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The support is sought by farmers grouped in Gwiza Nzige cooperative which invested in the growing of chili and French beans on 50 hectares. As COVID-19 pandemic emerged, the famers’ business collapsed affecting markets that some of the chili is wasting in gardens.

Hazizi Célestin who planted chili on a half hectare said they had invested much after easily finding buyers for the first produce. However, the situation exacerbated with the pandemic that farmers are counting losses.

'Growing chili was a good income generating project to invest in. Farmers were excited with the produce as they got buyers which motivated them to expand acreage. However, chili has ripened and wasted in gardens because we cannot find buyers. I had invested Rwf 2 million but I have only recovered Rwf 1 million,' he said.

He requested the Government to help them find market to recover the capital because some clients canceled their orders.

The President of Gwiza cooperative which grows chili and vegetables in Nzige sector Uwitonze Euphrem explained that there is a problem of poor market conditions despite available big volumes of chili produce from over 50 hectares.

'We harvest at between six and ten chili tons per week but the buyer picks only two of them. This brings losses and discourages farmers who have invested much. We appeal to National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB), Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB) and our district for advocacy to find market,' he said.

Fred Rwigamba, the Director of Finance and Operations SOUK Investment Group, a firm engaging in growing and exporting fresh horticulture produce from Rwanda, has told IGIHE that they are usually contracted to buy produce from Rubona sector that the produce from Nzige is auxiliary.

'They should be grateful because we help those buying small quantities of their produce. COVID-19 pandemic has affected markets pushing some investors to stop buying their produce. We do it in form of support to farmers because we don’t have large market,' he revealed.

According to the mayor of Rwamagana district, Mbonyumuvunyi Radjab, they have advised farmers to harvest chili and sell it to Rwanda’s market.

'Their venture into growing chili is expensive. However, there is market instability due to the pandemic which put the economy at sea. We advised them to harvest chili and sell the produce to Rwanda’s market even though the price is comparatively lower than what they used to get on the international markets,' he said.

Farmers explain that they used to sell a kilo of chili at Rwf 550 as per agreement with buyers but they currently sell at Rwf 300.

Gwiza Nzige cooperative comprises of 321 members farming on 661 hectares at the hillside and 215 hectares in marshland where they plant chili and maize among other crops.

Rwamagana chili farmers request the Government to help them find market to recover the capital because some clients canceled their orders.

Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/rwamagana-chili-farmers-count-losses-as-price-volatility-bites

About 256 Death row Convicts in Tanzania have become lucky after their death sentences were relaxed to at least life imprisonment. They will simply not be hanged or put to the gallows- the last execution was carried out in 1994.

President John Pombe Magufuli gave these death row convicts a gift as part of marking 59^th Independence of the United Republic of the People of Tanzania. In total the sentences of 3,316 inmates were reduced by the President.

'In the past five years of my leadership, I was supposed to execute 256 convicts who were handed death sentence. However, I could not sign for their death and therefore Iam changing their sentences to Life imprisonment,' Magufuli said during a swearing-in of his new cabinet.

Magufuli also ordered the Home Affairs Ministry to work on his decision by observing all the required rules and procedures and ensuring the inmates are engaged in productive activities.

'Some of these inmates were sentenced to death for killing two or three people; the law requires the president to execute 256 who will have committed the worst sin? The one who killed one person or me who executed all these 256 inmates?' Magufuli wondered.

Magufuli also said that some of the inmates were convicted of minor offences while others are left with only a few days to complete their sentences…  'based on the recommendations presented by the commissioner General of prisons I have agreed to reduce their sentences, others must be released under given legal procedures,' he said.

The post President Magufuli Refuses To Execute 256 Death Row Convicts appeared first on Taarifa Rwanda.

