the only country that is far behind schedule. There are no athletes with the marks required and I think sports bodies aren’t doing enough to save the nation’s face,” said the legendary runner.

Bayi said Tanzania’s participation at the Commonwealth Games now hangs in the balance because a lot of issues have not been sorted out to meet the deadline.

“We can as well miss out on this edition if the sports bodies don’t act timely…it will be a big shame,” he said. “The worst part of it is that there is a tug-of-war between some Mainland sports officials and their Zanzibar counterparts, who have to-date not yet compromised on who should go to Glasgow,” he said.

“What I would suggest is that they have to agree on issues, short of which they will deny their athletes chances of taking part in the games,” said Bayi.

With regards to the slow progress, Bayi said that they have directed all the associations to meet with TOC’s technical committee today to discuss the fate of their associations.

“The technical committee will discuss with association officials about their athletes’ participation, failure to do that, the committee will come up with its final decision,” he said.

Athletics Tanzania (AT), according to its secretary general and Olympic silver medallist Suleiman Nyambui, needs plenty of cash if they are to take 40 runners to Scotland.

Ugandan premier breaks silence over presidency

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Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi, who is accused by some NRM members of harbouring presidential ambitions, yesterday said the relevant party organs will be the ones to decide their flag bearer for the 2016 elections.

Speaking to journalists at Parliament, Mr Mbabazi first laughed when reporters asked him whether he would heed the calls to take on President Museveni in the 2016 party primaries.

In response, he said that within the NRM party: “We have procedures, the constitution and regulations detailing how we handle affairs.”

Responding to the calls from NRM youth leaders who were urging him to contest, Mr Mbabazi said: “Whatever opinions they have, they should desist from expressing them publically, there are forums where such issues should be raised.”

Addressing a news conference on Tuesday at Makerere University Guest House, members of NRM’s Youth League national executive committee said what transpired in Kyankwanzi, when party MPs appeared to have been stampeded into endorsing Mr Museveni, was illegal. On whether he has an invisible hand in the activities of the youth leaders who are backing his undeclared 2016 bid, the Prime Minister said: “All the youth of the NRM party are associated with me as their Secretary General.”

The Daily Monitor understands that Mr Mbabazi is No 202 on a list of 222 MPs who signed onto the Anite motion that endorsed Mr Museveni’s sole candidature. However, the responsibility of choosing a flag-bear is given to the National Delegates Conference which also comprises the MPs. The NRM caucus statement issued after Mr Mbabazi signed on the motion indicated that “the Prime Minister did not only sign to second the motion, but also spoke passionately in support”.

Madagascar still awaits new PM

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Antananarivo, Friday. Anxiety has gripped Madagascar over the impending appointment of the new Prime Minister after President Hery Rajaonarimampianina failed to disclose the name as expected.

President Rajaonarimampianina had promised to unveil the new premier by Tuesday.

“Things depend on the developments in the National Assembly which has been in special session since Tuesday,” he said on Wednesday.

Allies of his predecessor Andry Rajoelina, whose party garnered majority seats in Parliament, expected to be given the exclusive right to propose a name to the President.

They have now formed a platform: “Together with Andry Rajoelina” to push for the former president who has been angling for the position.

The platform, which has so far won five out of the six posts for the deputy heads of the National Assembly, is headed by former Justice minister Christine Razanamahasoa, who is a close ally of Mr Rajoelina.

Mr Rajoelina and President Rajaonarimampianina met on Tuesday to discuss the country’s state.

“The authorities must seek stability if we really want to work for the progress of the nation,” Mr Rajoelina said after the meeting.

“The constitution directs the leader to set the state’s general policy and the premier must be someone having the same vision as the leader,” he added.

Mr Rajoelina also pointed out that the international community had not put pressure on him to quit active politics since Madagascar was a sovereign nation.

There have been speculations over the possible PM, including the transitional regime’s consensual Premier Jean-Omer Beriziky.

Local media, however, paid more and more attention to Mr Roger Kolo, a member of Malagasy Diaspora in Europe who was among the presidential hopefuls, who were disqualified last September.

Mugabe at 90: I still have ideas

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Harare, Friday. “I do not know how I have come to live this long,” Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe said a month ahead of his 90th birthday, which he celebrates on Friday.

Africa’s oldest leader, he has outlived most of his younger siblings and most of his political foes.

“It is all God’s will,” he said at the burial of his younger sister Bridget who died aged 78. President Mugabe once quipped he would rule his country until he turned 100.

After winning a new five-year term last year, after more than three decades in power, he is not far from reaching that goal.

The country’s new constitution could see the man who first came into office as prime minister at age 56, serve as president until he is 99.

After three turbulent decades at the helm of the former British colony, the firebrand leader has gone from a darling of the West to international pariah. He uses blistering rhetoric to blame Zimbabwe’s downward spiral on Western sanctions. “If people say you are dictator... you know they are saying this merely to tarnish and demean your status, then you don’t pay much attention,” he said in a 2013 documentary. He has told his critics to “go hang” and has vowed to forge ahead with his drive to empower blacks by forcing foreign-owned companies to cede their majority shares to locals.

Even as he turns 90, as he enters his 34th year in power, and his health is increasingly questioned, there is no hint of a succession plan in his party.

“The 89 years don’t mean anything,” said the iron self-confident Mugabe shortly before last year’s election.

“They haven’t changed me, have they? They haven’t withered me. They haven’t made me senile yet, no. I still have ideas, ideas that need to be accepted by my people,” he added. (AFP)

Mr Mugabe swept to power in 1980 as an independence hero in the fight against white minority rule, bringing democracy to millions of black Zimbabweans, and was widely credited with health and education reforms.

He was also lauded for forging reconciliation between blacks and whites at independence -- having offered some key ministerial posts to moderate white politicians.

More praise was showered upon him for allowing Ian Smith, the white supremacist Rhodesian ruler who had jailed him for a decade, to stay on in Zimbabwe serving as a lawmaker.

Report exposes Kenya’s wealthiest political dynasties

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People with political connections control more than 50 per cent of the Kenya’s wealth that is owned by individuals, a new report has shown.

Highlighting this as one of the factors that could negatively impact on Kenya economic growth in future, the Wealth in Kenya 2014 report says that a common thread running through almost all the dollar millionaires is their political connections as well as their ownership of large tracts of land.

The list of the wealthy political dynasties and billionaire landowners reflects Kenya’s top political leadership.

However, the report does not give details about how their wealth was acquired and does not suggest that the wealth was acquired irregularly. The Kenyatta, Moi, Kibaki, Karume, Kulei, Biwott, Nyachae, Odinga, Saitoti, Michuki and Mwau families are listed among the wealthiest in the report compiled by a British organisation. The same families also own large tracts of land.

Other large individual land owners include Mr Swaleh Nguru, Mr Saleh Said Sherman, Mr Tahir Sheikh Said (TSS) and Kamlesh Pattni.

The group is likely to get even richer because property prices continue to rise in the east African country.

According to the report, Kenya’s residential property prices rose by four per cent in dollar terms and 42 per cent in shilling terms, fuelled by strong economic growth and high demand by foreign buyers particularly in Nairobi and coastal area. (NMG)

Some view Katiba outfit as ok, but others are sceptical

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A reader is hopeful that the constituent assembly will deliver good results because it comprises brilliant individuals, another is worried that, the heavy CCM presence will influence adoption of the two-government system. One contributor is cynical, hoping that the members won’t doze off during sessions.

Mbarouk, Tabora

I am very optimist that the constituent assembly will deliver good results because most of its members are brilliant and are people with integrity.

Furthermore, the members represent various social groups, and so, their knowledge and broad experience will be very useful in producing the final draft that will guide and safeguard the interests of the majority

Veda Riwa

The constituent assembly members should give priority to issues of national interest.

Hamis Bura

My expectation is that we will go back to the 1977 mother law especially in matters of the type of governments we want.

CCM and some politicians want two governments, while the Opposition camp and some NGOs are for a three-tier government system. So, I hope they will agree to settle for what was spelled out in the 1977 constitution.

Arobo Mkama

I don’t foresee much good coming out of the constituent assembly. I am very upset, for a start, that the members are concerned about the allowance they will draw, the focus being more than what has been allocated (Sh300,000 per head per day).

