In Rwanda, as elsewhere, every political party aims to convince this electorate, seeking to speak to them in a language they appreciate and understand. Social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter (X) are utilized, replacing the campaign flyers our parents were familiar with. Vibrant graphics and language elements are employed, and young activists are put forward to persuade their peers.
However, I must share this powerful certainty with you after having spent several months on the ground and participated in some campaign events. Rwandan youthâ”the post-ethnicism and post-genocide generationâ”do not need all these artifices to turn out on July 15 and cast the right vote.
Having been born and mostly bred on the continent, in Europe, my voting experiences have always been marked by renunciation and choosing the “lesser evil”:
Renunciation of any truly egalitarian and supportive project, as these societies mostly lack the basic empathy to end the mistreatment of their elders abandoned in gloomy nursing homes, to end the difficulties of the sick who have to travel miles to find a primary care facility that will only receive them after hours of waitingâ”even in emergenciesâ”or to end the precariousness of students who line up at soup kitchens, the last step before begging, between two university classes. This context pertains to rich countries.
Renunciation of any plan for social transformation and revolution, as the common good is never the goal of political regimes behind capitalist and ultra-liberal projects that rely on exploiting large sections of the population for the benefit of a few, based on a social contract that is inherently racial and racist.
This system underlies the simmering anger manifesting in massive strikes, giving European citizens a sense of demonstrating popular power while politicians respond only with disdain.
Renunciation of any unity program, as racism is the cement of the capitalist promise; the average European or Anglo-Saxon citizen must always be assured of remaining in a position of dominance over many populations of the Global South to accept not being among the richest 1%.
Racism also serves as an escape when these same “native” citizens realize, occasionally, that the equation does not work and that their leaders mock them as much as they do the wretched of the earth, both national and international.
Yet, these same European, Western countries claim to be the judges of human rights worldwide (in non-white regions), while perpetuating its continuous destabilization through war, plunder, and narrative distortions for eternal repetitions.
Certainly, Rwanda hit rock bottom thirty years ago when the same colonial ideology managed to divide the people based on racial criteria to break all social ties and landmarks: from neighbours to friends, to family.
During the Genocide against the Tutsi and the preceding decades of violent anti-Tutsi discrimination, this poison destroyed heartsâ” all hearts. And some bodies and minds of those designated as Tutsi.
Today, three short decades after the crime of crimes, children play, learn, pray, and argue together without even thinking of these dark practices of the past. Far from any display policies presented by Western media, which often see the current Rwanda only as a massive African startup functioning solely for profit and authoritarianism. The entire society is geared towards the well-being of its children, its youth, and, more broadly, its most vulnerable members.
The principle that a society’s functioning can be judged by the degree of inclusion of its margins is strikingly real here, in a country where, despite poverty, no one is abandoned by the wayside.
But since we are talking about the youth, it is essential to understand that they are aware of their historical and regional context and relish the privilege of peace, security, and the pathâ”paved by their eldersâ”toward all possibilities. All young people, without distinction of class or race, live this way: we are the wildest dream of our ancestors.
If our pragmatic goal is to achieve satisfactory economic progress, it is also to regain our maltreated humanity and then magnify it. To be able to look at our ownâ”with kindness and the feeling of walking together, in the same direction for the same objective.
The political project of the liberators from the genocide against the Tutsi is one of the struggles for dignity for all. There is no deeper or more exhilarating campaign argument than this truth, both proclaimed and palpable. This is why young people will turn out in large numbers to support the political project of the RPF and the unwavering consistency of its leader, President Paul Kagame.
In Rwanda, as elsewhere, every political party aims to convince youthful electorate, seeking to speak to them in a language they appreciate and understand.
The dissolution of the Cabinet is the latest in a series of actions the Kenyan Head of State has been forced to take following weeks of protests, both on social media and on the streets, led by Gen Z.
At the onset, Ruto withdrew the Controversial Finance Bill 2024 and introduced new austerity measures aimed at reducing government expenditure. He removed operational budgets for the Offices of the Spouses of the President, Deputy President and Prime Cabinet Secretary.
Days later, Ruto’s actions have come under heavy scrutiny across the political landscape with young people setting the internet ablaze and continuing their barrage against the ruling Kenya Kwanza regime.
Taking to X Spaces and other forums, some netizens termed the dissolution of the Cabinet as an act of self-preservation by the President, whom they insist bears the huge responsibility for the ‘failures’ of his government.