Source : https://taarifa.rw/president-magufuli-refuses-to-execute-256-death-row-convicts/

Mu gihe Isi yose n'u Rwanda rurimo yugarijwe n'icyorezo cya korona Virusi, kuri uyu wa gatanu tariki 11 Ukuboza 2020 hatangiye imurigagurisha ku nshuro ya 23 ridasanzwe kuko ritandukanye n'ayabanje kubera ingamba zo kwirinda icyorezo cya korona virusi. Ibisindisha ntabwo byemewe n'abana bari munsi y'imyaka 12 ntawe uzahakandagira.

Kuri iyi nshuro hari bimwe mubicuruzwa bitazagaragara muri iri murikagurisha ari nabyo wasangaga bikurura benshi. Ibyo birimo nk'ibinyobwa bisindisha byo muri Skol na Brarirwa. Mubidasanzwe kandi ni ukuba abana bari munsi y'imyaka 12 batemerewe kwitabira imurikagurisha rizarangira tariki ya 30, aho rizafungurwa kumugaragaro kuwa 15 Ukuboza 2020.

Ibi byatangajwe mu kiganiro n'abanyamakuru cyabereye i Gikondo mu Karere ka kicukiro ahasanzwe habera imurikagurisha mpuzamahanga, ahazwi nka Expo ground kuri uyu wa kabiri tariki 09 Ukuboza 2020. Byari ibiganiro byitabiriwe n'inzego zitandukanye zirimo: PSF, Minicom, ndetse na Police y'igihugu ari nayo izaba ishinzwe umutekano muri iri murikagusha nk'uko bisanzwe bikorwa.

Mu ijambo rye, Umuvugizi wa Police y'u Rwanda CP Kabera Jean Bosco yavuze ko iri murikagurisha rizaba ridasanzwe kubera ko abantu bose bazi neza ko ribaye mu bihe bidasanzwe byo kwirinda icyorezo cya korona virusi, yibutsa nabazaryitabira kuzubahiriza amabwiriza hatabayemo gucungana n'inzego z'umutekano.

Yagize ati' Kuba imurikagurisha ribaye ntabwo bikuyeho ko Covid ikiriho, ntabwo bikuyeho ko Covid igifite ubukana, ntabwo bikuyeho ko Covid yica cyangwa ishobora kuzahaza abantu. Iri murikagurisha rero rizakorwa hubahirizwa amabwiriza yo kuyirinda harimo kwambara agapfukamunwa neza, guhana intera mubyo umuntu arimo byose ndetse no gukaraba intoki kenshi n'amazi meza n'isabune. Ibi bizakomeza gukurikiranwa na Police nk'uko imaze amezi icyenda ireba uko ingamba zo kwirinda zikurikizwa'.

Ikindi kandi muri iyi Expo y'uyu mwaka ntabisindisha bizacururizwamo nkuko byahoze kuko Skol na Bralirwa ntibiri mubazitabira iri murikagurisha ndetse n'abana bari munsi y'imyaka 12 ntibemerewe kurijyamo. Ibi byagarutsweho n'umuyobozi wa PSF Ruzibisa Siteven.

Yagize ati' Iri murikagurisha ntabana bafite imyaka 12 bazarizamo, icyantumye tubisaba ni uko bigoye kuba umwana ufite munsi y'imyaka 12 yakubahiriza aya mabwiriza yo kwirinda icyorezo cya korona virusi, no kuba muri byabikinisho byabo habonwa ko hakurikiranwa ko hubahirizwa ya ntera ndetse n'ibikinisho byabo biragoye, niyo mpamvu twafashe icyemezo ko uri munsi ya 12 atagomba kuyizamo kuko ntanibikinisho byabo bizaba birimo'.

Kubijyanye n'ibyo kunywa bisindisha bitazagaragaramo muri iri murikagurisha, yavuze ko aho gucururizwa ibyo kurya (Resitora) harimo ndetse kubishoboye agafata n'icyo kunywa cyitari ibisindisha.

