Construction of Kigali Convention Center likely to be completed in May
If good weather persists, the physical structure of the Kigali Convention Center and Hotel should be completed by May 1, 2016.
The announcement was made by Rwanda’s Finance Minister, Amb. Claver Gatete while appearing before parliament yesterday.
Rwanda had to contract Turkish engineering firm-Summa to complete construction of the multimillion dollar ($300million) Kigali Convention Centre, after kicking out the Chinese company that was initially contracted but delayed the project for more than four years.
“The works that have been done by the Turkish company indicate a progress in the project’s completion. They will hand over the structure mid-April and by May 1, we will be good to go” Gatete said.
The four-year delay increased the cost of the project from the initial estimate of $300 million due to additional costs incurred by government mainly in form of accumulated interest fees as the project has mainly been financed through external borrowing.
The government spent $120 million from the proceeds of its $400 million Eurobond to repay an outstanding loan secured from Citibank, NA London branch.
The Turkish firm was contracted in June, 2015, on condition that the project is completed by the end of March 2016, failing which it will attract penalties.
The new Kigali conventional center, located on Kacyiru Roundabout, along the Kigali International airport road, will house a five star hotel with 292 rooms, entertainment facilities and conference halls with a capacity of handling over 2 500 persons.
Read MorePolice Orders Public Transporters to Install Speed Governors
The Rwanda National Police (RNP) department of Traffic and Road Safety has yet again reminded public transporters to speed up the installation of speed governors to further prevent road traffic carnage especially those that are caused by high speed, and to avoid likely penalties that might arise of defiance.
In an interview, Supt. Jean Marie Vianney Ndushabandi, the spokesperson of the traffic department, said that although some transporters have “honoured their own set deadline,” there are others that have either made no attempt or are yet to programme the installed devices to 60 kilometres-per-hour maximum speed, as per the gazetted of February 26, 2015 Presidential Order.
Article 2 of the Presidential Order, stipulates that “any public or goods’ transport vehicle must be equipped with speed governors to control maximum road speed.”
The same article sets exactly one year from the date of publication of this directive, for all vehicles in question to have installed the device, in this case February 26 being the deadline.
“After several meetings between transporters and other concerned institutions like the ministries of Internal Security and Infrastructure which is also charged with transport, RNP and RURA, including that held last November, the transporters themselves set December 15, 2015 (one month) for all vehicles commuting to the countryside to have fitted these devices while those operating within Kigali take another extra month up to January 15, 2016,” Supt. Ndushabandi explained.
This varied period of installation, he said, was meant not to obstruct the transport sectors or delay movement of people.
“We call upon transporters, who are yet to implement this directive, to do so before the deadline because failure to do so in the set timeframe attracts penalties,” he said.
“This directive was put in place to reduce road carnage and protect people’s lives that otherwise would be lost due to high speed. There was ample time to comply and implement it and we are keen on this deadline because we have to ensure the security of people while on roads.”
Supt. Ndushabandi revealed that a team has been instituted to conduct an inspection exercise to see if all the transporters have “complied with their set target and the Presidential Order.”
Read MoreONATRACOM to be dissolved into RITCO Ltd
Defunct Rwanda national transport company Onatracom is set to be dissolved into a new and independent transport operation company -Rwanda Interlink Transport Corporation Ltd (RITCO), according to the ministry of infrastructure
Dr. Alexis Nzahabwanimana, the state minister for infrastructure, made the revelation while presenting a report on the state of transport to the Rwandan parliament, this January 28, 2016.
“We believe that the Onatracom has come of age and has been in gross losses. By changing its status to a private company we expect an improved efficiency and solution to its troubles in the past” Dr. Nzahabwanimana said.
The new developments indicate that government will have 53percent of the shares in Ritco while private public transporter cooperatives-Rwanda Federation of Transport Company (RFTC) will have the remaining shares.
To boost the new company operations, Rwf11billion has been set aside as initial capital from shareholders, and at least 163 new state of the art buses will be purchased in the process according to the agreement between stakeholders.