This is utterly shameful, coming from individuals who have been tasked to serve wananchi, most of whom are languishing in poverty. It is a manifestation of selfishness that should be condemned.

Mother-child HIV infection still high

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Mother to child transmission of HIV in Arusha region remained relatively higher at 4.6 per cent despite viral infection among mothers falling down to 1.4 per cent from 1.6 per cent in 2012, it has emerged.

Statistics released Friday indicate only 898 out of 63,224 women who were tested last year were found to be HIV positive.

“This accounts for 1.4 per cent of all the infections compared to 1.6 during 2012”, said the regional medical officer Dr. Frida Mokiti said during the launching of Option+ programme aimed to eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV in the region.

She said during 2012, a total of 973 children born of infected mothers were tested using special equipment to test their HIV status, only 45 or 4.6 per cent were found to have been infected with the virus.

The RMO told an audience at a government health facility at Ngarenaro on the city suburbs that the government intends to reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV to five per cent by 2015 from 20 per cent.

The programme was officially launched by President Jakaya Kikwete on December 1st, 2012 during the climax of the World Aids Day which was held at the national level at Lindi.

The ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the National Aids Control Programme (NACP) is implementing the programme with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO).

A combined Tenofovir, Lamivudine and Efavirence (TLE) is the recemmended drug which should be taken by HIV positive mothers for the rest of their lives.

According to Dr.Mokiti, at least 20 known HIV-infected mothers who are using the drugs delivered children who did were not infected with the virus.

She said the regional authorities in collaboration with the Elizabeth Glaser Peditric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) in Tanzania have trained 88 health auxilliaries to oversee implementation of Option B+ programme in the region.

Launching the programme, the Arusha regional commissioner Magesa Stanslaus Mulongo said HIV/Aids remains a big health problem in Tanzania and that it affected pregnant mothers,infants, women and adult men alike.

He called on pregnant women and their partners to check their HIV status so that they are advised what to do when found to be HIV positive.

The Michelle Obama swag in love-struck Dar

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Vera Wang is a fashion icon who has dressed royalty and other women in high places, among them Michelle Obama. The designer’s profile rose even more among fashion enthusiasts in Africa, especially after she dressed the first black woman tenant of the White House.

What are the chances that brides in wedding-struck Dar es Salaam and US First Lady Michelle Obama could have something in common? If you really want to know, look no further than the teeming second hand clothes markets in the city.

At the Kinondoni-Manyanya market in particular, one dealer likes to throw in the name Vera Wang, the famous fashion designer whose work, he says, is among his favourite.

But Amos Mtalima, 32, does not know who Vera Wang is nor does he dream of meeting her. All he cares about is that the name appears to move his merchandise fast.

Mtalima is not entirely surprised when told exactly who Vera Wang is. He told The Citizen on Saturday:

“I knew she was a designer from the name tag on the clothes that we sell. I did not know, though, that she deals with such big people…only that many of our clients appear to like her label. For me, that was a cue to be on the look-out for a similar name tag whenever I go shopping.”

Mtalima is among the dealers now developing a niche selling second hand wedding gowns.

These are not quite the elegant dresses sold in high-end boutiques. You are more likely to find them hanging in stalls in not-so-clean surroundings.

Those who are familiar with the Kinondoni-Manyanya market will appreciate these dresses but, from a distance, a stranger would wonder if new brides could not do better. Yet local vendors are making a killing with second-hand wedding gowns. Reason? They are chic and cheap.

Mtalima has been selling these dresses for the past five years. The business is picking up rapidly, he says, with middle class trendsetters making up the bulk of new clients.

Word has spread so widely that boutique owners, even those serving the high end market, come calling.

When he started the business, the turn-out at his modest stall would be really low--mainly because of perceptions about second hand wedding clothes in those days. He adds: “Some considered them to be of use only to the underprivileged. Nowadays, I get orders from a wide range of customers, including those who call in advance for the right sizes.”

Ambitious plan to connect rural areas

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Tanzania Telecommunication Company Limited (TTCL) yesterday signed a Sh9.7 billion ($6.03 million) contract with the Universal Communication Service Access Fund (UCSAF) to supply communication services in rural areas.

The project to be completed in eight months will see 202 villages across the country with an estimated 300,000 people benefit.

The contract was signed between the Fund’s Chief Executive Officer, Peter Ulanga and TTCL acting Chief Executive Officer, Peter Ngota. The fund was made available through the World Bank.

Prof Makame Mbarawa, the minister for Communication, Science and Technology, witnessed the signing of the deal. He said TTCL was awarded the works after mobile companies which had shown interest withdrew following a standoff on the SIM card tax.

According to Prof Mbarwa, the initial plan before the four mobile companies withdrew was to reach 1.3 million people in 968 villages at a cost of Sh22.880 billion ($14.3 million).

He however said the government, through the UCSAF, is currently reviewing the plan with a view to float a fresh tender. The minister said results for 758 villages with 610,000 beneficiaries will be out soon. Some at Sh16bn ($6.03 million) will be used.

Mr Ngota assured the government value for money from the project. “Based on how TTCL implemented well all projects in phase I, we will continue to perform better because we have enough human resources to oversee the implementation of the projects.”

Mr Ulanga said the successful rollout of the project will promote social-economic development in the underserved rural and urban areas. He said already the fund invested Sh9.3bn to cover 316 villages.

Council bans Kenyan mineral water brand

23:43 Local news No Comments

Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) has barred Tarime traders to immediately stop selling the ‘Farris’mineral water brand bottled and imported from Kenya, claiming the brand doesn’t meet local standards.

In a notice issued by the district’s executive director, Mr Venus Mwambengo,the traders were warned agaionst violating the order.

The water which has been widely sold in the district was reportedly found to contain impurities.

“ The bottled water doesn’t adhere to TBS standards… it has also been tested to contain an excessive amount of water guard, a very harmful substance to its consumers,” he explained.

A score of traders, however,defended the water, wondering why Kenya approved it if it was not suitable for consumption. They also said the brand was cheap compared to the local brands.

They said a big carton of bottled water from Kenya is sold Sh10,000 each compared to Sh13,000 they pay to buy local brands such as Kilimanjaro or Dasani of a similar size.

3 EAC partners for joint power project

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The leaders of Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda seek to develop a joint power generation project to increase power supply in the region.

Presidents Paul Kagame and Uhuru Kenyatta met in Kampala on Thursday at a tripartite summit chaired by Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni.

The meeting was also attended by Burundi’s Vice President Geravis Rufykiri and Dr Barnaba Marial Benjamin from South Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Tanzanian delegation led by Vice President Dr Mohamed Gharib Bilal attended the summit as observers.

“Work on power interconnection should be completed in the Republic of Uganda by February 2015, Republic of Kenya by March 2015 and Republic of Rwanda by April 2015,” a communiqué released at the end of the meeting says.

The regional leaders also agreed to develop a common mechanism of acquiring way-leaves for not only power generation but to cover other utilities within the integration projects.

Major tripartite projects, including EA single tourism visa and use of national identity cards as travel documents which came into force on January 1, 2014 were officially launched.

The leaders also signed the Defense, Peace and Security Pact designed to strengthen regional security and partnership in the fight against terrorism, cross-border crime and other regional security threats.

President Kagame hailed the achievements made on current joint projects, saying it was encouraging.

Form Four candidates post improved results

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The Acting Executive Secretary of National Examinations Council of Tanzania (NECTA), Dr Charles Msonde. The general performance of candidates of the latest Form Four examinations have improved by 15 per cent in 2013 compared to 2012, it has emerged.

According to the official results of 2013 Ordinary Level (O-Level) released yesterday by National Examinations Council of Tanzania, a total of 235,227 students which is equal to 58.25 per cent of the candidates who sat for their exams in November last year passed, compared to 185,940 or 43.08 in 2012.

Although boys with 53 per cent are ahead of the girls with 46 per cent in general results, girls by far outshined boys in the national top ranking of individuals, taking seven places in top ten of the best students.

According to Necta’s Deputy Executive Secretary Dr Charles Msonde, this year the institution used the same fixed grade range system that Necta and the ministry of education adopted in 2012 which breaks down the results into seven grades.

