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Gasamagera was selected by the Forum of Political Organisations legally operating in Rwanda to replace Donatille Mukabalisa, who died in July 2026.

Niyonshuti was elected to represent the youth, replacing Venuste Icyitegetse, who resigned from the position in June 2026 for personal reasons.

President Kagame said the swearing-in ceremony was important because it comes with responsibilities to serve the country, reminding the two officials that their work goes beyond matters of legislation.

'Members of Parliament oversee many things, including matters related to government activities, and their work also extends to other institutions. To fulfil these responsibilities properly, they need knowledge, understanding and the right conduct. It is not only about making laws,' he said.

Kagame told the lawmakers that Rwanda's culture requires leaders to go beyond merely complying with laws, particularly when addressing problems that need to be resolved so that citizens do not continue carrying burdens that could be addressed.

'Problems that can be resolved should be removed from people's way, difficult ones should continually be addressed through collaboration,' he said.

The President said resources are often available to enable leaders to address challenges facing the country, but where they are insufficient, leaders should start with what can be done while seeking additional resources to address what cannot immediately be handled.

He said the swearing-in of Gasamagera and Niyonshuti should also serve as a reminder to others currently holding public responsibilities, as well as those who will take up such responsibilities in the future, to carry out their duties properly.

Gasamagera holds a PhD from Monarch Business School in Switzerland and a Master's degree in Public Administration from Université du Québec in Canada.

Between 1997 and 2001, he served as Prefect of the former Kigali Ngari Prefecture.

He has held various positions, including Rwanda's Ambassador to Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe, Senator from 2003 to 2011, and Director General of the Rwanda Management Institute (RMI).

Gasamagera served as Secretary General of the RPF-Inkotanyi from 2023 until December 2025.

Source : https://new.igihe.com/english/president-kagame-presides-over-swearing-in-of-senator-gasamagera-mp-niyonshuti/

Jean De Dieu Habimana, Senior Officer for Cancer Diseases at Rwanda Biomedical Centre, said breast and cervical cancers are among the most common cancers affecting women in the country.

He was speaking at the launch of activities marking Pink October, a month dedicated to raising awareness about breast cancer prevention, screening and treatment.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that nearly 700,000 women die from breast cancer globally each year.

The Pink October activities were launched in Kicukiro District, where RBC, in partnership with the High Commission of Nigeria in Rwanda, also officially launched Labscroll Medicals, a Nigerian medical laboratory company that will provide diagnostic services, including cancer screening.

The event coincided with October 1, Nigeria's Independence Day, which marks the country's independence from British rule in 1960.

Labscroll Medicals has brought advanced laboratory equipment to Rwanda that will be used to screen for different types of cancer.

Habimana said early detection is one of the key measures that can increase the chances of successfully treating and managing cancer.

He said about 600 men in Rwanda are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year, accounting for approximately one in four cancer cases among men.

'We should not look at these figures as mere statistics. They include mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers,' he said.

Habimana said Rwanda is continuing to strengthen efforts to reduce cancer-related deaths by bringing screening services closer to communities and encouraging people to undergo regular screening.

He said countries with well-established screening programmes and greater awareness of the importance of early detection have recorded better survival rates, with about eight out of 10 women diagnosed with cancer surviving when the disease is detected early.

Ibrahim Zanna, Acting High Commissioner of Nigeria in Rwanda, said cancer is among the diseases causing growing concern globally and remains a particularly serious challenge in Africa.

He said late diagnosis among African patients is one of the factors contributing to low cancer survival rates on the continent.

'Together, we should work to overcome misconceptions about cancer screening. We need to overcome the fear and stigma that prevent many people from seeking screening,' Zanna said.

He noted that some people avoid cancer screening because they associate a positive diagnosis with imminent death.

Health professionals, however, emphasise that knowing whether one has cancer early is an important step towards accessing treatment and reducing the risk of dying from the disease.

Dr Paul Ogbole Peter, Managing Director of Labscroll Medicals, said the company aims to screen 200 women for breast and cervical cancer and 200 men for prostate cancer in Rwanda during the month.