They also faulted the President for sparing Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, arguing that the office is unconstitutional. Mudavadi doubles as the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs.
“He might have fired his entire Cabinet but he still maintains the unconstitutional position of the office of the Prime CS and this is a blatant attempt at self-preservation. I do not think of this as a move of goodwill because I wouldn’t sit here and applaud a fish for swimming,” activist Kasmuel McOure said.
An X user identified as Veeana said, 'It is important that even as we slash off the weeds, we uproot deep from the roots!'
Human rights activist and Senator Okiya Omtatah, also noted that 'Dissolving Cabinet is not the solution', insisting that a 'fish begins rotting from the head'.
“Everything around him (Ruto) has collapsed. So you cannot say that his juniors should bear the burden. The ball stops with him and the call that President Ruto must go is a call that must be applied and as they say a fish begins rotting from the head.”
However, a section of Kenyans opined that the dissolution of the Cabinet was a good starting point to address issues raised during the recent protests. They commended the President for humbling himself and listening to the cries of Kenyans demanding accountability from the government amid the rising cost of living.
“A good start by Ruto as he has sacked all the Cabinet secretaries. What a time to be alive in Kenya. We must be heard,” opined Amos Mwango.
Some of the fired Cabinet Secretaries had lost public confidence due to poor performance and wastage of public resources, prompting demands for their removal from office.
The protesters had earlier warned President Ruto against a Cabinet reshuffle, which has in the recent past been seen as less effective in addressing incompetence among state officers.
Yesterday, he said he had resolved to dissolve his Cabinet “upon reflection, listening keenly to what the people of Kenya have said and after a holistic appraisal of the performance of the cabinet and its achievements and challenges.”
Principal Secretaries tasked
President Ruto directed Principal Secretaries to supervise ministries as he worked on forming a broad-based government to help him achieve “urgent and irreversible' government programs.
“I will immediately engage in extensive consultations across different sectors, political formations, and other Kenyans, both in public and private, with the aim of setting up a broad-based government that will assist me in accelerating and expediting the necessary, urgent, and irreversible implementation of the program we have,” he added.
According to Ruto, his administration aims to put in place radical measures and programs to deal with the burden of debt, explore raising domestic resources and revenues, expand job opportunities, and eliminate waste and unnecessary duplication across multiple government agencies.
“This will make the government of Kenya lean, inexpensive, effective, and efficient,” he stated.
President William Ruto’s decision to dismiss his entire Cabinet on Thursday, July 11, 2024, continues to elicit mixed reactions, particularly among the young people who have sustained pressure on the Head of State to step down in recent weeks.
Ministers in charge of Foreign Affairs of Rwanda and Burundi are expected to meet soon to further discuss issues concerning bilateral diplomatic relations but they say there is no need for a mediator. Both Governments are determined to resolve their disputes amicably.
A recently concluded retreat which brought together Ministers from eight East African Community (EAC) member states adopted a resolution to have this meeting but representatives from both countries say an agreement was reached even before the retreat occurred.
In an interview with IGIHE, Foreign Affairs Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe explained that before the retreat began, his team had met with Burundi counterpart Albert Shingiro and agreed that both Governments would discuss and resolve the issue themselves.
“We didn’t even extensively discuss the issue between Rwanda and Burundi at the meeting because before it started, we spoke with Minister Albert Shingiro, and agreed that our countries would discuss our issues directly, without needing a mediator, as both countries share the same language and culture. We agreed to meet soon to resolve these issues,” he said.
According to Nduhungirehe, the meeting prior to the retreat was held on July 6, 2024, and it was also attended by Minister of State in charge of Regional Cooperation, Gen (Rtd) James Kabarebe.
Minister Nduhungirehe explained that the decision for representatives of the two countries to meet was communicated to the other ministers attending the retreat, who then agreed it would take place before October 31, 2024, as announced by the office of the EAC Secretary-General.
The principle of representatives from conflicting countries meeting is one of the EAC’s foundational practices. Member countries have agreed that if there is a dispute, they will sit down and peacefully discuss ways to resolve it.
Relations between Rwanda and Burundi deteriorated in December 2023, when RED Tabara, an armed group operating in Burundi launched attacks in the Gatumba zone, located in Bujumbura Rural Province.
Burundi’s President, Evariste Ndayishimiye, told the press that Rwanda was suspected to be behind the actions of the armed group and that its leaders were based in Kigali.