Last year, the Rwanda government had announced plans to place loss-making public transporter under private managers and terms of reference for the international tender to hire the company to manage the failing public transporter were underway.
Onatracom, Rwanda’s state-owned public transport company is to be placed under the care of private managers in the last attempt to rescue it from stubborn losses averaging Rwf35 million monthly.
Troubled history
Created in 1970s as state-owned public transport enterprise, Onatracom was given a social mission to operate in rural routes and other routes which the private operators cannot operate because they are not profitable.
The company is also used to transport people during celebrations of national days such as Independence Day and Liberation Day. It was also tasked to provide other services such as production of car number plates, vehicle technical inspection, repair and servicing of government vehicles and management of taxi parks across the country.
Onatracom was entitled to budgetary support from the government and this would supplement the revenues from the transport services and other services for the company to continue operating as a monopoly in transport services and other services.
However, most of these services have been stripped off of Onatracom and it is only left with transport services. Production of car number plates has been shifted to the Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA), vehicle technical inspection has been moved to the Rwanda National Police (RNP), repair and servicing of government vehicles is now open for competition by the owners of private garages, and management of taxi parks has been decentralised to local administration such as districts.
Since 2008, the government has also cut the budget support to the company. As a result, Onatracom started experiencing cash flow problems in 2009.
By the time the government intervened in mid-2011, the company had accumulated over Rwf2 billion in arrears to staff, suppliers, and the revenue collector.
The weakening of Onatracom, however, can be attributed to reluctance of the government to reform it and lack of strong management.
In 2007-2008, government gave Onatracom new buses to help improve its cash flow. However, the government failed to follow up and change the law if it wanted to see Onatracom operating profitably. The new buses were also poorly managed and after two years, few were still operating. The management also failed to deal with competition from the private sector.
Read MoreChina Road Company given ultimatum to restore Lake Kivu
Nyamasheke district officials have asked China Road Company & Bridge Corporation to remove all the debris which was dumped in Lake Kivu as soon as possible, otherwise measures will be taken against the Chinese company owners.
The company allegedly dropped big stones at the Kariba site along the lake shores while doing its construction works. The stones are believed to be a potential danger to boats, water sources and a danger to human life and water organisms.
A study conducted by Francis Kayumba, an official of the ministry of natural resources last August 2015, showed that several activities along the Lake Kivu shores including stone quarrying activities had impacted on the water bodies in the areas and action needed to be taken.
Nyamaseke Mayor, Aimée Fabien Kamali says that the notification has been given to the Chinese company and they have to remove the stones and reclaim the land that was damaged along the shores during the quarrying activities.
“We have hope that they will positively respond to the demand of the district, so that the lake lifespan is maintained and the damage is minimized. If they don’t, then we shall take necessary measures” Kamali said.
Read MoreClimate Change Summit Set for Kigali
Rwanda is set to host the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) regional workshop on Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) to climate change.
The meeting to run from August 18-19 in Kigali is co-organized by UNFCCC Secretariat and Rwanda’s Ministry of Natural Resources.
The workshop is expected to draw over 70 climate change experts from across Africa, representatives of international organizations and the private sector..
It aims to strengthen the use NAMAs as a tool for re-2020 and post-2020 climate change action.
Experts and representatives of the private sector will make presentations on designing and implementing NAMAs
In a statement issued ahead of the meeting, the Minister of Natural Resources Dr Vincent Biruta said hosting the meeting in Rwanda offers an opportunity for the country to share with other countries the experience on the development and implementation of NAMAs.
“The meeting is an opportunity for Rwanda to build network with experienced international organizations, share our experience with other countries and learn from the best practices for further implementation of national mitigation actions for climate change,” Biruta said.
Discussions will focus on challenges, financial engineering and investment strategies for leveraging multi-source financing, measurement, reporting and verification (MRV).
“The meeting is also an opportunity to build capacity for the public and private entities and individuals on the various aspects and benefits of NAMAs,” Biruta noted.
NAMAs are voluntary climate change mitigation measures proposed and taken by developing country governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to boost sustainable development.
NAMAs can take the forms of regulations, standards, programs, policies or financial incentives.