About one million people globally were diagnosed with cancer in 2026, highlighting the need for stronger efforts to address the disease.

Peter called for greater investment in cancer prevention and control across Africa, saying the response requires the involvement of different stakeholders.

'These deaths are linked to limited awareness, inadequate screening programmes and delays in caring for people diagnosed with cancer. Other factors include consuming food crops treated with pesticides and processed foods that do not meet required quality standards,' he said.

Peter said Labscroll Medicals decided to establish operations in Rwanda after being impressed by efforts by the country's health sector to improve healthcare services.

The company has brought its laboratory facilities to Rwanda to provide screening for various types of cancer.

Source : https://new.igihe.com/english/6000-people-diagnosed-with-cancer-annually-in-rwanda/

The achievements were highlighted on September 30, 2026, during the official closing of the three-year project, which was implemented in Rubavu, Musanze, Gatsibo and Huye districts.

The closing event brought together officials from line ministries, vice mayors in charge of social affairs from the four districts, representatives of the private sector, development partners and beneficiaries.

The project was implemented by UPHLS in partnership with the Rwanda National Union of the Deaf (RNUD) and Dutch organisation See You Foundation, with funding from the European Union (EU).

It aimed to strengthen the capacity of people with disabilities to engage in advocacy, equip young people with disabilities with vocational skills to improve their competitiveness in the labour market, and increase access to sexual and reproductive health information among women and girls with disabilities.

Beneficiaries from different districts said the project had helped them build confidence, recognise their abilities and contribute to the development of themselves, their families and the country.

They said the skills and knowledge acquired had helped them pursue income-generating activities, compete in the labour market and make informed decisions about their health.

MUB Project Manager Munezero Marie Médiatrice said one of the major challenges faced by people with disabilities was limited access to inclusive sexual and reproductive health information, alongside difficulties in accessing employment.

To address these challenges, MUB worked with health facilities, vocational training schools and other partners to train service providers on how to receive and serve people with disabilities in an inclusive manner, including through the use of sign language.

'We worked with health facilities to assess whether people with disabilities could access services in a way that was convenient for them. We first looked at the information they had and the challenges they faced, with the aim of jointly finding solutions,' Munezero said.

She said the project also sought to reach women and girls with disabilities and train some of them to become peer educators who could help others access sexual and reproductive health information.

UPHLS Executive Secretary Karangwa François Xavier said the priority after the three-year project was to sustain and expand the achievements to other districts.

'This meeting is aimed at discussing the achievements of the project on all fronts, particularly from the perspective of the people it was designed to serve. We are also thinking about how to sustain what has been achieved, build on it and extend it to other districts that we were unable to reach,' he said.

See You Foundation representative Niska Stoker thanked the people with disabilities who participated in the training for their commitment and encouraged them to put the knowledge they acquired to use.

'I have appreciated your commitment to the professions you are now pursuing, and I wish you success as you put the knowledge you have gained into practice, use your abilities, improve your lives and demonstrate change,' she said.

Project data shows that 37 percent of the people with disabilities reached by the project had secured jobs, mainly in private companies or through self-employment, while 7 percent remained unemployed.

Source : https://new.igihe.com/english/480-people-with-disabilities-trained-in-vocational-skills-reproductive-health-under-mub-project/

A total of 5,096 homes were constructed or rehabilitated under the project. Of these, 3,522 were newly built, while 1,574 were renovated.

The project began in Ngororero and Nyabihu districts in Western Province.

The disasters occurred during the night of May 2-3, 2023, affecting the Northern, Western and Southern provinces.

They claimed 135 lives, while more than 2,100 houses were partially damaged and another 2,763 were completely destroyed.

Rubavu District was among the hardest-hit areas, with 1,564 houses affected, including 855 that were completely destroyed.

Among the homes rehabilitated or constructed, Rubavu accounts for 461 renovated homes and 870 newly built ones.