Yakomeje ati'Iyo havuzwe amafunguro ni ukurya no kunywa, hazakoreshwa ibinyobwa bidasindisha kuko Bralirwa na Skol ntibazitabira iri murikagurisha kumpamvu zabo bwite'.
Abazitabira imurikagurisha bose hamwe ni 373 baturutse mubihugu bitandukanye 12 harimo n'u Rwanda, harimo abanyarwanda 301 n'abanyamahanga 72.

Iyi Expo izajya itangira mugitondo i saa tatu igasozwa i saa mbiri z'ijoro, aho kwinjira hazishurwa hakoreshejwe telephone ngendanwa hagurwa amatike, abacuruzi bose bagomba kujya bishyurwa hakoreshejwe uburyo byo kudahererekanya amafaranga.

Isabella Iradukunda ELisabeth

Source : http://www.intyoza.com/ku-nshuro-ya-23-mu-rwanda-hatangiye-imurikagurisha-ridasanzwe-kubera-covid-19/

Rwanda's President Paul Kagame has sent a personal congragulatory message to Ghana President-elect Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

'Congratulations to my brother and friend President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on your re-election. It is a testament to the trust the people of Ghana have placed in you. We look forward to continued friendship between our two nations and collaboration towards the prosperity of our people,' Kagame said via his personal twitter handle.

According to the Ghana Electoral commission, Nana Akufo-Addo  won the presidential polls after his party the New Patriotic Party (NPP) secured  51.59% of the vote.

The main challenger and former president John Mahama under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flag, fetched 47.36%.

Jean Adukwei Mensa , President of the Electoral Commission announced the results saying only 515,524 votes separate President Akufo-Addo from his predecessor John Mahama.

Meanhile, Mahama has questioned the credibility of the Electoral Commission (EC) following the Chairperson's announcement of his defeat to President-elect Akufo-Addo in the just ended 2020 elections. According to him, data available to his party from across all the 16 regions of Ghana shows that he had won the 2020 Presidential Elections and that any other pronouncement by the EC was evidence of manipulation of figures.

'It is now obvious to many objective minds that the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission has been used to manipulate results from the various constituencies and in that process seek to subvert the sovereign will of the Ghana People,' he stated in his first speech following the 2020 Election declaration by the Electoral Commission.

Challenges for  President Akufo-Addo

Ratings agency, Moody's, is warning of some challenging times for President Nana Akufo-Addo's government, come next year.

In its post-Election report, Moody's noted that some challenges still remain in the Ghanaian economy despite the win.

These included key challenges constraining Ghana's creditworthiness, including low growth after the coronavirus shock as well as imbalances in the fiscal economy. The rest are weak government revenues, low oil prices, and energy sector contingent liability risks.

Moody's further added in the report that a weakened mandate resulting from a diminished parliamentary majority will further complicate fiscal and economic reform prospects.

Moody's downgraded economic outlook in April but affirmed long-term issuer

Moody's in April, 2020 downgraded Ghana's economic outlook to negative from positive.

It however affirmed the country's long-term local and foreign currency issuer and foreign currency senior unsecured bond ratings at B3.

The downgrade of the Ghanaian economy is purely due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has affected tax revenue and the economy as a whole. Moody's had changed Ghana's sovereign ratings from stable to positive only in January this year.

Moody's also concurrently affirmed the local and foreign currency senior unsecured MTN ratings at (P) B3 and the rating of the bond enhanced by a partial guarantee from the International Development Association (IDA, Aaa stable) at B1.

The post Kagame Congratulates Nana Akufo-Addo For Winning Ghana Elections appeared first on Taarifa Rwanda.