The concept recognizes that different countries may take different actions in accordance with common but differentiated responsibilities.
It also emphasizes financial assistance from developed countries to developing countries.
Rwanda was chosen to host the meeting owing to its proactive approaches in its long term development strategies to fight against climate change.
Read MoreTeachers Science Training in Rwanda by Dian Fossey Conservation Education
This summer, science teachers from seven different schools located around the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda participated in a training workshop on schoolyard ecology conducted by the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund at its Karisoke Research Center. The training provided information about how to develop and nurture wildlife habitats on school grounds, and how schoolyard habitats can act as a powerful platform to teach students about endemic wildlife and conservation.
The training was a part of the Fossey Fund’s conservation education program “Citizen Science” initiatives, which aim to promote student-directed and interactive learning. The teachers who participated in the workshop are faculty leaders of nature clubs at their respective schools and have been participating in Citizen Science initiatives since 2011, when the program was made possible through with generous support of a grant from Nature’s Path. The focus of this year’s workshop, instruction on building schoolyard habitats, promotes students’ scientific inquiry by creating a space that allows them to become scientists in their own communities.
During the two-day training, the teachers learned how to create a suitable habitat for wildlife on school grounds, through teachings on the essential components of an ecosystem: food, water and cover. Additionally, the teachers were introduced to butterfly monitoring, catching and identification. In previous sessions, Citizen Science training provided training in common bird monitoring, as both birds and butterflies are among the key species that will be attracted to the schoolyard habitats.
Following the Citizen Science workshop, the Fossey Fund, in collaboration with the participating schools, organized a day to practice the concepts covered in the workshop in the field. For example, all seven of the teachers along with staff from the Fossey Fund convened at the St. Vincent de Muhoza School, where they constructed a brush shelter and a water-drinking hole to attract wildlife to the schoolyard. The participating teachers were provided with pieces of tarp and wood, to be used in building schoolyard habitats in their own schools.
Additionally, the techniques in butterfly catching and identification that were taught during the workshop were also put into practice. Each teacher was provided with a butterfly net and went to the school yards to try catching butterflies. Deogratias Tuyisingize, the Fossey Fund’s biodiversity monitoring and research program coordinator, aided the teachers in identifying and cataloging the butterflies they caught. Each teacher was also provided with a butterfly identification book, put together by Fossey staff, that has big pictures and names of all the butterflies found in Rwanda.
Joseph Karama, manager of the Fossey Fund’s conservation education program, is looking forward to returning to the schools in the next several months to see the growth of the schoolyard habitats. “Having a habitat for small wildlife in the schoolyard,” Karama says, “provides students and teachers with an outdoor laboratory where they can investigate and learn about ecosystems and the species living within that habitat, while nurturing their innate curiosity about nature.”
The Citizen Science program at the Fossey Fund has been sponsored by long-time supporter Nature’s Path and is one of several conservation education programs that would not be possible without specific financial support. The box for Nature’s Path Gorilla Munch cereal has long featured the Fossey Fund’s gorilla protection program as well as educational information about the endangered mountain gorillas, and their sponsorship has supported field programs as well.
Read MoreClimate and Energy Conference in Kigali
Call for participation in the Climate and Energy conference in Kigali.
It is an ambitious, global citizen deliberation feeding into United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties (COP) 21 under World Wide Views -WWViews project.
It is a global citizen deliberation exercise, integrating citizen consultations in all participating countries on the same day across the world (June 6, 2015)
To participate Contact:
- Organizer – Gakumba John, Nile Basin Discourse Forum in Rwanda -NBDF Rwanda, coordinator@nbdfrwanda.org, +250782792690 and
- Dushimiyimana Valentine, Rwanda Green Initiative, vdushime4@yahoo.fr, +250781036276.
NBDF Rwanda intends to organise one vigorous WWViews national citizens meeting. The project is initiated in partnership with the Secretariat to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the French National Commission for Public Debate, the Danish Board of Technology Foundation, and Missions Publiques, with the support of the French Government, COP21 host. Partners from more than 50 countries around the world are currently involved in the project.