Rutsiro has 381 renovated homes and 435 newly built homes, while Nyabihu has 288 renovated homes and 710 newly built homes.

Karongi District has 171 renovated homes and 399 newly built ones, while Ngororero has 241 renovated homes and 255 newly built homes. Burera has 32 renovated homes and 579 newly built homes.

Muhanga has 141 newly constructed homes, while Musanze has 115. Overall, the project resulted in 5,096 homes being made available to families, accommodating 25,480 people.

Minister in Charge of Emergency Management, Gen Maj (Rtd) Albert Murasira, said the homes were built in fulfilment of a commitment made by President Paul Kagame to residents of Rubavu who were affected by disasters caused by River Sebeya.

'Rubavu was among the areas severely affected by the disasters. The Head of State visited the area at the time and promised residents that they would be given new homes. That is the project we implemented, and today we are completing it and officially beginning the process of handing over the homes. The residents have already moved in, and we are also checking that the houses were properly constructed,' Maj Gen (Rtd) Murasira said.

He said the government had a responsibility to support residents affected by disasters and that the houses were built to withstand future disasters.

'The residents faced difficulties, and the country had to come to their aid. That is why they were given strong houses that can withstand disasters. This is a beginning, not an end. They should work to improve their lives. Since the disaster occurred, we had been renting houses for them,' he said.

Residents who were relocated from areas where their lives had been at risk expressed relief after receiving the new homes.

Tuyishime Valentine from Ngororero District said she had been living in a dangerous area in a house that was in poor condition.

'I lived in a dangerous area, in a leaking house. I was left there alone after my husband abandoned me, and I felt that I would die there. My house eventually had to be demolished and I was forcibly removed from it. They rented a house for me until today, when I have been given a good house that does not leak,' she said.

Iribagiza Fatuma Olive said she had never imagined living in such a house.

'I had never dreamed of living in a house like this. The house we were removed from had already collapsed on us, but fortunately no one died. They rented a house for us for two and a half years until the houses they were building for us were completed and they moved us in. The children now sleep peacefully because we are no longer living in a dangerous area,' she said.

Ngororero was among the districts where the handover of homes to families affected by disasters began. A total of 255 families received newly built homes, while 241 families had their houses rehabilitated, and all have now moved into them.

Source : https://new.igihe.com/english/over-5000-homes-built-for-families-affected-by-2023-disasters/

Ingabire and nine others are on trial at the High Court in Kigali in a case that began on September 18, 2026. The prosecution has presented audio recordings and other evidence which it says demonstrate plans to overthrow the Government.

Two recordings from May 2020 featured conversations between Ingabire and Ntamuhanga. One concerned alleged military training in Burundi, while another discussed a possible demonstration at a major roundabout in Kigali.

In the recording played on September 21, Ntamuhanga is heard discussing what he called 'Tura Tugabane' insinuating 'take over of something by force'.

Ingabire asks whether there was capacity to develop a plan to overthrow the Government. The prosecution interpreted some coded expressions used by Ntamuhanga, including references to 'heavy scales' and calabashes, as referring to heavy weapons and grenades.

The prosecution also said Ntamuhanga's reference to 'men at the feet of Africa' referred to people based in South Africa, including Kayumba Nyamwasa.

Prosecutors further alleged that the two discussed training fighters in Mutaga, Burundi, and that Ingabire asked Ntamuhanga to contact a person identified as Placide to develop the matter further.

However, appearing before court on October 1, Ingabire challenged the recording and said the conversation did not constitute an agreement.

'Regarding that audio about Burundi and Mutaga, nowhere did I tell Cassien that I agreed with what he was telling me. Let them examine whether those coded expressions were mine or Cassien's. I told Cassien that I was not available,' she said.

Ingabire said Ntamuhanga had called her and that they discussed the issues, but denied agreeing to his proposals. She said referring him to Placide, who lives in Belgium, was intended to distance herself from the alleged plan.

She also said she spoke to Ntamuhanga despite his having fled Rwanda because, as a politician, she needed to understand the positions and activities of different people.