Source : https://taarifa.rw/kagame-congratulates-nana-akufo-addo-for-winning-ghana-elections/

Mu Mudugudu w'i Ramiro mu Kagari ka Kiyovu mu Murenge wa Ndego mu Karere ka Kayonza, hari inkuru y' umugore ufite imyaka 25 y'amavuko yatawe muri yombi nyuma yo gufatanwa umuti w'imbeba agiye kuwushyira mu gikoma cy'abana ngo bapfe abashyingure mu mwobo wa metero ebyiri yari yacukuye nyuma yo kuvuga ko bamubangamira ku kuba yashaka undi mugabo.Ni amahano yabaye kuwa Gatatu tariki ya 9 Ukuboza 2020.

Amakuru avuga ko uyu mugore afite abana babiri harimo ufite imyaka itandatu n'undi ufite amezi atanu akaba yari asanzwe aba mu Mujyi wa Kayonza ubuyobozi bw'Akarere bumushakira inzu yo kubamo mu Murenge wa Ndego aba ariho bumwohereza, agezeyo ngo yakundaga kwicuruza mu bagabo kuko nta mugabo yagiraga ariko ngo akabangamirwa n'uko iwe mu rugo yari ahafite abana babiri.

Mu minsi ishize ngo nibwo yatangiye kwinuba aba bana be abwira abaturanyi ko bamubangamira ku kuba yakwishakira umugabo atangira kugambirira kuzabica nkuko abaturage be bahise babimenyesha ubuyobozi nabwo butangira kujya bumucungira hafi umunsi ku munsi.

Umunyamabanga Nshingwabikorwa w'Umurenge wa Ndego, Karuranga Leon, yatangaje ko nyuma yaho ubuyobozi bumenyeye ko afite uwo mugambi mubisha wo kwihekura, bwakomeje kumukurikirana, bunasaba abaturanyi kumucunga.Ati:

'Akarere ni ko kamuzanye tumukodeshereza inzu tukajya tunamushakira ibyo kurya we n'abana be, yakundaga kugirana amakimbirane n'abaturage rimwe tukayahosha bikarangira, yigeze no guta abana arabakingirana aburaho nk'umunsi umwe turamwigisha aragaruka kuko nitwe twamuhaga ibyo kurya.'

Yakomeje agira ati: 'Mu minsi ishize rero nibwo yatangiye gupanga umugambi wo gushaka kwica abana be ngo bamubuza gushaka umugabo no kwisanzura, umuturage wamucumbikiye niwe watanze amakuru inzego z'umutekano zirayakurikirana bamusaba kujya amucungira hafi arabikora ejo bundi ateka igikoma amureba avanga umuti w'imbeba ku ruhande, yari kumara kubica akabashyingura mu mwobo wa metero ebyiri yari yaracukuye mu gikari.'

Gitifu yakomeje avuga ko bamuguye gitumo ataraha igikoma abo bana ndetse ngo banamubajije niba koko yashakaga kubaroga arabyemera avuga ko yabonaga atagishoboye kubatunga.

Kuri ubu uyu mugore yashyikirijwe RIB sitasiyo ya Ndego aho ategerejwe gukorerwa dosiye igashyikirizwa ubushinjacyaha, umwana we w'amezi atanu ngo babaye bamurekeye nyina mu gihe undi yabaye ahawe abaturanyi ngo bakomeze kumukurikirana.

Source : https://impanuro.rw/2020/12/11/kayonza-umugore-yafashwe-agiye-kuroga-abana-be-ngo-bapfe-bose-banshire-ubundi-abashyingure-mu-mwobo-wa-metero-ebyiri/

Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/grandmother-s-body-dumped-in-latrine-suspect-murderer-on-the-run

By: Ange de la Victoire DUSABEMUNGU

As the ARCOS, the Albertine Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS Network) celebrates its 25th anniversary, TOP AFRICA NEWS had an interview with ARCOS Executive Director, Dr. Sam Kanyamibwa who highlighted the organization's journey over the past 25 years, climate change challenges, the role of ARCOS in helping Rwanda achieve its goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and more.

The Albertine Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS Network) is a regional conservation organization founded in 1995 with the mission to enhance biodiversity conservation and sustainable management of natural resources in the Albertine Rift region, Africa Great Lakes region and African Mountains through the promotion of collaborative conservation actions for nature and people.