According to the system, A starts from 100 to 75, B+ 74-60, B 59-50, C 49-40, D 39-30, E 29-20 and F 19-0 marks. “A pass is awarded from A to D, and in overall results a candidate must score a minimum of two Ds or a C to pass the exams,” said Dr Msonde.

“The system also dictates that a final result on each subject is to be divided from two sources, 30 per cent from school continuous assessment and 70 per cent from the final exams,” he said.

Division zero or failure still has the largest chunk of the results share with 151,187 candidates 42.91 per cent from nearly 60 per cent. Division four comes in second with 126,828 or 36 per cent.

Candidates who scored from division I up to III combined accounts for only 21 per cent. Division III 55,017 (12.78pc) II - 21,728 (6.17pc) and only 7,579 candidates or two per cent, scored the top grade, division one.

Government schools are still nowhere to be found in the most outstanding schools where private ones schools dominated the top ten. Mbeya’s St. Francis Girls led the 2013 list followed by Marian Boys, and Feza Girls in the top three.

The best three students are Robina Nicholous from Marian Girls (Pwani), Magreth Kakoko, St. Francis Girls (Mbeya) and Joyceline Marealle from CANOSSA in the city.

Basic Mathematics is still a hard nut to crack for most of the students in the country as only 17.7 per cent of the candidates passed. Kiswahili attracted majority pass (67 per cent).

Necta withheld results of some students for different reasons, among them 31,518 who didn’t pay examination fees, and whose results will be released after doing so. Others are 23 students who fell ill and couldn’t manage to sit for some subjects; these will sit for the respective subjects. A total of 24 students who had already registered for the exams fell ill and failed to do even a single examination, Necta has given them a chance to sit for their exams later this year.

Sh15bn to preserve Dar heritage

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Head of the European Union delegation to Tanzania, Ambassador Filiberto Sebregondi, exchanges notes with the director of Heritage, Mr Donatius Kamaba, after signing an agreement for the establishment of the Dar es Salaam Centre for Architecture Heritage in Dar es Salaam yesterday. Second left is the minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Lazaro Nyalandu, who witnessed the event.
The European Union (EU) has joined efforts to conserve Dar es Salaam’s rich architectural heritage currently under threat from real estate developers.

The EU head of delegation to Tanzania, Ambassador Filiberto Sebregondi, announced yesterday the launch of a Euro 7 million (Sh15.6billion) Dar es Salaam Centre for Architectural Heritage (Darch) aimed at saving and promoting historical architecture in Dar es Salaam.

Darch was jointly launched by Amb Sebregondi and the Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Mr Lazaro Nyalandu, against a backdrop of demolition of iconic historical landmarks in Dar es Salaam by real estate developers.

Speaking before the launch of Darch, Amb Sebregondi appealed to the government to preserve its architectural heritage in Dar es Salaam saying time was running out quickly.

“Unfortunately not a single day goes without seeing the risk of this heritage disappearing,” said the EU envoy, asking: “What has happened to so many harmonious buildings in the city centre?”

He said the value of the past was often not understood, nor was the fact that it could be integrated in the future plans for the city.

“Dar es Salaam is the third fastest growing city in Africa. It is under extreme pressure to accommodate the business, trade, housing needs of a dynamic mega people,” said Amb Sebregondi.

He added: “This does not have to be done at the detriment of its unique architectural heritage.”

He said the EU was proud to support the project that will demonstrate how to preserve and make it become an asset for the city’s sustainable development.

The Darch project is a joint initiative by the Architectural Association of Tanzania (AAT), Ardhi University and the Technical University in Berlin, Germany.

It will be located in Dar es Salaam’s historical Old Boma on the Sokoine Drive waterfront. The Old Boma will be restored in six months to serve as a model for sustainable preservation and provide opportunities to train local craftsmen.

The DARCH project associates are Mkuki Na Nyota Publishers, The British Council and ANZA, East Africa’s first magazine for architecture and urban planning.

Warioba, Werema differ

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Attorney General Frederick Werema

Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) chairman Joseph Warioba has warned the Constituent Assembly against overturning key proposals contained in the second draft constitution.

Mr Warioba sounded the warning a day after Attorney General Frederick Werema told CA members that they were free to change anything in the draft except the national issue outlined in the Constitution Review Act.

Comments by the two leaders came amid a debate on whether CA members have the mandate to overturn proposals by the CRC, notably on the Union structure. While the draft constitution proposes three governments, the ruling CCM, which commands a majority in the CA, advocates the current system of two governments. Mr Warioba told The Citizen on Saturday by telephone yesterday that CA members should understand that it is not their task to write the constitution.

“Their work will result in the third draft constitution, which will be subjected to referendum to be undertaken by the same people who gave views that formed the basis of what the CRC proposed,” said Mr Warioba, who clarified earlier this month that CA members were only allowed to improve what the CRC had proposed, not overturn it.

But reacting to queries from CA members during a workshop on Thursday, Mr Werema noted that with the exception of issues mentioned in Section 9(2) of the Draft, members were at liberty to make new recommendations.

National issues outlined in Section 9(2) of the draft include the Union, the government, Parliament and Judiciary, republic governance system and the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar.

Others are national unity, peace and tranquillity, periodic democratic elections, human rights, equality before the law and a secular republic.

“The work of this assembly is not limited to adopting the draft constitution. If that was the case, then there would have been no need to have this assembly,” Werema said.

But Mr Warioba said yesterday that in doing their work, CA members should make sure that they follow the law to the letter.

He said in doing so, CA members should desist from “owning” the proposed constitution as it is only Tanzanians who were going to make the final decision on the proposed Supreme Law.

Mr Warioba said what was in the draft constitution was the collective opinions of Tanzanians, which should be respected.

“On this, I am the final spokesperson. During this process we are all advisors. Since the beginning, it is wananchi who gave their opinion which formed the basis of the first draft. We later returned to the same to wananchi who improved it. They made amendments... Although it is being debated in the Assembly, the draft is still the property of Tanzanians.”

Revealed: Warioba team pay package

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Jaji Warioba akifafanua jambo. Picha na Maktaba

Members of the Judge Joseph Warioba-led Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) were paid Sh250,000 each per day, The Citizen on Saturday can authoritatively reveal.

But the amount rose to Sh330,000 each for every day that the 30 commissioners travelled out of Dar es Salaam city, which was considered their work station.

Judge Warioba declined to confirm or deny the figures yesterday when the question was put to him by The Citizen on Saturday. All he would say was that the information was confidential. He did, however, confirm to our sister publication Mwananchi on Thursday that they earned lower amounts than what the CA members are receiving.

The Citizen on Saturday independently established that the commissioners who drafted the first and second draft constitution earned Sh200,000 as responsibility allowance plus Sh50,000 for “leadership”.

The additional Sh80,000 paid during upcountry trips was pegged at the current government rate for subsistence allowance, according to impeccable sources that worked with the CRC team. That would mean CA members now in Dodoma will pocket more in allowances than CRC members.

Each of the 629 CA members President Jakaya Kikwete named a week ago will earn Sh300,000 daily for the 70 to 90 days within which they are expected to have finished fine-tuning the second draft of the constitution.

The amount paid to CA members is split into Sh220,000 in responsibility allowance and Sh80,000 in subsistence allowance.

This suggests that, more often than not, a CA member will earn Sh50,000 more in daily pay than what the former PM and AU Secretary-General, Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, were paid when they worked for the CRC.

The CA members’ allowances will amount to Sh9 million each per month against Sh7.5 million for the same period earned by each member of the Warioba commission.

A demand by some CA members to have their allowances more than doubled to Sh700,000 has plagued the opening days of their meeting and attracted a public backlash. The unpopular demand was ignited by Mr Richard Ndasa (Sumve-CCM) who said the cost of living in Dodoma would overwhelm the 201 non-MP delegates.

Mr Ndasa accused the government of favouring the CRC, claiming its members were paid more than Sh500,000 every day. What they will be paid in Dodoma is equal to what CRC drivers were paid, he added.

The push for a raise saw the CA interim chairman, Mr Pandu Ameir Kificho, pick a committee to chart the way forward. The team, which began meeting yesterday, comprises Mr William Lukuvi, Mr Freeman Mbowe, Mr Paul Kimiti, Mr Mohamed Abood Mohamed, Ms Asha Bakari Makame and Ms Jenista Mhagama.