'As a politician, you need to know all the information. Where do you stand? How do you stand? What are others thinking? What are they doing?' she said.

The presiding judge asked whether Ntamuhanga was a politician, and Ingabire said he belonged to a political party called RANP Abaryankuna.

Kigali demonstration

A second recording played on September 22 featured a discussion about a possible demonstration in Kigali.

Ntamuhanga said they had three experienced motorcycle taxi operators who could participate. Ingabire suggested recruiting others from Nyabugogo, Remera, Muhima and Nyamirambo, reaching 50 riders.

She is heard discussing a vehicle fitted with a loudspeaker that would reach a major roundabout, appear to break down and then play a song by the late singer Kizito Mihigo. She also described roads being blocked as people gathered around the vehicle.

Ntamuhanga responded that the plan would require caution and suggested using a sealed cargo vehicle with a generator.

Ingabire told court on October 1 that the discussion was actually about the possible impact of Covid-19 on governments and had been prompted by a report published in France.

She said the conversation involved discussing how weaknesses in government could be exposed during the pandemic, including issues surrounding food distribution.

Ingabire maintained that the conversation ended without an agreement to implement the ideas discussed.

'What happened was that we had a discussion based on that report. Nowhere did we conclude by saying, 'We are going to do this,' for the prosecution to use it to say that Ingabire and Cassien agreed to establish a criminal organisation,' she said.

She added that the prosecution could have relied on the conversations differently if Ntamuhanga had been a member of her political party, DALFA Umurinzi.

Source : https://new.igihe.com/english/ingabire-responds-to-recordings-of-talks-with-ntamuhanga-on-military-training-in-burundi/

Sorwathe, part of Luxmi Tea Estates, received the award for its Black Orthodox OP1 produced at Rukeri Estate in Kinihira Sector, Rulindo District. The company also received the competition's Sustainability Award.

The recognition, announced on September 25, adds to a growing list of international awards for Rwandan tea producers. Days earlier, Gisovu Tea Company, another member of the Silverback Tea group, was named Best CTC Tea and Overall Winner at the 7th African Tea Convention and Exhibition in Nairobi.

The two awards come as Rwanda's tea producers continue to gain recognition in international competitions, with Rukeri orthodox tea also named Best OP Tea in Africa at the Africa Coffee & Tea Expo in Kigali earlier this year.

Sorwathe Chairman Emery Rubagenga said the awards recognise the work of farmers and factory teams behind the company's tea.

'These awards recognise the care that goes into Sorwathé's tea, from the farmers who grow it to the teams who bring it to market. Winning for both quality and sustainability is especially meaningful to us: the two go hand in hand,' he said.

In 2025, Sorwathe's Black Orthodox OP1 was named Overall Winner and received a Gold Medal across tea-producing countries at the same competition, while its Green OP won a Silver Medal. Rukeri Estate teas also took first and second place for Rwanda in 2023.

NAEB CEO Claude Bizimana said the recognition reflects progress across Rwanda's tea industry.

'As a regulator, we see this achievement not only as a recognition of Sorwathe Ltd, but as an important milestone for the transformation of Rwanda's tea industry,' he said.

Sorwathe works with more than 9,000 smallholder farmers organised through ASSOPTHE and Hillside Organic Tea Cooperative, providing training, supervision and access to fertiliser.

Silverback Tea CEO Nzeki Samuel Munyao said the award also highlights the contribution of farmers supplying the factory.

'This recognition belongs to smallholder farmers of ASSOPTHE and HOTCOOP who supply the bulk of our leaf, our pluckers, our factory team,' he said.

Founded in 1975, Sorwathe is Rwanda's oldest private tea factory. It produces about 4.5 million kilogrammes of made tea annually, with around 96 per cent exported.

The company was acquired by India's Luxmi Tea Co. Pvt. Ltd. in 2024 and operates within the Silverback Tea group alongside Gisovu, Pfunda and Rugabano.

Tea is among Rwanda's leading agricultural exports, generating over $553 million in export revenue between 2020 and 2026 on cumulative shipments exceeding 224,000 metric tons, according to figures from NAEB.