Dr. Kanyamibwa also requested that interested people or organizations wishing to join ARCOS are welcome once committed to environmental protection, biodiversity and community development through Nature conservation. In 2012, ARCOS received the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions.

TOP AFRI CANEWS: Dr. Sam, can you tell us a little bit about ARCOS Network and its 25 years Journey up today:

Dr. Sam Kanyamibwa: In fact, ARCOS was established with the registered Office in U.K, now we are in a process to establish the Headquarters of ARCOS here in Kigali as a Rwanda based International Organization.

Our Organization is very much based on collaboration and our motto is collaborative actions for Nature and People and wherever we go and whatever we do, we put high priority to this motto of collaboration with the communities, local Government, National Government and different actors we work with.

25 years is quite a long time! We started as an organization bringing together different stakeholders in the region.

We started in 1995 and that time a number of actors in conservation were affected by different conflicts in the region and it was very difficult to travel from one region to another.

So, it was very good to establish a regional organization where information sharing, experience sharing and networking and also building the capacity of actors in the region could provide an opportunity and framework for working together to address conservation issues.

Throughout these 25 years, we have maintained this aspect of networking. We have three pillars in our work: We network and bring together different stakeholders, we empower stakeholders in terms of information sharing, capacity building, advocacy but also, we act on the ground to address issues with the communities who are the champions of the change so that we can support sustainable solutions on the ground.

TOP AFRI CANEWS: In what Programs has ARCOS made an effort, especially in the last 25 years?

Dr. Sam Kanyamibwa : Our programs spread through a spectrum of different activities from high level in terms of Advocacy, policy engagement, supporting the governments in the region and even in the whole continent to promote sustainable development.

For example, we have worked with UNEP, East African Community and African Ministerial conference to promote the Mountain agenda in Africa.

We have worked in some countries like in Uganda where we helped to develop the National Mountain Strategy and here in Rwanda, we have participated in a number of National policies and Strategy, we participated actively in the Environment Thematic Working group, so, we worked at a high level in terms of policy and advocacy.

But we also worked at the local level.

ARCOS has right now 32 Community groups in the region and now since next year we are establishing 900 community groups who are going to be involved in agroforestry, promoting sustainable livelihoods and this is part of the 20 years Project in Rwanda, which is part of Carbon finance.

We also work in research where we have been conducting a number of Projects looking at Mountain Ecosystems and Wetlands. We have organized a number of Forums, and our first Forum as ARCOS was in 1999. You can see that this focus on Networking and bringing stakeholders together started a long ago.

Two years ago, here in Kigali, we organized the Africa Regional Mountain Forum and two years before in 2016, We organized the World Mountain Forum.

In addition, we also organized a number of meetings and events, dialogues, like a couple of years ago, we organized a National Dialogue on Environment and development bringing together different actors.

And of course, we have also organized dialogues specific to the Private Sector to look at adaptation to Climate Change, how companies can integrate sustainability of the environment in their operations because Climate change is also affecting their businesses.

TOP AFRI CANEWS: Rwanda has set an ambitious target as included in NDC (nationally-determined GreenHouse Gas reduction target), what is going to be the role of ARCOS in this move?

Dr. Sam Kanyamibwa: Our role will be promoting sustainable actions on the ground. It is about building resiliency for the environment. This is done through a number of activities which include supporting the livelihoods of people so that they can integrate the environment.

The community groups we have, they are involved in tree planting especially in Agroforestry so that the carbon sequestration can be enhanced through tree planting and this is done by planting diversity of trees because our tree planting involve diverse species like classic agroforestry, but we also include regional species so that the biodiversity loss that we observe all around can be also taken into consideration.

When you look at our landscape around, the indigenous species have been completely eroded. So, this is the big challenge that we had in the country.