Redefining peacekeeping

23:29 No Comments

Pan Butamire

As it used to be (and still is, in some places?), peacekeeping could not impress anybody in Rwanda, in my opinion. With it, Rwandans saw the meaning of shame and will never be identified with it.
When UN peacekeepers had their stint in Rwanda in the early 1990s, except a wee few courageous individuals who, at their personal initiative, saved lives – some of who lost their own, God bless their souls – they did not give Rwandans any reason for fond memories.
If anything, they left memories of distress, derision, rage and rancour. In instances where their intervention was most critically needed, where death of innocents was looming, their reaction was at best comical, at worst embarrassingly heartless.
Take the case in a technical school, in Kigali. Thousands of cowed Rwandans were holed up there in 1994, having run to peacekeepers camped there for protection. All around the fence, a militia of uncountable maniacal murderers hungrily waited, their crude killing implements dripping blood from killings elsewhere.
Then, inexplicably, an order came for the peacekeepers to evacuate and they left their charges high and dry. As they set off, they watched as the killers burst over the fence and set upon their victims with clubs, machetes, axes, stones, any killer tool at hand.
Even as screams rang in their ears, the peacekeepers headed for the airport: not a shot to scare the killers away; not an odd gun left behind for the hapless victims.
To this day, the (sole?) survivor who tearfully recounts this incident is nursing the stump of a lost arm and a nail-studded-knobkerrie-machete battered body. Listening to this disgrace – leave alone reliving it – is heart-rending. Similar examples in areas all over the country are legion, none any less agonising.
Rwandan soldiers, wherever they can, and for as long as they can, will never allow such infamy to be visited on any innocent individual/group of individuals.
Whoever attempts to comment on peacekeeping as practiced by Rwanda Defences Forces (RDF) should never forget this hell they came from.
Rwanda today is a product of the disgrace of her history and so is RDF. Wherever RDF volunteer to keep the peace, their own peace is secondary. First and foremost, the victim in the conflict must be protected.
That’s why it should not surprise anybody that Rwandan peacekeepers in the Central African Republic (CAR) appear to be acting the daredevil.
Last Sunday, February 16, as RDF’s Rwanda Mechanised Infantry Battalion forces (RwaMechBatt1) were on the 700-km road to the Cameroon border, escorting a humanitarian convoy through a marauding mixture of fighters, when they came under attack. But where other peacekeepers try to keep out of harm’s way, RDF plunged into the thick of it.
The Anti-Balaka marauding murderers must have regretted their adventurous folly after suffering seven losses, even if they killed three innocent civilians. At the end of the encounter, more than 2000 Muslims were rescued.
Wherever they are, RDF soldiers are with any defenceless person, anybody vulnerable, to the hilt. The person may be Muslim, Christian, black, white, whatever.
In Rwanda, we know this. Whether they are joining the monthly umuganda; building houses for vulnerable families; providing community health services; constructing classrooms; handling emergencies; saving a life in any way, RDF are in their element.
We remember helicopter evacuations of accident victims inside Rwanda, in Uganda, in Tanzania; the market fire in Burundi. The soldiers are imbedded in the populace: in CAR, Darfur, South Sudan or Haiti – and wherever next.
And so when the CAR capital and surrounding areas were faced with hunger last January, they answered the call and opened up the humanitarian and commercial corridor that connects Bangui to the Cameroonian seaport of Duala. In Bangui, it’s their duty to put a stop to looting; lynching; any case of lawlessness.
Some non-Africans may have milked cheap popularity out of the corridor incident, as reports have it, but to think that RDF is in this life-and-death business for the money and fame is to insult Rwandans in the extreme. It ignores the painful reality of our brothers and sisters, daughters and sons that we receive home, legs first.
As a young compatriot observes, nobody should engage in some academic merry-go-round about “prestigious achievement”, “celebrity status” or “war tales” going to RDF’s head.
But the compatriot should also disabuse himself of these beliefs of anyone standing “a slim chance of taking the reigns” [sic] because of the place the army holds in this country. In Rwanda, the army is the people. And the people, the army.
All in all, methinks to RDF, peacekeeping is about giving the victimised peace, and keeping it – for eventual transfer. The forces have no time for amusement parks.
Their overriding calling is to restore people’s dignity and self-worth. For having suffered the disgrace they did, Rwandans could not but redefine peacekeeping as we knew it.

Miss Rwanda 2014 to be crowned today

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Outgoing Miss Rwanda Aurore Mutesi

MISS RWANDA 2014 will be crowned today in a colourful ceremony at Petit Stade, Remera. The winner will be picked from 15 contestants who made it to the finals after a countrywide pre-selection exercise.
Under the theme “My Beauty, My Skills, My Tools for Self-reliance,” the pageant is being organised by the Ministry of Sports and Culture (MINISPOC). The event will mark the end of Miss Rwanda, Aurore Mutesi’s 2-year reign.
According to organisers, Miss Rwanda is a platform for women empowerment and the winner is expected to fly high, Rwanda’s flag of beauty with a purpose, dignity and culture.

Africa must preserve the memory of its tragic past

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Dr Joseph Nsengimana

IN RECENT days two different denominations have been used in international forums with regard to the tragedy that befell Rwanda in 1994; the ‘Rwanda Genocide’ and the ‘Genocide Against the Tutsi’ – for the same crime. This is because when the UN recognised what was happening in Rwanda in 1994, they called it the Rwanda Genocide.
At the 10th anniversary, when the African Union and the UN designated April 7 as the day of Genocide commemoration, both institutions kept the same naming; Rwanda Genocide.
However, Rwanda, confronted by misuse of the naming by negationists, clarified the denomination with the help of a conference of Genocide Scholars
Therefore, the right naming of what happened in Rwanda in 1994 – was made precise, not by geographical context but rather by social context. The ‘target group’ of the Genocide were the Tutsi, hence Rwanda constitutionally adopted and renamed the crime as the ‘Genocide Against the Tutsi’.
The United Nations used the above naming in UNSC Resolution 2136 (2014) of 30 Jan 2014.
Our embassy will formerly request the AU Council to do the same, in a bid to avoid ambiguity.
Kwibuka20 is a time to reflect on how far we have come as a country – from ashes to building a new Rwanda; a Rwanda that provides justice, unites and develops her people.
It is also a time to remember the over one million of our people lost in the Genocide and to re-commit to “Never Again” – whether in Rwanda or elsewhere in the world.
As Africa, it is a time to reflect together and resolve to fight Genocide and its ideology on the continent and elsewhere in the world and to shape a better continent free of conflicts.
The launch of activities for the 20th Commemoration of the Genocide formally begun in Kigali on January 7 with the lighting of the “Flame of Remembrance” which is now traveling through the different districts of the country and will return to Kigali on April 7 for the official national commemoration.
Since the Kigali launch in January, our diplomatic missions abroad and friends of Rwanda have been involved with similar activities intended to reflect, to remember and to commit to “Never Again”.
Remembering our past tragic history has been challenging but has also been a source of resilience and unity for Rwandans – and strength to confront our future with dignity.
As we reflect on the tragedy that befell our continent twenty years ago, we have chosen to focus on conflict prevention on the continent in order to avoid a return to what happened in Rwanda.
This week at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, the lighting and relay of the ‘Flame of Remembrance’ was conducted by couples of young people representing the five regions of our continent.
The significance of the 20 year olds or less, carrying the ‘Flame of Remembrance’ is a reflection of post-Genocide Rwanda’s unity which is a product of traditional justice – a justice based on truthful confessions and forgiveness.
It also symbolises the resilience of Rwandans during these 20 years of rebuilding their country from the ashes of the Genocide.
The other significance of this symbolic action by these young Africans is the reflection of a new generation that is free of past divisions and hatreds that have characterised past generations.
This new generation, empowered with new values, will build new nations characterised by unity and shared prosperity all over the continent.
We must strive to make sure that we write our own history as a continent, preserve the memory of our tragic past: of slavery, of genocide and crimes against humanity – by supporting the construction of the African Human Rights Memorial that is in the offing, to be constructed at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa.
The article was extracted from the remarks by Rwanda’s envoy to the AU, Amb. Joseph Nsengimana, at the launch of Kwibuka20 in Addis Ababa, on February 21.