The Rwandan government vehemently denied these accusations, clarifying that it does not collaborate with any group opposing the government of its neighbouring country.
In January 2024, the Burundian government closed all land borders with Rwanda, stating that they would reopen them once those who attempted to overthrow former president Pierre Nkurunziza’s government in 2015 were sent to Bujumbura.
In February 2024, South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir Mayardit, who is also the Chairperson of the EAC, visited Rwanda and Burundi to try and mediate between both sides, aiming to find an amicable solution to the conflict.
A recently concluded retreat which brought together Ministers from eight East African Community (EAC) member states adopted a resolution to have this meeting but representatives from both countries say an agreement was reached even before the retreat occurred.
In June, international media reported that after EU countries selected Quintin, Rwanda contacted France to inform them that Quintin would not be accepted, citing strained relations between Rwanda and Belgium as the reason.
Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Olivier Nduhungirehe told IGIHE in an exclusive interview that Rwanda never rejected the diplomat because it has no authority to do so.
“I don’t understand why people say Rwanda rejected the EU’s special envoy to the region because Rwanda is not an EU member. They are the ones to make the decision, not us, because it’s none of our business,” he stated.
Nduhungirehe explained that Rwanda merely expressed its concerns regarding Bernard Quintin, viewing him as someone who can be biased.
“We expressed our concerns regarding the candidate they had proposed, seen as biased. We established that he would be siding with Congo, which would not have made him impartial. However, this does not mean we rejected him, as we are not responsible for appointing EU envoys.”
Minister Nduhungirehe’s remarks came shortly after EU Commission spokesperson Eric Mamer disclosed that Rwanda had not interfered with the decision to send the diplomat.
The strained relationship between Rwanda and Belgium stems from Brussels’ refusal to accept Vincent Karega, who was appointed as Rwanda’s Ambassador, and Belgium’s clear bias, siding with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which accuses Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebel group.
Minister Nduhungirehe noted that since Belgium rejected Vincent Karega, Rwanda remains firm in its decision not to send another ambassador to Belgium.
He stated, “There have been no further discussions regarding the rejection of Ambassador Karega. We have made it clear that he is the one we nominated as Rwanda’s Ambassador to Belgium, and we will not send another. This is where we stand now.”
In September 2023, President Kagame announced that Belgium never provided reasonable explanations to Rwanda after rejecting Ambassador Vincent Karega and that Rwanda was not considering sending another candidate.
He said that after a long wait for Vincent Karega’s acceptance, Belgian authorities asked Rwanda to replace him with someone else.
President Kagame further explained that Rwanda later understood that Belgium’s decision was influenced by pressure from the Congolese government rather than any other reason and emphasized the importance of receiving clear explanations in such situations.
Belgian diplomat Bernard Quintin, who was potentially to be sent by the European Union (EU) as its envoy to the Great Lakes Region.
Tesla is claiming Elon Musk won his legal battle over his $56bn pay package because shareholders voted for the compensation, despite a judge rescinding it earlier this year, according to court filing made public on Friday.
The company's filing comes two weeks after Tesla shareholders voted to ratify the 2018 package of stock options. Tesla held the vote following a January ruling by a Delaware judge to void the compensation because Musk improperly controlled the negotiation process and the company misled shareholders about key details.
The uncertainty in the case hangs over Musk's relationship with Tesla, which is struggling with slower sales and stiffer competition. He has said he might develop some products outside the company if he does not obtain a larger ownership stake.
Tesla made its argument in its proposal for how the judge, Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick of Delaware's court of chancery, should craft a final order that is needed to implement the January ruling. Tesla said the final order should state that 'judgment is entered for the defendants'.
The shareholders' legal team wants the judge to stick with her original ruling voiding Musk's pay package. They want her to order Tesla to pay them potentially billions of dollars worth of Tesla stock as a legal fee award.
Tesla has said a fair fee might be as low as $13.6m.
On Thursday, McCormick ordered the parties to begin preparing briefs laying out their views on the effect of the shareholder vote on the case. She also asked the parties to agree on a date in late July or early August for oral arguments on the issue.
McCormick will hear oral arguments over the legal fee on 8 July and she might take at least a few weeks before ruling.
Even if she does not reverse her January ruling, she might recognize that the shareholder vote demonstrated that there was little value in winning the case because Tesla shareholders want the record-breaking compensation. That would undermine the plaintiff's attorney-fee request, which is based on the value they provided to the company by rescinding the pay package.