NAEB projects annual earnings to reach $175 million by 2029 through targeted smallholder expansion and field infilling.

Source : https://new.igihe.com/english/rwandas-sorwathe-wins-top-award-at-north-american-tea-competition/

The potential was discussed at the fifth Africa HealthTech Summit in Kigali, where health experts examined how digital tools, data systems and artificial intelligence could strengthen mental health services.

Rwanda has been expanding mental health support for young people through schools and the wider health system since the launch of its school-based mental health programme in December 2020.

The programme was initially piloted in five districts and has since expanded. UNICEF said in 2025 that it was operating in 18 districts, with more than 2,500 school counsellors trained across 1,283 secondary and technical schools.

Darius Gishoma, Division Manager for Mental Health at the Rwanda Biomedical Centre, said the programme has since expanded further, reaching 23 districts.

He added that Rwanda plans to extend the programme to another seven districts.

The expansion has also highlighted the need to reach young people beyond schools, where Gishoma sees potential for technology to play a role.

'Technology can remove a number of barriers,' he noted during a session on building intelligent mental health systems for Africa's children and young people.

Gishoma pointed to Rwanda's growing use of electronic medical records as an example of how digital systems could support mental health services.

'In Rwanda, we have eBuzima, which allows us to have individual data at health centres. This means we have the opportunity to use clinical decision-support tools,' he explained, referring to Rwanda's eBuzima digital health system.

Such tools could provide health workers with alerts where there are indications of serious risks, including suicide, or when a patient stops returning for care.

Gishoma's technology examples were not limited to children. He described them as opportunities for strengthening the broader mental health system, including at community level.

He cited a recent campaign against illicit substances and alcohol in which community health workers used smartphones to identify people experiencing addiction-related problems in villages.

'So from health facility to community it's opening plenty of possibilities,' he observed.

He also pointed to the possibility of using mobile electroencephalography devices to send recordings from health centres to neurologists at referral hospitals, allowing specialists to support nurses with diagnosis and treatment.

For young people, he added, technology could create opportunities in settings such as youth centres.

Reaching young people earlier

Aladin Borja, a health specialist at UNICEF's Centre of Excellence in Nairobi, argued that mental health systems need to reach young people before they arrive at hospitals or clinics.

'If we want to reach young people earlier, mental health systems cannot begin at the clinic or hospital,' Borja stressed.

He proposed that prevention, early intervention and support should be available in places where children and young people already live, learn and communicate, including digital spaces.

Young people are increasingly using social media and artificial intelligence tools to seek information and discuss issues around their wellbeing, he noted.

But Borja cautioned that digital access alone does not amount to quality mental health care.

'A campaign, chatbot or helpline is only meaningful if there are trained people, functioning referral pathways and quality services behind it,' he explained.

'Technology should strengthen public systems, not substitute for them.'

Designing tools for African users

Joyce Nakatumba Nabende, a senior lecturer at Makerere University and head of its Artificial Intelligence Lab, stressed that mental health technology also needs to reflect the language and circumstances of African users.

She cautioned against simply importing tools developed for Western populations without testing whether they work for African children and young people.

'We take tools that are designed for Western populations and bring them into our populations, but they will not work here,' she warned.

Nabende identified language as another challenge, noting that young people may prefer to communicate in local languages while many existing digital tools have limited support for African languages.

She also emphasised the need for safeguards when developing AI tools for children, including testing, data security and controlled access to sensitive information.

Evelyne Munezero, a youth advocate with UNICEF-YAN, called for young people to be involved in designing systems intended for them.

'We should be building systems with young people, not for them,' she urged, calling for stronger attention to consent, safeguarding and data protection.

Source : https://new.igihe.com/english/how-technology-could-expand-mental-health-care-for-young-people-in-rwanda/

The announcement was made on September 30, 2026, during a ceremony in Kigali at which 137 secondary school teachers were awarded the Professional Diploma in Education (PDE) after successfully completing a one-year professional training programme.