Senate okays draft law on refugees, asylum

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Refugees in Gihembe camp, Gicumbi District gather at a function to mark the 2012 World Refugee Day. File.

The Senate on Friday approved a Bill that will govern refugees and asylum seekers in the country once assented into law.
The draft law repeals the 2001 law relating to refugees, which did not spell out ways of dealing with refugees and asylum seekers, especially those who may arrive en masse or those who may arrive on the Rwandan territory while armed.
The Minister for Disaster Management and Refugee affairs (Midmar), Seraphine Mukantabana, who witnessed the Senate’s vote yesterday, was upbeat that it would bring more clarity on how to treat refugees.
“The law is now clear on how to deal with refugees who might arrive on Rwandan territory in large numbers or when they are armed. It’s important for the public to know that refugees have rights. But it is also important for refugees to understand that they have to respect the Rwandan laws when they are here,” she said in an interview.
Asylum seekers who may arrive in Rwanda with arms will be disarmed and demobilised before they can apply for refugee status, the new draft law stipulates.
The Bill will also set up a National Refugee Status Determination Committee in charge of considering and deciding on asylum applications and guaranteeing or revoking refugee status.
The proposed body will be reporting to the ministry in charge of refugee affairs but still leaves the ministry with some work on deciding on who should be taken in as a refugee or who can be rejected.
According to the Bill, the committee shall consider and analyse applications for refugee status and decide within 45 days, and notify the asylum seeker about the decision within ten days.
Applicants who will be denied asylum by the committee will be allowed to appeal to the minister within a period of 30 days from the date the decision has been communicated to them.
The law will also require refugees to live in refugee camps.
Every person whose asylum has been granted shall be entitled to shelter until they are granted refugee status.
Currently there are more than 70,000 refugees in Rwanda in five camps.
Many of the refugees are from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Miss Rwanda 2014: A sneak peek into the boot camp

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The girls pose for a photo at the boot camp at La Palisse Hotel.

TODAY Miss Rwanda 2014 will be crowned at a colourful event at Petit Stade in Remera. In the build up to the D-day, the girls spent two weeks in a boot camp. Timothy Bamwita visited the camp and captured what transpired.

Contestants listen attentively to a motivational speaker.

The day began with aerobics and physicals at the gym at 5:45am which went on for over an hour before breakfast. Then, came training sessions that followed a similar routine. The training sessions were meant to boost confidence, etiquette, how they carry themselves as ladies, perfecting the cat walk and the art of public speaking.

Some of the contestants practice how to do the catwalk.

On top of this, the contestants met a series of motivational speakers. Among the notable speakers were Dr. Jean Baptist Habyarimana; the Executive Secretary of Unity and Reconciliation Commission who talked about the Ndi Umunyarwanda project with a major focus on what unites Rwandans rather than what divides them and Mr. Didier Munezero who highlighted the importance of vocational education skills to the contestants and Rwanda as a whole.

It’s meal time.

Ms. Jeanne d’Arc Umulisa from the ministry of Gender and family Promotion talked about girl empowerment as one way of boosting emancipation in Rwanda. Other key speakers were Fred Murangwa from Rwanda Development Board and Butete Redemptor from the ministry of Youth and Information Communication Technology (ICTs) all highlighting the role ladies have to play in conserving the Rwanda culture, investing in Rwanda and the role of ICTs in empowering the youth in Rwanda.

Working out: contestants going through drills.

At the end of the camp, contestants were more confident. Emmanuela Erica Urwibutso one of the contestants said the boot camp broadened her knowledge on many aspects besides making many new friends.
For Mouna Dukunde, it was a worthwhile experience spending time with strangers that treated her not as a competitor but as a friend and many a time shared different ideas. But it wasn’t work all day. The contestants got time off to relax. They often went to the cinema for movies, played basketball and visited museums in Nyanza and Genocide sites.
The day usually ended with personal rehearsals of the catwalk, correcting each other, sharing ideas about the competition and entertainment which mostly took the form of dancing.

Ukraine rivals sign deal to end crisis

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Protesters stand on a barricade during an anti-government protest in downtown Kiev. Net photo.

KIEV. Ukrainian opposition leaders have signed a deal with the government to end a political crisis that will effectively strip the presidency of many of its powers and free from jail the opposition leader, Yulia Tymoshenko.
The pact, which was signed by the president, Viktor Yanukovich, and three main opposition leaders on Friday, paves the way for early elections and a shift in political power towards parliament.
In line with the deal, the parliament amended the criminal code in a move that will lead to the release of Tymoshenko, a leader of the 2004 “Orange revolution” who was jailed in 2011 on alleged corruption charges.
In another vote, Ukraine’s parliament dismissed Vitaly Zakharchenko, Ukraine’s acting interior minister, for using “violence” against protesters. The parliament also approved to return the country to its 2004 constitution, which limits the president’s powers and gives lawmakers the right to appoint key ministers.
Media reports from Kiev, said the emergency session of parliament effectively voted to strip the president of many powers and decriminalise charges against Tymoshenko.
“This will be a prime move. She was regarded as a heroine of the Orange revolution. Not only does it look like she will be released, it is highly likely she will return to politics.”
According to the agreement, a unity government is also expected to be formed in 10 days.
Further constitutional reform will be completed by September and new elections will be held no later than December with new electoral regulations. A joint commission will also launched an investigation into the recent violence.
The deal came a day after all-night talks mediated by the EU ministers in the country and clashes that killed at least 70 people.
Tug-of-war
Yanukovich announced that he backed the deal early on Friday morning.
Ukraine is the object of a geo-political tug-of-war between Moscow, which sees it as the historical cradle of Russian civilisation, and the West, which says Ukrainians should be free to choose economic rapprochement with the EU.
The protests by EU-supporters in the country have been going on since late November.
Russia, which has been holding back a new loan instalment until it sees stability in Kiev, has at various times condemned EU and US support of opposition demands that Yanukovich, elected in 2010, should share power and hold new elections.

Two government officials killed in Somali presidential palace attack

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The car bomb rammed into a concrete barrier in front of the presidential palace. Net photo.

MOGADISHU. Somali police said two government officials, Mohamud hersi Abdulle, the permanent secretary of Somali prime minister and Nur Shirbo, a former senior intelligence commander, were killed in Friday’s attack at the presidential palace.
Somalia’s Minister for National Security said government forces thwarted an attack against the presidential palace in the capital Mogadishu.
Car bomb explosion followed by heavy gunfire hit near the northern gate of the presidential palace in the Somali capital Mogadishu.
Abdelhakim Guled, National Security Minister said that Somali government forces backed by African Union peacekeepers captured several Al-Shabaab fighters who attacked the Somali presidency in Mogadishu while others were killed.
“They launched a desperate attack on the presidential palace but the attack was thwarted by our forces who captured some of the attackers alive,” State radio quoted Guled as saying.
The carbomb went off at one of the gates of the presidential residence in Mogadishu before several heavily armed gunmen tried to storm it but was confronted by presidential guards, police officer Mohamoud Yonis told Xinhua.
“Firefight broke out between the guards and the gunmen who were quickly neutralized by our forces,” Yonis said but did not say if there were any casualties.
UN Somalia envoy Nicolas Kay said in a twitter post that Somali president was unharmed and condemned the attack on the presidential palace known as The Villa Somalia.
“President just called me to say he’s unharmed. Attack on Villa Somalia had failed. I condemn strongly this terrorism,” Kay tweeted.
Islamist group of Al-Shabaab have claimed responsibility for the attack on the Villa Somalia. The group is fighting Somali government and African Union peacekeeping troops in the country.