Eraste Mwaka, 43, left his home in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) full of hope that he'd find a lasting, peaceful and better life in Nairobi, but reality tasted different when he set foot in Kenya.
By the time he decided to part ways with his old life in eastern DRC, where he had a stable, well-paying job with a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), he had had it all. The rebels in the region had made it their mission to make sure he had no peace in life, only because he refused to join them.
'They really terrorised me, consistently stealing from me the NGO's property, which I had to pay for. They could even come to my house at night while I'm away, steal my things, rape my wife! I felt that was too much and finally decided to leave,' Mwaka recalls.
To him, Kenya was an ideal destination not only because it was far from the home that had become hell, but also because he believed it to be a great and welcoming country for refugees.
Like most first-time visitors to Kenya, he had been persuaded beyond doubt that Kenya is a safe and pleasant place to be in, thanks to the widely publicised song 'Jambo Kenya,' which culminates to the world-renowned phrase 'Nchi yetu, hakuna matata', Kiswahili for 'there's no trouble in our country.'
His little grasp of the Swahili language led him to believe that a beautiful life awaited him and his family in Kenya. In 2014, he sold his property, liquidated his accounts, bought US dollars and set out with his wife and three children to Nairobi.
An old man practising plumbing in Don Bosco vocational training centre. PHOTO | POOL
But the beautiful life he had envisioned was not to be. At first, all was well because he had the money he brought with him. But it would soon run out forcing him to find a job to fend for his family, and there he met his first trouble in Kenya â” getting an identification.
After waiting for over three months, he finally got an alien identification card, but as he would soon realise, the card was nearly worthless if not for giving him legal status in the country.
He couldn't get registered on any mobile network or mobile money platform, open a bank account or access any regulated credit or savings service provider with the alien ID alone. And without any of these, it was not only impossible to get a job but also difficult to self-employ.
'In DRC, I had worked with four NGOs, and I was being paid well, averagely $1,000 every month. But here, I couldn't find a matching job. I could only find menial jobs which were too hard for me, I could barely survive,' he recounts.
Circumstances seemed to have sealed his fate and for over six years, Mr Mwaka and his family lived in abject poverty in Nairobi.
At some point, he says, they had to live in a school, sometimes in churches and some days they would beg caretakers to stay a night in vacant houses. Most days, they survived on handouts from charities in the city. All because he was cut off from the financial system.
Today, he runs a phone repair shop in Nairobi's suburb, thanks to help from two charities â” HIAS, which paid for his training in a phone repair course, and GiveDirectly, which gave him a Ksh100,000 ($772) unconditional grant which he used to start the business.
To get the grant, GiveDirectly, a cash transfer charity working with vulnerable communities, helped him set up a bank account, enabling him access to a safe place to keep his money, but even that still doesn't give him access to credit.
Mobile money
And in a country where many transactions are done through mobile money, he has to manage without an account. In an urban centre no less, it is harder to survive without access to a mobile money account or a bank account.
Like most urban refugees in Nairobi, Mr Mwaka only owns a SIM card and a mobile money account by proxy, the risks of which are not lost on him. Just recently, he lost Ksh12,000 ($92) because he misplaced the SIM card and his proxy couldn't provide their national ID card for replacement.
This challenge is not unique to him. Most refugees in Nairobi today are unable to fully integrate into the society because they lack access to crucial financial services, which seemingly results from increased rigidity of the regulations governing the financial services sector.
For instance, Farhiyo Mohamed Elmi, 42, who fled her home in Mogadishu, Somalia in 2007 due to the civil war, found a home in Nairobi and was able to get a mobile money account using her alien ID card, but laws have since changed and even her own daughter now can't.
'Back then I was able to register a line, but my friends who have tried lately are told they can't be registered using the alien ID card,' she told The EastAfrican.
Such is also the plight of Hakizimana* (not his real name), a Rwandan who fled the country in 2006 due to persecution. He was able to register a phone number back in the days, but his wife and children who joined him later have not been able to, forcing them to using proxies, like many other refugees.
But even Hakizimana still lacks access to crucial financial services like credit. To make ends meet, he makes sculptors and sells them to retailers who sell to tourists in Nairobi, but he wishes he could get more from his craft.
'If I could just access a loan to open up my own shop and be able to sell directly to clients, I could make so much more. I don't make as much here because of the middlemen,' he says.