The programme, known as the Continuous Professional Development–Graduate Diploma in Education (CPD-GDE), was developed and implemented by the University of Rwanda–College of Education (UR-CE), in collaboration with REB, under the Rwanda Quality Basic Education for Human Capital Development (RQBEHCD) Project, financed by the World Bank.

The 137 teachers held A1 qualifications in non-education subjects before joining the programme. Through the CPD-GDE programme, which comprises 180 academic credits, they acquired pedagogical knowledge, skills and competencies required for effective teaching and learning.

The certification ceremony marked a step in efforts to strengthen teacher professionalism and improve the quality of basic education in Rwanda.

Dr. Nelson Mbarushimana, Director General of REB, said strengthening teachers' knowledge and professional skills is essential to improving the quality of education.

He said the demands of 21st-century education require teachers to continuously develop their capacity and adapt to new approaches and technologies.

'Teachers who have studied education know how to follow up on all the children they teach, ensuring that no child is left behind. We are now also in a technological era where audio is used together with visual materials. There is a part of the brain that helps children retain information when they learn through images and other visual materials,' Dr. Mbarushimana said.

He said professionally trained teachers are expected to play a greater role in improving the quality of education, while additional professional development programmes can further strengthen the skills they have acquired.

Dr. Mbarushimana said the certification of the 137 teachers represents an important step towards ensuring that Rwanda's teaching workforce has received formal training in education.

'We no longer have teachers who have not studied education. We have also trained all those who were teaching in primary schools without having studied education, and we will soon award them education qualifications.

'Going forward, we are only recruiting people who have studied education. Those who remained are the ones who have now received these qualifications, and we hope they will contribute to improving the quality of education,' he said.

Prof. Florien Nsanganwimana, Principal of the University of Rwanda–College of Education (UR-CE), said the college has played a significant role in providing professional training to teachers who were already working in the education sector.

He said that since 2019, UR-CE has trained more than 3,200 secondary school teachers in Mathematics and Science, as well as more than 25,000 primary school teachers in various subjects, alongside other categories of teachers.

However, the training of teachers in education is not considered the end of efforts to strengthen professionalism and improve the quality of teaching.

UR-CE and REB say teachers will continue to undertake additional short-term training and professional development programmes in areas including artificial intelligence, technology, languages and other emerging areas.

According to Ministry of Education figures for the 2024/25 academic year, Rwanda had 122,828 teachers working in pre-primary, primary and secondary schools, an increase of 9,280 compared with the 2023/24 academic year.

Source : https://new.igihe.com/english/rwanda-certifies-final-group-of-teachers-without-formal-education-training/

Iradukunda made the remarks on Thursday during the fifth Africa HealthTech Summit at the Kigali Convention Centre, where he spoke during a plenary session on strengthening health data systems for trusted African health research.

'Health systems have been vulnerable because of the challenge of ownership. When you look at how we fund and procure some of these systems today, there's still a great deal of dependency,' he said, reflecting on health systems used on the continent.

He challenged innovators, philanthropies and funders to consider what ownership should look like in a context where African countries have delegated responsibility for funding and developing some of their systems to external actors.

'I want to challenge us to think about what ownership looks like in the context where we have delegated the responsibility to fund and develop our own systems elsewhere,' he added.

The ownership question also featured in discussions among researchers and health data experts at the summit.

Dr Agnes Kiragga, Head of the Data Science Program and Exemplar Continental Projects at the African Population and Health Research Center, stressed the importance of building the capacity and infrastructure needed for African institutions to manage and share their own data.

She identified data governance, common standards, skilled data stewards and trusted research environments as critical enablers of cross-border research.

Kiragga also pointed to the potential of federated analysis, where researchers send analytical code to data rather than moving sensitive datasets across borders.

Claudel Sebaganwa, an eHealth adviser at Rwanda's Ministry of Health, highlighted Rwanda's experience of building health data infrastructure around its existing health system.