Rubangura’s family wrangle hearing due next week

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Nyarugenge-based Commercial High Court has set next Thursday for the hearing of a property wrangle case involving the family of the late Vedaste Rubangura.
The dispute is between Rubangura’s eldest son, Denis Rubangura and Immaculee Kayitesi, the former’s step mother.
Denis Rubangura sued Kayitesi and two commercial banks, Cogebanque and former Fina Bank, now GT Bank, accusing the banks of violating his father’s inheritance will by issuing loans to his step mother.
“Our father clearly stated how his property should be handled. He never said we use his property to acquire loans. All I want is to ensure that the property is well managed until the last born is mature enough to take her own share,” he said.
Vedaste Rubangura passed on in 2007 and Kayitesi is the recognised widow.
The Rubangura estate, which includes a renowned commercial building in the city centre and a steel factory valued at billions of francs, are at the centre of the legal battle.
Before Rubangura died, he wrote a will indicating that all his finances and properties should be used in servicing his debts and paying his children’s school fees until they have all graduated.
According to the will seen by The New Times, the children can only share his property after his last born has reached adult age.
His last born, Kelly Uwase is now 15 years old, which implies that all the ten children of the deceased tycoon will have to wait for her to make 21 years for them to share the property.
However, Denis Rubangura accuses his step mum of staking UPROTUR, a company belonging to the deceased city tycoon, to acquire bank loans.
However, sources close to Kayitesi claim that Denis is using expired documents to lodge a court case.
“Kayitesi never acquired a loan. She only got an irrevocable Letter Of Credit from the banks to run UPROTUR. This is not new, this is exactly how Rubangura was running UPROTUR, unless Denis want the company to run bankrupt,” said the source.
An irrevocable Letter Of Credit is a correspondence issued by a bank guaranteeing payment for goods and services purchased by the one requesting the letter.
However, Denis Rubangura says no dealings were supposed to be made without the consent and approval of all the ten children.
The case was expected to start on Thursday but lawyers representing the parties claimed they had not shared the submissions amongst themselves and asked for more time.
The court set February 27, for the case to resume and ordered the contending parties to have shared their submissions by February 24.

10,000 Congolese refugees moved from border camp

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Mugombwa camp is set to accommodate about 10,000 Congolese refugees who had been temporarily hosted at Nkamira since 2012. File.

Refugees from Nkamira Transit Centre in the north western district of Rubavu are being transferred to the southern Gisagara District.
This was revealed by officials from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs (Midmar).
The first batch of refugees, according to midmar officials, arrived in the newly-constructed Mugombwa camp on Monday and the operation is expected to continue until all the refugees in question have been transferred to the new camp.
Officials say the relocation is meant to comply with international standards that bar refugees from staying near the borders of the country they fled.
Mugombwa camp is set to accommodate about 10,000 Congolese refugees who have been temporarily hosted at Nkamira since 2012.
Mugombwa Refugee Camp becomes the second facility for Congolese refugees to be established in the country following the outbreak of violence in the eastern DR Congo mid-2012. The other is located in Kigeme, Nyamagabe District with over 18,000 refugees.
Mugombwa camp now brings the total number of refugee camps in the country to five, after Kigeme, Nyabiheke, Kiziba and Gihembe.
Rwanda hosts more than 73,000 Congolese refugees.
Refugees’ safety
Refugees affairs minister Seraphine Mukantabana, reiterated the commitment of the government to protect refugees and assist them as long as they are on the Rwandan territory.
The minister, who visited the camp this week, said the government will continue to participate in all initiatives, both at regional and international levels, meant to restore peace in DR Congo so that the refugees can be given a chance to go back to their home country.
“The establishment of this camp is a demonstration of our efforts towards the protection of refugees,” Mukantabana said.
She thanked the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) for its continued support to the government of Rwanda in handling the influx of Congolese refugees since April 2012.
Mugombwa refugee camp covers 47.7 hectares of land. Infrastructures like schools, water and sanitation facilities have been established at the camp to serve both refugees and local communities.

Adult literacy drive gives Huye residents a second chance

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Beata Nyirabarushigorora (L), an instructor who has been volunteering for the past four years, poses with fellow trainers. Jean Pierre Bucyensenge

Costasie Nyiraminani was born 20 years ago into a humble family in the rural Mbazi sector in Huye District, Southern Province.
Like any other child, she dreamt of going to school and couldn’t wait to put on the blue cotton dress.
Unfortunately, that time never came as she was kept by her parents at home to help in house chores, including cooking, fetching water and working in the family field.
Nyiraminani says her family was to poor to educate her.
“Had I gone to school like the rest, maybe I might have become a teacher, a medical doctor or someone important in the community,” she adds.
Last year, at 19, Nyiraminani joined an adult literacy centre in her home sector with an aim of gaining writing, reading and counting skills.
After a year of study, she passed and was awarded a certificate.
Today, she says she is proud that she can read and write.
“I always felt embarrassed whenever my age-mates discussed what they had learnt at school,” Nyiraminani recalls.
Nyiraminani says the skills she acquired have helped her improve her living conditions. In fact, after the training, she underwent a tailoring course and later joined hands with other people to start a dress-making workshop.
“If I had not learnt how to read, I wouldn’t have been able to train in tailoring and I would have remained poverty-stricken,” Nyiraminani says.
Reducing illiteracy rates
Nyiraminani is just one of the many adults who have benefited from special literacy skills training programme as the country intensifies its efforts to eradicate illiteracy.
According to the 2010/2011 Integrated Household Living Conditions Survey (EICV), literacy rate in the country stands at about 70 per cent.
There are over 5,000 literacy centres spread across the country which offer reading courses to adults, according to Esperence Muzinganyi, the officer in charge of adult literacy at the Ministry of Education
The centres, she said have greatly contributed to reducing the rates of illiteracy in the country.
Muzinganyi told The New Times that over 140,000 people graduated from various centres across the country in 2012.
Last year, a report by the African Economist magazine ranked Rwanda among top 20 countries in Africa that are actively promoting adult literacy programmes. Rwanda was ranked second in East Africa and 17th in Africa.
The government’s efforts in fighting illiteracy have been supplemented by several non-governmental organisations and churches.
One such organisation, Global Communities, has been channelling funds through the Usaid-funded Ejo Heza project to various actors who run literacy centres.
John Ames, the Chief of Party for Usaid Ejo Heza, says their intervention in the area of adult literacy was dictated by the need to uplift people’s living conditions.
“We are trying to promote new agricultural techniques, health and nutrition and we found that literacy is a key component in these activities,” Ames says.
Improved life
Learners say the training offers them a chance to improve their living conditions and managerial skills.
Some of them also benefit from extra life-skills ranging from technical training to assistance in starting informal savings and credit groups.
Emmanuel Ntwari, a father of three who benefited from the literacy training programme, says he always felt he missed something until he decided to enrol for the course.
He says he was forced to live as a herder for most of his life.
“One thing I am sure of is that the literacy training has improved my judgement,” Ntwari says.
Beata Nyirabarushigorora, an instructor who has been volunteering for the past four years, says adult literacy is giving learners a second chance.
“After undergoing literacy trainings, a number of our trainees have formed savings groups and they are improving their livelihoods,” Nyirabarushigorora says.
“Seeing people prosper makes us proud and keeps us volunteering,” Nyirabarushigorora says.

Emotions as Kwibuka Flame arrives in Nyabihu

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Jean Bosco Ndagijimana (with microphone) is joined by three of the people he helped save during the Genocide. Jean Pierre Bucyensenge.

