Weekly Review

Ombudsman exposes misconduct. It was reported this week that the office of the ombudsman has revealed that corruption is entrenched in grassroots structures and a cross section of national institutions. This is contained in a 2008 report from the office of the ombudsman. The report singles out traffic police, the judiciary, lands and customs officials are some of the most corrupt organs at the national level. At the same time, the report says that at the grassroots level the most corrupt are; cell leaders, Gacaca judges local defense and local mediators. The report also indicates that 451 government officials failed to return wealth declaration forms. Parliament approves 2009/10 budgetAlso in the news this week, were reports that parliament has approved the 2009/10 annual budget that was presented by the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning James Musoni last week. The Finance minister plans to spend Rwf 838 billion in the 2009/10 financial year which implies an increment of Rwf 11 billion from the initial Rwf 827 billion which had been presented in the pre-budget document. More money came in after a grant was granted by a Chinese bank (Exim bank). By the time the pre-budget document was being worked on, negotiations with Exim bank were ongoing. Kalimanzira gets 30 years in jailThe International Criminal Tribunal (ICTR) has sentenced former Cabinet Director in the Rwanda Interior Ministry, Callixte Kalimanzira to 30 years imprisonment for crimes of Genocide. Judge Dennis Byron is reported to have ruled that Kalimanzira, a former civil servant was guilty of genocide and direct and public incitement to commit genocide. It was also said that he went to Kabuye hill in southern province with soldiers and policemen, where thousands of Tutsi refugees were killed. However, he received a reduced sentence given the fact that he had been in the UN detention facility since his arrest in 2005. BBC U-turn irks gov’tThe Ministry of Information this week expressed its disappointment towards the British Broadcasting Cooperation (BBC)’s declarations that it will be business as usual on the radio’s Kinyarwanda programming. The BBC statement contadicted what the government of Rwanda said was agreed upon before the programme in question was restored back on the airwaves. The head of BBC French and Great Lakes languages services, Razvan Scortea, told Gahuzamiryango programme this week that there will be no change in their editorial line and that they would continue to work as before. Nyamvumba tipped to head UNAMIDMaj. Gen Partrick Nyamvumba the Rwanda Defence Forces Chief of Logistics is tipped to take over as the top commander of the AU-UN hybrid mission to Darfur. He was nominated by Rwanda after the UN requested the country to nominate somebody to head the force. He will replace the Nigerian General Martin Luther Agwai. Kenya’s Equity Bank to enter market It was reported that Equity Bank of Kenya will become the third Nairobi based commercial bank to enter the Rwandan market. It comes after the entry of Kenya Commercial Bank into the Rwanda market.A delegation from the bank this week met President Paul Kagame, who assured them of government’s support in fulfilling their business interests in the country. However no specific date of entry was given. New ambassadors named. Cabinet this week nominated The Director of Cabinet in the President’s Office, Maj. Gen. Frank Mugambage as the new Ambassador to Uganda replacing Ignatius Kamali Karegyesa, who moves to Pretoria. The meeting also appointed Fatuma Ndagiza, Executive Secretary of Rwanda’s National Unity and Reconciliation Commission as the new envoy to Tanzania. The government also nominated Antoine Munyakazi Juru as its envoy to Japan; the less known Munyakazi was once the Rwandan ambassador to DR Congo. Munyakazi is replacing Dr. Emile Rwamasirabo. Ends