I am glad that Rwanda has committed to restore our landscapes as part of the Bonn Challenge to restore 2 million hectares and this restoration has also to integrate Biodiversity aspects.

This is really a very good opportunity for an organization like ARCOS to support this National Agenda.

TOP AFRI CANEWS: What can we expect in the next 25 years or more?

Dr. Sam Kanyamibwa: The challenges are growing, when you look at the global issues that we face in the World, biodiversity loss is one of them, the land degradation, the gap between the rich and the poor, when you see the development of Infrastructure, business development, unfortunately you find that those who are acting on the ground, the poor people are generally affected. 

So, it is very important to help the rich people to help us in promoting sustainable actions on the ground so that they can integrate better the environment in their operations like sustainable agriculture, conservation of water, etc.

In a country like Rwanda for example where erosion is a big problem, how can working on the land for food production can at the same time take care of biodiversity loss, can take care of water and also reduce erosion we have in this country.

There are many other aspects, particularly climate change. This is the big challenge we have. So, in organizations like ARCOS and other actors, we really need to continue to increase our intervention so that Climate change is faced and build resiliency in terms of environment, communities, livelihoods, and we can really face the challenges we have today.

There are many other issues related to pollution which is affecting the rivers. The water we drink for example.

Explicitly, the green economy, green development, is an aspect where, not only Government, civil society organization like ARCOS, have to face in the future, so that when we look an Africa with the agenda 2063, the vision like we have here in Rwanda the vision 2050, all these are going to be reached only if we integrate the Environment and sustainability.

TOP AFRI CANEWS: What is the ARCOS's call today?

Dr. Sam Kanyamibwa: We are a membership organization, and I take this opportunity to pay special recognition for our members, our Associates and of course our staff.

And today again, I take this opportunity also to invite other people interested in Environment and sustainability to join ARCOS as members. Our membership is very simple. It is based on the willingness to be proud to join an organization which is advocating and acting for a better future.

TOP AFRI CANEWS: Thank you Dr. Sam

Dr. Sam Kanyamibwa: You are Welcome.

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The post Interview with Dr. Sam Kanyamibwa on the Occasion of celebrating 25 years of ARCOS Network appeared first on TOP AFRICA NEWS.

Source : https://www.topafricanews.com/2020/12/11/interview-with-dr-sam-kanyamibwa-on-the-occasion-of-celebrating-25-years-of-arcos-network/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=interview-with-dr-sam-kanyamibwa-on-the-occasion-of-celebrating-25-years-of-arcos-network

The congratulatory message was delivered via twitter account where Kagame wished him well.

'Congratulations to my brother and friend President Nana Akufo-Addo on your re-election. It is a testament to the trust the people of Ghana have placed in you. We look forward to continued friendship between our two nations and collaboration towards the prosperity of our people,' he said.

Nana Akufo-Addo, 76, was elected to lead Ghana for the second term during elections that took place on 7th December 2020 after obtaining 51,30% votes beating his rival John Mahama who got 47,36%.

Ghana and Rwanda enjoy bilateral relations aimed improving welfare of both countries’ citizens.

The two countries signed air service cooperation agreements that saw RwandAir launching flights to Accra, Ghana since June 2013.

RwandAir flights have eased connectivity and cooperation between both countries.

In 2014, Rwanda’s Private Sector Federation (PSF) signed cooperation agreements with Ghana’s Private Enterprise Federation (PEF) aimed at promoting investment in modern agriculture, tourism, garment industries, investment in construction and mining as well.

At the beginning of last month, Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr Vincent Biruta visited Ghana for two days where he met with the President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo.

Last year, Rwanda opened an embassy in Ghana a position that was previously covered by Rwanda’s ambassador with residence in Nigeria.

President Paul Kagame with his counterpart of Ghana in Accra, 2017.

Source : https://en.igihe.com/health/article/kagame-congratulates-nana-akufo-addo-re-elected-ghana-president