The Kwibuka Flame reached Nyabihu District yesterday amid tears and cheering.
The hundreds of residents, who braved the scorching afternoon sun, listened with enthusiasm as speaker after speaker took to the stage to give their testimonies of what they went through during the Genocide.
There were tales of survival, heroism, repentance and reconciliation, with all the speakers vowing never to be drawn back into ethnic divisions that culminated into the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Joseph Bagirinshuti, a Genocide convict, recalled how as a child and later, as a teenager, he was taught to hate Tutsis, something that compelled him to get involved in the killings.
Bagirinshuti spoke of how he reformed shortly after the Genocide.
“I understood the gravity of my crimes. I sought forgiveness for my actions,” Bagirinshuti, who served a three-year sentence, said.
Bagirinshuti said he is now dedicated to rebuilding the country he helped to destroy.
“I have now dedicated my life to preaching unity and I am a reformed man. I am ready to die for my country,” he said.
However, the most emotional part of the event was when one Jean Bosco Ndagijimana was called to narrate how he helped Tutsis escape from the marauding killers.
As he started narrating, three of the people he saved joined him with one woman shedding tears. She fell into Ndagijimana’s hands and embraced him tightly for minutes, drawing cheers from the public.
Some members of the public who couldn’t control their emotions also shed tears of joy while others were heard saying that it was an act of heroism.
“I did it for the sake of humanity,” Ndagijimana said. “I was extremely saddened by what was happening and decided to help Tutsis. I knew I could be killed myself but took the risk,”
Moving out of darkness
Nyabihu, in the Western Province, experienced some of the worst massacres against Tutsis even before the Genocide began in April 1994.
Testimonies indicate that between 1991 and 1993, Tutsis there were systematically murdered, particularly in Mukamira and at the Bigogwe military barracks. Many others were thrown into the Nyaruhonga cave in the same district.
When mass killings started, militias who were practically on stand-by went on rampage killing dozens of thousands of Tutsis in the area in just three days.
There were also chilling testimonies of militias who used dogs to hunt down Tutsis who had hidden in Gishwati forest.
Twenty years down the road, survivors say their lives have improved, with commitment that the dark past will not derail them from their development path.
Athanase Kayisire, 47, a survivor, thanked the government for “helping survivors move out of darkness.”
“I have a place to call home,” he said.
Bad leadership
Nyabihu District mayor Abdoulatif Twahirwa, said it was time to reflect on the country’s dark past.
“Divisionism and discrimination that were preached by some leaders led us to the Genocide,” he said.
But today Rwanda is committed to becoming a prosperous nation where citizens share resources and have equal chances and opportunities, he added.
“We are now working to rebuild our country,” he said.
The Minister for Sports and Culture, Protais Mitali, told Nyabihu residents that the Remembrance Flame is a symbol of hope and new found life after the 1994 mayhem.
“It is the light that replaces the darkness brought about by bad leaders who sowed hate and divisionism,” Mitali said.
He urged residents to make efforts to avoid a repeat of the traumatic past, by championing truth, unity and tolerance.
“You should commit your efforts and skills to promoting unity within your communities,” he said.
He challenged those who took part in the Genocide to own up and repent as a way of fostering reconciliation.
WHAT THEY SAID
Joslyne Uwamahoro, 16, student
This Flame is an indication that the bad times brought about by the Genocide have come to an end and that we should have faith in a brighter future. As young people, we have the task to continue fighting against divisionism and genocide ideology. It is also our responsibility to foster unity so as to be able to build a strong nation.
********************************************
Mutoni Ange Darline, student
The Kwibuka Flame is a reminder to us that we have the responsibility to safeguard the nation’s gains and make sure we carry on from our current achievements to build the nation we deserve.

Senate okays draft law on refugees, asylum

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Refugees in Gihembe camp, Gicumbi District gather at a function to mark the 2012 World Refugee Day. File.

Rwanda, Ghana ink bilateral trade deal

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The Rwandan Private Sector Federation chairman, Benjamin Gasamagera (L), and the president of Ghana Chamber of Commerce, Seth Adjei Baah (C), sign the trade agreement in Accra on Friday. Peterson Tumwebaze.

Trade and investments between Rwanda and Ghana could be boosted thanks to a new trade agreement signed between Rwanda’s private sector and Ghana chamber of commerce in Accra.
The deal outlines scaling up business investments and joint partnerships in sectors such as mining, tourism, agro-processing, real estate and textile manufacturing and seeks to eliminate trade barriers between the two countries.
Seth Adjei Baah, the president of Ghana chamber of commerce and industry, said the need to promote trade investments between the two countries is imperative not only for economic development, but also poverty reduction between the two countries.
“We know that Rwanda has become exceptional in doing business and Ghana is endowed with natural resources. Therefore, merging these two ingredients will not only foster trade between Rwanda and Ghana but also boost intra-trade across the African continent,” Adjei Baah said.
He further noted that the Government of Ghana was willing to facilitate Rwandan entrepreneurs interested in conducting business with their Ghanaian counterparts.
Benjamin Gasamagera, the chairperson of the Rwanda Private Sector Federation, said the initiative will not only correct the trade imbalances that exist between the two countries but also boost socio-economic relationships between the two business communities.
“The development of the African continent will be driven by the private sector. Bringing together members of the private sectors from different regions will therefore create an enabling environment where business opportunities, challenges, and experiences will be shared and new innovations, and ideas brought to the fore,” Gasamagera said.
Denis Karera, the honorary counsel, Ghana consulate in Kigali, said there is progress in conducting business between the two countries since the establishment of the consulate in 2013.
“We have at least two Rwandans travelling to Ghana on a daily basis.The number of Ghanaians arriving in Rwanda has also increased to the tune of about 67 persons per day,” Karera noted.
He emphasised the need for both parties to take full advantage of the national carrier RwandAir’s routine flights between the two destinations.
Experts speak out
Kingsley Karimu, the Ghanaian ambassador to East Africa, said it defies logic for African countries to foster business with the western world without first considering their African counterparts.
“There is no reason why Ghana should be importing beef from Europe when there is a lot of cattle in East Africa,” Kingsley said.
Gerald Sina, the Managing Director of Urwibutso Enterprises, said the new trade agreement opens up a huge market for Rwandan products.
“Whenever there is a market opening, it is an opportunity for producers to scale up production,” Sina said.
Investors also called for improvement of investor protection so as to give them assurance and confidence to invest.
Last year, RwandAir launched its flights to Accra, Ghana in a bid to boost trade between the two countries.
Rwandan entrepreneurs registered in Ghana businesses worth 50,000 dollars in agro-processing in 2013.

Sudan welcomes Kwibuka Flame

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The Rwandan community in Sudan on Thursday gathered in El-Fasher to welcome the Kwibuka Flame which continues its international tour ahead of the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The event is one the official activities that will culminate into the commemoration week, according to a statement signed by the chairman of the Rwandan Diaspora, Sulaiman Kalisa.
Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the Joint Special Representative (JSR) of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (Unamid), commended Rwanda for a successful reconstruction journey, which he said has helped lift the country from the ashes of the 1994 Genocide.
Chambas said Rwanda has overcome the challenges brought about by the Genocide to achieve stability, unity, prosperity and democratic governance.
“Let us give this commemoration a positive meaning of resilience, forgiveness, reconciliation and unity, not only in Rwanda, but across Africa,” the statement quotes Chambas as saying.
The Rwandan Charge d’affaires in Sudan, Shyaka K Ismail, said Rwanda experienced tough and challenging times during and after the Genocide but noted that the country has registered impressive progress over the past 20 years.
“The focus now is on eradicating poverty through entrepreneurship and education,” Shyaka said.
He said the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi was preventable but that the international community looked on as the victims were brutally hacked to death.
“We believe no country should suffer the same fate and that no lives should be lost due to indifference and inaction by global actors,” Shyaka said.
Rwanda is among the top six troop contributing countries to UN peacekeeping missions in the world.
“Together we can create a future free from genocide,” he observed.
Brig. Gen. Norbert Kalimba, the Unamid Force Chief of Staff, said Genocide is part of Rwanda’s history that cannot be erased.
“We are bound to our history, with honest and compassionate reflection that we will not repeat similar mistakes. In fact, it is in remembrance that we find seeds of renewal,” Gen. Kalimba said.
The event brought together about 500 people.
Present were the representatives of all Unamid contingents in Darfur and the Sudanese nationals working for Unamid, as well as Rwandan peacekeepers and the Rwandan community in El-Fasher, Sudan.

Tough CA House rules set to tame trouble makers

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Mr Pandu Ameir Kificho.
Members of the Constituent Assembly (CA) who will disrespect the chair could be suspended for several days, according to the proposed Standing Orders.

Part 9 of the proposals contains a number of sections outlining what members are not supposed to do or say and punishment for those who will not abide by regulations.

Habitual offenders could be suspended for up to five days, according to the proposals presented to members yesterday. The punishment will be meted out by the assembly’s Rights and Privileges Committee upon receiving complaints from the chairperson.

According to the proposals, the chairperson can prescribe punishment for a number of offences, while penalties against repeat offenders can only be imposed by the Rights and Privileges Committee upon being advised by the chairperson.

The proposals seek to empower the chairperson to ensure that civility and proper conduct prevail during debate as well as check misconduct both in and outside the debating chamber.

Section 92 gives the chairperson the authority to cut short a member’s contribution and order him or her to withdraw remarks deemed to contravene the Standing Orders.

If a member refuses to withdraw such remarks, the chairperson, according to Section 92(3), shall order the member to leave the debating chamber and stay out for the reminder of the day.