Both Farhiyo and Hakizimana were also beneficiaries of the GiveDirectly grant to urban refugees, which they both used to start or build the small businesses they rely on today, and was also the only reason they own bank accounts today.
Not all refugees are lucky to land such donations or charities which can help them set up even a bank account.
Many urban refugees in Nairobi rely on proxies to be able to access any semblance of a financial service, and most are completely cut off from the conventional banking services.
'They don't have access to financial services and one of the biggest reasons for that is their lack of proper documentation and perceptions in the community,' argues Teddy Kinyoro, a senior programmes manager at GiveDirectly in Nairobi.
For urban refugees, the financial exclusion is nearly as bad as a lack of identity altogether. 'The challenges refugees face in urban areas are very unique compared to rural set-ups,' argues Mr Kinyoro.
'Refugees don't have access to land. The only thing they have access to is a small space they can set up a business, but even setting up a business requires money, and this is what they can't get.'
According to Mr Kinyoro, all of the over 800 refugees who benefitted from their urban refugee programme about two years ago had no bank accounts.
They were only able to get the accounts through the charity's intervention, since they have a Memorandum of Understanding with one of the commercial banks in the country, which waived the requirement for some documents.
To get a bank account from most banks in Kenya, refugees are required to have a PIN Certificate from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), a Refugee Card, and sometimes a recognition letter from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) or even a work permit, all of which they cannot immediately access, and most take years before they can get any of them.
'Very few refugees have a KRA PIN, for instance. To get it, a refugee must have a Refugee Card, it's non-negotiable,' said Mr Kinyoro, adding that based on their research, only about 40 percent of refugees have a valid refugee card.
This essentially means that as a registered asylum seeker in Kenya, there is no way you can open a bank account to enable you transfer assets or receive money from abroad. Even for those granted refugee status, it is still a nightmare.
Congolese refugee Grace Kashama (L) learns tailoring under the guidance of a staff member of People for Peace and Defense of Rights (PPRD), a refugee-led NGO, during a tailoring and fashion training class in Kampala, Uganda on June 11, 2024. PHOTO | XINHUA
'It is possible to open a bank account as a refugee but it's extremely difficult,' argued Mr Kinyoro.
Muthoki Mumo, sub-Saharan Africa representative for the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), told The EastAfrican that even with all the necessary documents, exiled journalists in Kenya still find it hard to access financial services.
'Not only is earning an income a problem, but accessing the basic financial services that many of us Kenyans take for granted,' Ms Mumo said.
CPJ helps relocate journalists facing an imminent threat in their countries due to their journalistic work.
Ms Mumo told The EastAfrican that Kenya has proven nearly uninhabitable for exiled journalists due to the difficulties in accessing financial services, and many of them eventually opt to settle down elsewhere.
Why is it so hard for refugees and asylum seekers to access financial services in Kenya?
According to Mr Kinyoro, the problem is rooted in the difficulty accessing the required documentation, especially the alien ID card, which mainly stems from administrative challenges due to the huge backlog of asylum seekers in the country at any given time.
Refugee status
Ms Mumo adds: 'There's the issue of access to information; maybe people coming here do not immediately have access to the information they need to navigate the system. Secondly, even when things are working perfectly, there's a bureaucracy to deal with, but things never work perfectly because it's a system that is strained with many people seeking to get services.'
Indeed, data from the UNHCR shows Kenya is currently host to about 538,899 refugees and 152,942 asylum seekers â” who are yet to be granted refugee status in the country as of December last year.
The number of refugees rose seven percent since end of 2022, but the number of asylum seekers more than doubled from 69,011 in 2022, reflecting a slow processing of asylum seekers and granting of refugee status.
Compared to neighbouring Uganda, Kenya appears be processing asylum seekers much slower despite having fewer refugees compared to Kampala.
Last year, for example, Kenya granted refugee status to only 34,426 people, while Uganda welcomed 113,975 new refugees to its borders, with only 37,657 asylum seekers left pending at the end of the year.
Currently, Uganda hosts over 1.5 million refugees, more than triple the number in Kenya, and experts believe this could be linked to the fact that refugees find it more habitable than Kenya, especially in terms of financial inclusion.
'In some ways, Uganda is a much friendlier place to be as a refugee compared to Kenya,' argues Ms Mumo.
'Overall, we have a very different situation in Uganda with the national refugee policy and the open-door policy, whereby refugees are allowed to move freely and access all the different types of services like nationals,' said Matilda Jerneck, cash-based interventions coordinator at UNHCR Uganda.
