Nasra Bishumba
The New Times
Rwanda
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Past articles by Nasra:
Civil society reflects on role in policy advocacy
The Director General of Justice Sector Coordination in the Ministry of Justice Anastase Nabahire has called on Civil Society Organisations to be accountable and hold each other and the government accountable as part of the country’s long term goal to have a stronger and more vibrant civil society by 2024. He said this at a three day retreat in Rubavu that brought together 40 Civil Society… → Read More
Govt, private sector partner to boost education financing
Reprioritising and a review of the cooperation between the government and the private sector is the best approach that can be used to cut the current 24 per cent education funding gap that it is facing for the next few years, experts say. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), stipulates that quality education can only be achieved if adequate financial… → Read More
UR owes over Rwf6 billion in pension contributions
The University of Rwanda (UR) owes at least Rwf6 billion in arrears dating back over two decades in employee contributions to the pension body, members of parliament heard on Tuesday, July 27. Appearing before the parliament to shed light on management issues that have plagued the country’s national university for long, the Minister for Education Valentine Uwamariya said that a comprehensive… → Read More
Covid-19: Muslims resort to ‘war rules’ to bury their dead
The month of July will forever evoke nightmares for 59-year-old Mohammed Bigirimana, a resident of Gikondo, Kicukiro District. Not only did he have to endure the pain of being unable to visit and comfort his wife of 40 years while she battled the Covid-19 virus, he also had to deal with carrying on the earthly journey without her. Most importantly, the father of five says that the restrictions… → Read More
French, Rwandan citizens speak out on Macron’s visit
French President Emmanuel Macron’s arrival in Rwanda has been received with what a cross-section of people say is hope and optimism. Macron, who is in the country for a two-day state visit, is the first French President to travel to Rwanda since 2011. Speaking to The New Times in a telephone interview, French citizen Olivier Beal who runs L’Epicurien restaurant said that the revival of the… → Read More
Busingye urges civil society involvement in human rights review process
The Minister of Justice Johnston Busingye has appealed for cooperation from local civil society players in the implementation of the Universal Peer Review (UPR) recommendations calling its participation ‘not one of the many but the only one’. He said this on Wednesday, May 19 during an interactive session organised by the Legal Aid Forum (LAF) to reflect on the recommendations received by Rwanda… → Read More
New report highlights progress in reconciliation
Efforts to address the dissemination of genocide ideology, divisive politics as well as ethnic-based stereotypes bore fruits in the last four years. These details are contained in the Rwanda Reconciliation Barometer 2020 due to be presented to the Senate on April 21. The report by the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC) assess the status of reconciliation in the country running… → Read More
Genocide survivors continue search for their families 27 years later
In July 2020, soft spoken 28-year-old Grace Umutoni finally received the good news that she has been waiting for since she was two years old. Umutoni, fondly referred to by friends as Rafiki, parted with her family during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi when Interahamwe attacked their home in Nyamirambo. Her family was exterminated and her only brother that she had escaped with died from his… → Read More
Why listing Genocide memorials under UNESCO heritage sites has delayed
Two years since the government handed over the file containing all the requirements, the wait for the next steps towards having four of its genocide memorial sites listed as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites continues. The four Genocide memorial sites are expected to be included on UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites, which officials say will, among other benefits, raise global awareness of the… → Read More
Pretrial detentions have reduced – prosecution
Although pretrial detention should still be applied where it is deemed necessary and is supported by overwhelming evidence, there is reason to push for more people to be tried when they not incarcerated, the Spokesman for the National Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA), Faustin Nkusi has said. Nkusi said this while appearing on a panel on the national broadcaster's weekly English programme, The… → Read More
Over 4,000 pursued over corruption in two years
A total of 4,155 people have since 2018 been investigated over crimes related to corruption, the Secretary General of the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB), Col. Jeannot Ruhunga, has said. He said this while participating in a panel conversation aimed at discussing what can be done to build on the gains that the government has made as part of the celebrations of the international anti-corruption… → Read More
Absence of supervision hindering expropriation – rights body
There is need to speed up the Prime Minister’s Order establishing committees in charge of supervising expropriation projects if the recurring issues that continue to hinder the process are to be dealt with, the Chairperson of the National Human Rights, Marie-Claire Mukasine (inset), has said. Presenting her annual report to members of both chambers of parliament on Friday, Mukasine said that the… → Read More
Cabinet eases Covid-19 public transport restrictions
A Cabinet meeting held on Monday October 12 has lifted restrictions on public transportation, effectively allowing buses to fill all their seats and at least 50 percent of the standing passengers. The meeting, chaired by President Paul Kagame resolved that guidelines on the 50 percent of standing passengers will be determined by the Rwanda Utility Regulatory Agency (RURA) under which the… → Read More
Kwita Izina to go virtual as local frontliners name gorillas
Local front liners involved in the wellbeing of gorillas on a day to day basis will this year be given the opportunity to name baby gorillas on the 16th Kwita Izina ceremony this year, the Chief Tourism Officer of Rwanda Development Board (RDB), Belise Kariza, has said. Kariza said this on Friday, September 4 while addressing the media during a virtual briefing on this year’s Kwita Izina at a… → Read More
Scholars, Genocide survivors, weigh in on Rusesabagina’s arrest
Rusesabagina is a walking contradiction. He portrayed his story in the ‘Hotel Rwanda’ movie as someone who was helping people during the genocide against the Tutsi. → Read More
We have not ruled out another lockdown — Ngamije
Ngamije reminded the Government will not sit by as the pandemic spreads vastly, outweighing its capacity to deal with it. → Read More
PAC suspends hearings over Covid-19 pandemic
Almost three weeks since it was scheduled to kick off this year’s hearings, the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) says that it has temporarily put the proceedings on hold in light of the challenges stemming from the Covid-19 outbreak. In a telephone interview with The New Times, the PAC Chairperson MP Valens Muhakwa said that the hearings that were scheduled to commence on July 21… → Read More
Genocide orphan Grace Umutoni finally traces family 26 years later
Twenty-six years after she started searching for her family, 28-year-old Grace Umutoni on Wednesday, July 22, finally received the good news that she has been waiting for since she was two years old. DNA test results in her hands indicate that Antoine Rugagi from Rubavu District is her maternal uncle. During the commemoration week in April this year, The New Times broke the story about Umutoni’s… → Read More
Ngirente sheds light on post Covid-19 challenges
Prime Minister Édouard Ngirente has said that Rwanda will need a combination of hard work and partnerships between the government and the private sector in dealing with the losses that continue to rise from the Covid-19 global pandemic. Addressing members of both chambers of parliament on the impact of Covid-19, Ngirente said that while Rwanda will face challenges like the rest of the world,… → Read More
Covid-19: Rwanda has lost $48m in cancelled meetings
Rwanda’s MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) industry has so far been hit by a $48 million (over Rwf45 billion) loss as a result of the global Covid-19 crisis, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Soraya Hakuziyaremye has said. She said this on Monday during a press conference organised to update Rwandans on Covid-19. Hakuziyaremye said that although the country had taken a… → Read More