Being a global project it is important to ensure a strong representation in Rwanda and in Africa in general. The perspective of citizens in Rwanda is essential to include in the results given to policymakers gathering at COP21 in November 2015 in Paris to discuss future policy measures for climate and energy. A citizen’s consultation in Rwanda is therefore very timely and important. The views of the Rwandan citizens will indicate to national politicians and climate and energy negotiators how the public is prepared to deal with climate and energy, and they will be communicated by the WWViews Alliance to politicians and COP21 negotiators all over the world.
We intend to have a 100-120 citizens -national population representative stakeholders. • Participants will represent the: Rwanda’s Agro- Ecological zones, geographical habitation, Industrial sector, service sector, educationists, youth groups, literate and illiterate groups, indigenous groups, Religious groups, and gender, age group, conservationist, farmer etc
http://www.nbdfrwanda.org/
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Nyungwe National Park to Benefit from New Attractions
The opening of Rwanda’s first ‘canopy walk’ at the Nyungwe National Park has rang in a period of intense work to create more infrastructure across the forest park, all aimed to attract a lot more visitors under the tourism diversification plan of the Rwanda Development Board – Tourism and Conservation.
The park was only officially created in 2005 and started to feature in focused promotions and marketing activities from 2008 on wards, when plans became known that Dubai World was constructing the ‘Nyungwe Forest Lodge’, which has opened earlier in the year and provides top range accommodation for tourist visitors. A new interpretation and information centre for visitors is now also open and will allow tourists to learn more about the forest’s flora and fauna and appreciate efforts by Rwanda to maintain and where necessary restore the fragile ecosystems on which the country depends as water towers and tourism attractions. As part of Rwanda’s diversification drive for the tourism industry Nyungwe was a welcome addition to the range of attractions on offer for visitors, apart from tracking Mountain Gorillas of course, and bird watchers are a growing segment amongst visitors to see and hear a large number of birds, many of them endemic to Rwanda’s forests and lake shores. Estimates given by the Rwanda Development Board – Tourism and Conservation are that visits to Nyungwe are likely to triple or quadruple over the coming two to three years from the present about 4.500 visitors per annum, which would be a substantial boost of course for the locally ‘grown’ guides, the local economy and the country at large.
Rwanda Ventures into Canopy Tourism
The Development Board (RDB) last week launched canopy walk tourism in Nyungwe National Park on as part of a strategy to diversify tourism attractions.
This will be the first ever hanging platform which will allow tourists to view different animal species in Nyungwe forest. This is the first kind of tourism in East Africa and the third of its kind in Africa.
The Canopy Walkway which has been competed in the Nyungwe Forest National Park in south western Rwanda is 50 meters above the ground level, and 90 meters long. The dizzying platform is above a steep and deep valley trotting across massive forest. Canopy tourism is a strategy aimed to make tourists spend slightly longer time in Rwanda as they sample interesting tourist attractions.
John Gara, CEO RDB says the platform is 50 meters above ground level and 90 meters long. It allows tourists to view butterflies, birds and blue monkeys that dwell in the upper scales of the forest. The forest has 13 rare primate species, the world’s largest ever recorded arboreal troop of black/white Columbus monkeys, over 300 species of birds and 100 types of orchid.
Adding canopy walk tourism comes at a time Rwanda was in 2009 named one of the hot top 10 travel destinations by Lonely Planet, an organization that names global top tourist destinations. The Kwita Izina, the annual gorilla naming ceremony has partly contributed to Rwanda ‘s rankings a world tourist destination.
The was introduced in 2005 with the aim of creating awareness for the conservation of the endangered mountain Gorillas. Usually thousands of international, regional and local visitors flock to foot Virunga mountain ranges to visit the endangered mountain gorillas. To give the tourist more variety, Rwanda also introduced boats on Lake Kivu linking Volcanoes and Nyungwe National Parks. Other products include cave tourism and two city tours; in Huye and Rubavu.
With that big package and the world recovering from the global financial crisis, Gara projects that the country’s tourism receipts will rise by 6.4% this year. A statement issued by RDB says the country expects $187 million, up from $175 million last year.
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