One of the stark differences with Kenya is that in Uganda, the refugee card alone or even the family attestation document â” the equivalent of the proof of registration in Kenya â” is enough to open a bank or a mobile money account.
It is also easier and faster to get the necessary refugee documentation in Uganda, and refugees are allowed to even own assets such as motor vehicles or land, unlike in Kenya.
According to Ms Jerneck, this hasn't always been the case in Uganda.
According to her, Uganda succeeded because it considered refugees as a 'specific interest group' in its national financial inclusion policy and endeavoured to ensure inter-operability between different regulators, banks and mobile network operators to ensure the refugee documentations can be easily verified.
Both Mr Kinyoro and Ms Mumo contend that this one of the major challenges in Kenya.
Banks and mobile network operators cannot easily verify these documents and therefore opt not to take them in the registration process. The Central Bank of Kenya, which is the financial sector regulator in Kenya, acknowledged receipt of our questions on their work plan to help boost financial inclusion for refugees in the country, but did not respond by the time of going to press.
However, the government this month received a $50 million grant from the World Bank to help with its refugee policy reforms aimed at improving their participation in the labour market and their access to basic social and financial services.
GiveDirectly's research reveals that the urban refugees that benefited from their programme and gained access to banks accounts were able to save more and about 81 percent realised an increase in income levels.
Yet, gaining access to these services is the first step. Ms Jerneck and Mr Kinyoro contend that there needs also to be an attitude change towards refugees; to consider them just as risky as locals so lenders can loan them just as easily as they would citizens.
Hundreds of thousands of supporters gathered with great morale and joy praising him for social development activities put in place by his government.
One speaker after another poured out heartfelt gratitude for developmental programs such as the school feeding program, gender inclusion, reliable health services and other infrastructure facilities that have collectively brought sustainable development to the area.
One Mukamerika Marie Rose, who was the first to speak, praised Kagame’s leadership for giving a platform that allowed her family to end poverty and enable her four children to access quality education.
'You did not only introduce the school feeding program which allowed children to have a meal from school but also thought about teachers and increased their salaries,' she said in reference to a recent salary increment for teachers of up to 80 per cent.
A teacher herself, Mukamerika’s testimony went as far as highlighting the contribution of Kagame and RPF leadership in gender which enabled women to have greater ambitions.
In his brief address, Kagame implored the residents not to be held in bondage by the country’s bad past history but rather learn lessons on how to further develop their country.
'The bond we have together is unbreakable. You have overtime attained more knowledge and skills. This should be a reason for you to excel in developing your area even further,' he said amid encouraging chants of appraisal.
'Even though you have achieved a lot of success and development as you have described, better things are yet to come because as leaders, we are also committed to giving it our best shot,' he added
He thanked them for demonstrating courage and resilience by stepping out of the ruins of bad leadership to becoming exemplary people striving for personal and national progress.
Kagame, who was in the company of Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente who also hails from Gakenke District, praised the residents for upholding their unity even in diversity.
'Those roads, electricity, hospitals, schools and other infrastructural developments should act as an inspiration to achieve even more,' he said.
He said that despite differences in beliefs, practices, and ways of life, people can live together in harmony and work towards common goals.
He emphasized the idea that diversity enriches collective experiences and perspectives thereby building stronger and more resilient communities.
In many countries and regions, “unity in diversity” is celebrated as a fundamental value that promotes peace, stability, and progress.
It encourages dialogue, cooperation, and collaboration across different groups, fostering a sense of belonging and shared identity while respecting individual uniqueness.
Overall, “unity in diversity” encapsulates the belief that despite varied backgrounds and identities, people can come together as one community to create a better world for everyone.
As the presidential campaigns draw closer to the end, Kagame is scheduled to meet residents in Bumbogo (Gasabo District) on Friday, July 12, and conclude with Gahanga in Kicukiro District on Saturday, July 13, 2024.
Hundreds of thousands of supporters gathered with great morale and joy praising President Kagame for social development activities put in place by his government.
Rwanda’s development in recent years continues to be driven by technological advancements across various sectors. This technology is also playing a crucial role in the country’s ambitious goal of becoming a healthcare hub for the region, Africa, and beyond.
The country is making strides in helping mothers conceive children using In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), a technology that involves minimum invasive surgery.
It helps couples conceive where natural methods are impossible due to reproductive health problems such as infertility.