In case the member refuses to leave, the chairperson will ask the Sergeant-at-Arms or any other security officer to remove the errant delegate from the debating chamber and he or she will be barred from three consecutive sessions.

The Rights Privileges Committee can suspend a member for not more than five days if he or she commits another offence. The proposals also seek to empower the committee to suspend first-time offenders for three days.

Members will debate the proposed standing orders next week after going through them over the weekend.

The assembly will elect a permanent chairperson after passing the Standing Orders. This will set the stage for President Jakaya Kikwete to officially open the CA sitting that will debate the draft constitution.

The CA earlier this week elected Mr Pandu Ameir Kificho as interim chairman.

Two testify in EA assembly election case

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Two witnesses for a local politician who unsuccessfully contested for East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) on Wednesday gave evidence before the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) on why the applicant felt the elections were flawed.

A senior member of opposition Chadema, Mr Anthony Calist Komu, filed a case against the Attorney General of the Tanzania, contesting the election of the regional MPs from Tanzania on grounds that the elections in the county’s Parliament did not follow the right procedures.

The applicant is challenging the process of the said elections held in 2012.

The case was heard before the First Instance Division of EACJ, the judicial arm of the EAC which handles civil cases of regional implications.

Mr Komu stated that before the elections of the regional legislators were conducted in Dodoma, Mr John Mnyika, a Chadema legislator made unsuccessful efforts to alert the House that it should ensure adherence to Article 50 of the Treaty by having proportional representation of various political parties.

He further argued that the four groups created by the House during the election “were not sufficient to ensure justice” and that no mechanism was put in place to ensure fair representation.

You don’t need passport to travel all over East Africa

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President Uhuru Kenyatta flanked by Deputy President William Ruto is shown a demonstration of the use of National Identity card for free movement within the East African countries by Immigration officer shortly before departing J.K.I. Airport for an official visit to Uganda.
President Kenyatta on Wednesday exited Kenya and entered Uganda using his national identity card as a demonstration that East Africans do not require a passport or visa to travel to the regional states.

The Kenya Airways plane carrying President Kenyatta and his entourage left Jomo Kenyatta International Airport shortly before 5pm.

This was meant to promote the movement of people and goods within the East African Community states without a passport or visa.

Many Kenyans, Burundians, Rwandans, Tanzanians and Ugandans are unaware that they do not require visas to travel to each others’ countries.

Although East Africans can use national passports to travel in the region, those without can use their national IDs.

The East African Passport may be used for travel within the community only. It has a six-months multiple entry validity, which is one of the privileges it accords the holder.

Certificates of identity or inter-state passes are issued by local immigration authorities to citizens who cannot be readily issued with a passport in emergency situations to travel across East Africa in place of a passport.

The common market protocol provides for the use of a machine readable national Identity Card for travel within the East African region, but only for citizens of those partner states which have accepted among themselves the use of such.

East African Community, Commerce and Tourism Cabinet Secretary Phylis Kandie said the introduction of a single visa for East Africans will help ease movement of goods and services across borders.

Ugandan premier breaks silence over presidency

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Speaking to journalists at Parliament, Mr Mbabazi first laughed when reporters asked him whether he would heed the calls to take on President Museveni in the 2016 party primaries.

In response, he said that within the NRM party: “We have procedures, the constitution and regulations detailing how we handle affairs.”

Discuss my exit at your own peril, Mugabe warns

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Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. He says there is no need to talk about his succession because he is not about to retire.
Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe who turns 90 on Friday says there is no need to talk about his succession because he is not about to retire.

According to extracts of an interview published by the government owned media on Thursday, President Mugabe said he was not happy with the jockeying for his post in his Zanu-PF party.

A full interview is set to be broadcast on state television on Thursday night.

The veteran ruler, in power since Zimbabwe’s independence in 1980, said his retirement was not due and those raising the succession issue would divide his party.

He said he does not want to leave Zanu-PF divided along factional lines. “But why should it (succession) be discussed when it is not due? Is it due?” he asked.

“The people can discuss it if they want, but the moment they start they go into factions and then you find the party dividing itself and so why discuss it when it is not due?

President Mugabe added: “When the day comes and I retire, yes, sure the day will come, but I do not want to leave my party in tatters. I want to leave it intact.”

He said those angling to succeed him risked expulsion from Zanu-PF as they were fanning factionalism.

Vice-President Joice Mujuru and Defence minister Emmerson Mnangagwa have often been identified as leaders of faction jostling to position themselves in the event President Mugabe decides to retire.

However, the two have repeatedly denied the accusations.

President Mugabe said it was “terrible even to have your name mentioned as leader of a faction. It is shameful.”

The Zanu-PF factionalism played out during the party’s provincial elections held last December.

Who are the anti-balaka in scarred CAR?

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Anti Balaka fighters at Bangui’s estate PK9, waiting to attack Muslim IDPs convoys passing along the road.

Who are the anti-balaka?

In Soriano’s words: “We don’t know”.

Their leaders’ identity, their chain of command and their political programme are all unknowns, he told a meeting of community representatives in Bangui. At the same meeting, his African Union counterpart, Cameroonian Gen Martin Tumenta (commanding MISCA, the AU mission in CAR), expressed frustration that Bangui’s citizens have not been providing the force with more information about the anti-balaka.

An audience member’s claim that calls to a MISCA hotline number tend to go unanswered prompted an angry response from Tumenta. “So you’re calling us useless?” he said before walking out of the meeting.

“Balaka” is the Sango word for machete. Some sources say it also alludes to the French for bullets of an automatic rifle (“balle AK”). Either way, “anti-balaka” roughly means “invincible”, a power purportedly bestowed by the charms that hang around the necks of most members. The term gained currency five or six years ago, when it was applied to self-defence units set up - in the absence of effective state security forces - to protect communities from attacks by highway bandits or cattle raiders.

Several rebel groups joined forces under the banner of the Seleka (“alliance” in Sango) forces in late 2012, and seized power the following March. “Anti-balaka” caught on as a generic term for those resisting the brutal Seleka (a word to which, since the alliance’s official disbanding in September 2013, the prefix “ex” has usually added).

Clashes in December 2013 between anti-balaka and the ex-Seleka led to reprisal attacks in which about 1,000 people died in Bangui. The anti-balaka have been largely responsible for driving the ex-Seleka from many of their bases in western CAR.

What is the religious connection?

Most Seleka members were Muslim, chiefly because Islam is the more prevalent religion in the marginalized northern areas where rebel groups sprang up. Seleka members committed widespread atrocities after seizing power in March 2013, including killings, large-scale arson and rape.

More recently Muslims, many with no connection to the rebels, have been targeted in reprisals by anti-balaka and civilians. According to Amnesty International, such attacks have led tens of thousands to leave CAR in “an exodus of historic proportions”.

According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), “the anti-balaka militias are increasingly organized and using language that suggests their intent is to eliminate Muslim residents from the Central African Republic.”

“At this rate, if the targeted violence continues, there will be no Muslims left in much of the Central African Republic,” Peter Bouckaert, emergencies director at Human Rights Watch, said in an emailed statement.

Pundits worried security ‘overkill’ at Bunge House might harm Katiba talks

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As Bunge House goes into lockdown mode, pundits warn stringent parliamentary procedures adopted by the Constituent Assembly may actually hinder free and fair dialogue during the ongoing Katiba Summit.

The past few days have seen security tightened in and around Parliament House, with strict procedures governing right of access and in many cases, preventing citizens from having direct access to their Katiba representatives.

The common Mwananchi is – effectively – barred from Parliament grounds, unless they’re willing to jump through the hoops for a bit of limited access. Envoys are safely tucked inside the building, shielded from prying eyes.

Local non-profits are outraged by this little arrangement.

“During earlier debate we’d agreed that [we] won’t allow the use of the regular police on Bunge grounds – we’d stick to Parliament ushers/guards,” says Markus Alban of local NGO Citizen Parliamentary Watch (CPW).

“Now they’ve authorizes the use of any security personnel – we’ve effectively turned Parliament grounds into a battlefield,” he told The Citizen.

Gema Akilimali of NAKONGO/Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) chimes in: “Just think – [they’re] doing this to Tanzanians, within these grounds.”

“What else will they do?” she asked.