He explained that Rwanda's community health workers and health facilities are increasingly generating electronic data that feeds into the national health intelligence infrastructure, creating a resource that can support both health service delivery and research.

Sebaganwa also pointed to Rwanda's data privacy law and data-sharing policy as frameworks for managing how information is processed and shared.

Iradukunda stressed that health data should not be viewed in isolation from the wider systems through which citizens interact with government.

'Ultimately, we shouldn't look at health data in isolation. We need to look at data that enables better service delivery to our citizens,' he maintained.

He said Rwanda's approach is anchored on developing data governance and sharing frameworks across sectors, including health, agriculture, finance and education.

The country has also been implementing a national data hub under its data-sharing framework and 'ask once' policy, which requires government to avoid repeatedly requesting information a citizen has already provided.

'If a citizen has given a certain data point to the government, the government should not be asking for that data again,' Iradukunda explained.

He said Rwanda has decentralised responsibility for data governance across government, with chief digital officers embedded in ministries and economic sectors to guide how data is managed and used.

'We have about nine chief digital officers across government. It cannot be done only at the level of the Ministry of ICT Innovation,' he observed.

Iradukunda also called for stronger continental alignment on health data governance, arguing that progress in individual countries will have limited impact if African systems cannot work together.

'Even if one jurisdiction had all the best practices, it would still not serve the broader interests of the continent,' he cautioned.

He welcomed efforts by the Africa CDC to develop frameworks supporting cross-border data exchange and urged countries to continue harmonising their approaches through regional blocs such as the East African Community.

The minister said the immediate priority should be to make health data securely available for research while strengthening cooperation between African countries.

'How do we make sure that this data is available for research purposes? How do we secure it? Also, how do we engage meaningfully across different countries?' he posed.

The fifth Africa HealthTech Summit is bringing together policymakers, researchers, technology companies, investors and development partners to discuss the use of digital technologies and artificial intelligence to strengthen African health systems.

Source : https://new.igihe.com/english/minister-iradukunda-challenges-africa-to-rethink-ownership-of-its-health-systems/

Christa Pike, a Tennessee death row inmate convicted of murdering a schoolmate in 1995, survived an attempt to execute her by lethal injection on Wednesday, September 30, after prison officials administered two doses of lethal injection chemicals.

Pike, 50, was taken to an off-site medical facility following the failed execution attempt at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, according to prison officials. Her condition was not immediately known.

The execution had drawn national attention because Pike was the first woman Tennessee had attempted to execute in more than 200 years.

She was also facing execution for a crime committed when she was 18, making her the only person in the modern era of capital punishment in Tennessee facing execution for a crime committed as a teenager.

Pike was convicted of the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, a classmate at a Job Corps vocational center in Knoxville.

Prosecutors said Pike, her 17-year-old boyfriend Tadaryl Shipp and another companion lured Slemmer into a wooded area, where she was tortured and killed. Pike and Shipp later confessed and were convicted of first-degree murder.

Witnesses at Wednesday's execution described hearing Pike gasping, snoring and complaining of discomfort in her arm after the lethal injection drugs were administered.

At different points, curtains inside the execution chamber were closed, preventing journalists from seeing what was happening. Clergy members were also called into the chamber twice before an ambulance arrived at the prison.

Pike's lawyers had opposed the execution and sought clemency, citing her history of severe childhood abuse, neglect and sexual assault.

They also pointed to diagnoses of bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder that she received while in prison. Her lawyers had asked Tennessee Governor Bill Lee to commute her death sentence to life imprisonment without parole, but he denied the request on Monday.

Following the failed execution, Lee announced that Tennessee would suspend executions for the remainder of the year and called for a comprehensive third-party review of what happened.

The Tennessee Department of Correction defended its actions, saying officials had followed the state's established execution protocol.

The failed execution was the second such incident in Tennessee in 2026. In May, officials halted an attempt to execute a male inmate after they were unable to find a suitable vein for the lethal injection.

Source : https://new.igihe.com/english/tennessee-death-row-inmate-survives-failed-execution-attempt/