Available information indicates that some of the issues leading couples to seek IVF include blocked fallopian tubes which prevent the smooth flow of the fertilization process. Such problems in women are often related to age and irregular menstrual cycles.
Men, however, may also seek IVF services due to anomalies such as low sperm count, poor sperm quality and production of immature sperms, among others.
To date, around eight million babies globally have been born through this method of combining sperm and egg outside the body and implanting the embryo in the mother’s womb.
According to medics at Kanombe Military Hospital (where this technology is available), 15% of mothers seeking gynaecology services face such issues.
Dr. Eugene Ngoga, a gynaecology specialist and expert in IVF technology says that late 2020, 108 babies have been born using IVF.
'Another 20 mothers are currently pregnant and awaiting delivery. Many people are opting for this service because infertility issues are very upsetting. We see up to 200 patients monthly,' he said. The hospital has six doctors assisting with this technology
How is IVF administered?
For IVF to be successful, a woman with infertility issues is given medication to help her eggs mature over a period of 10 to 12 days. The maturity of the eggs is determined using ultrasound methods and then extracted.
Together with follicular fluid, the eggs are then examined by specialists to rule out any abnormalities. Dr. Ngoga explains once the eggs are ready, the man provides his sperm, which is also examined and processed being combined with the egg outside the human body.
The embryo is then kept under supervision in the laboratory (maintained at a temperature of 37°C for five days) to safeguard the process of fertilization and ensure progressive development. At this point, the embryo is then artificially implanted in the woman’s uterus.
'We fertilise more than one embryo and store the rest for potential future use, in a highly controlled environment where they can last up to 10 years,' Ngoga says.
As a precautionary measure to increase the chances of a successful pregnancy, two embryos are implanted in the mother’s uterus. In most cases, it results in the birth of twins.
Sometimes more than two embryos are implanted, but Ngoga says that two is optimal due to the difficulty of managing complications that come with preterm births.
Implanting the embryos takes about two minutes and is not painful. After ten days, a test is carried out to determine whether the procedure was successful.
It should be noted that IVF is the last option if other treatments for infertility have failed, as all underlying issues are examined.
What is the cost?
While there is no price one can attach to attaining a child, IVF services are typically expensive and not covered by medical insurance.
Costs vary based on infrastructure, facility capabilities, medication, and embryo care. Repeated attempts can increase costs. In Rwanda, IVF services cost about RWF 5.5 million in a private hospital. However, at Kanombe Military Hospital, efforts to reduce costs to encourage more people to access these services are underway.
'At our hospital, we have managed to lower the cost to 2.5 million Rwandan Francs due to government support but in the region, it’s much more expensive,' he said.
Research indicates that in Uganda, the price is about $7000. In Kenya, it’s even much more expensive due to the sophisticated equipment involved.
Currently, no medical insurance policy in Rwanda covers these services, but the Military Hospital is working with relevant bodies to get insurance to cover IVF.
Despite superstitious concerns, health experts affirm that apart from fertilization occurring outside the body, the pregnancy progress and childbirth are completely normal.
The country is making strides in helping mothers conceive children using In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), a technology that involves minimum invasive surgery.
In a televised address on Thursday, July 11, the Head of State also dismissed the country’s Attorney General, Justin Muturi, in the wake of youth-led anti-government protests demanding the President’s resignation.
He directed Principal Secretaries to supervise ministries as he worked on forming a broad-based government to help him achieve “urgent and irreversible implementation of the program we have”.
The embattled Kenyan Head of State said he had resolved to dissolve his Cabinet “upon reflection, listening keenly to what the people of Kenya have said and after a holistic appraisal of the performance of the cabinet and its achievements and challenges.”
“I have, in line with the powers given to me by Article 152(1) and 152(5)(b) of the Constitution and Section 12 of the Office of the Attorney-General Act, decided to dismiss with immediate effect all the Cabinet Secretaries and the Attorney-General from the Cabinet of the Republic of Kenya except the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs,” President Ruto stated.
“I will immediately engage in extensive consultations across different sectors, political formations, and other Kenyans, both in public and private, with the aim of setting up a broad-based government that will assist me in accelerating and expediting the necessary, urgent, and irreversible implementation of the program we have,” he added.
According to President Ruto, his administration aims to put in place radical measures and programs to deal with the burden of debt, explore raising domestic resources and revenues, expand job opportunities, eliminate waste and unnecessary duplication across multiple government agencies, and slay the dragon of corruption.
“This will make the government of Kenya lean, inexpensive, effective, and efficient,” he stated.
The 22 members of the Cabinet fired on Thursday include Njuguna Ndung’u (National Treasury and Planning), Kipchumba Murkomen (Roads and Transport), Aisha Jumwa (Gender, Culture, the Arts & Heritage), Aden Duale (Defence), Alice Wahome (Lands, Public Works, Housing & Urban Development), Alfred Mutua (Tourism & Wildlife), Moses Kuria (Public Service, Performance & Delivery Management), Rebecca Miano (Investments, Trade & Industry), Kithure Kindiki (Interior and National Administration), Soipan Tuya (Environment and Forestry), Zachariah Njeru (Water, Sanitation & Irrigation), Peninah Malonza (East African Community, The ASALs & Regional Development) and Mithika Linturi (Agriculture and Livestock Development).
Others Ezekiel Machogu (Education), Davis Chirchir (Energy and Petroleum), Ababu Namwamba (Youth Affairs and Sports), Simon Chelugui (Co-operatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development), Salim Mvurya (Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs), Florence Bore (Labour and Social Protection), Eliud Owalo (Information, Communications and the Digital Economy), Susan Nakhumicha Wafula (Health), and Mercy Kiiru Wanjau (Secretary to the Cabinet).
The Finance Bill 2024 sought to raise Ksh 346 billion in additional taxes for the government. However, the proposed law sparked protests from “Gen Zs” who took to the streets to demand the rejection of what they termed as “punitive taxes”.
The President announced Ksh177 billion budget cuts to seal the budget hole left after the withdrawal of the bill.
Ruto said the Ksh169 billion budget deficit would be raised through additional borrowing.
He also announced that 47 state corporations would be dissolved and merged with parent ministries, and that the number of his advisors would be reduced by half.
Other austerity measures include the removal of the operations budget for the Office of the First Lady, the Spouse of the Deputy President, and the Prime Cabinet Secretary.
The report unveiled on Wednesday, June 10, 2024, shows that inflation in urban centres was driven by an increase in the prices of food and beverages, as well as transportation costs.
Between June 2023 and June 2024, the prices of food and beverages increased by 3.1%, while transportation costs saw a significant increase of 23.2% over the past year.
In the same period, prices of milk cheese and eggs in the urban areas increased by 21.1%, meat (10%) and bread and cereals (0.7%).
The cost of non-alcoholic beverages went up by 9.1%, alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics (1.6%), restaurants and hotels 3.1%, and clothing and footwear (5.6%).
Additionally, the cost of accessing health services recorded an increment of 3.0%, housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels increased by 2.0%, education, 1.6% and communication 1.2%. The cost of vegetables reduced by 1.6% and Recreation and culture 0.9% over the same period
There was, however, a silver lining as prices in June 2024 were slightly lower (0.4%) compared to May 2024.
Prices in rural areas decreased slightly compared to both June 2023 (-1.4%) and May 2024 (-0.8%). This resulted in the overall inflation increasing by 1.1 percent annually with a monthly inflation decrease of 0.6 percent.
Imports and Exports
Over the past year, prices of locally produced goods increased by 3.8%. However, in June 2024 compared to May 2024, there was a slight decrease of 0.2%.
Prices of imported goods rose significantly by 9% annually. However, similar to local goods, there was a monthly decrease of 0.7% in June 2024.
The cost of fresh produce increased moderately by 3.2% over the year, with a small increase of 0.1% in prices from May to June 2024.
Energy prices saw an annual rise of 3.7%. However, there was a significant drop of 2.3% in June 2024 compared to May 2024.
In May, the National Bank of Rwanda (NBR) cut its monetary policy rate by 50 basis points to 7.0 per cent, citing a stabilizing inflation rate.
Addressing a press conference in Kigali, NBR Governor John Rwangombwa announced that Rwanda’s inflation rate had dropped to 4.7 per cent in the first quarter of 2024 from 8.9 per cent registered in the last quarter of 2023. He added that the bank expects inflation to remain within the target of 5 per cent in 2024 and 2025.
“We expected inflation to ease to around 5% this year, and in the first quarter, we registered an average of 4.7%. We expect this trend to continue for the rest of the year. At least, our average projection for this year is 5%, which is the same projection we have for 2025,” Rwangombwa said.
Prices of milk cheese and eggs in the urban areas increased by 21.1%, meat (10%) and bread and cereals (0.7%).
