It is Sunday. From memories of their Heroes yesterday, February 1, Rwandans, especially religious believers headed to different Churches to pray and thank God for so many things. Others, especially Kigalians, woke up to what has now become a “don’t miss” routine Sports exercise. It is car Freed Day – a bi-monthly fitness exercise. But one common thing will probably keep rolling in the minds of these Rwandans. Everyone waits to hear what will come out of the third quadripartite meeting in Luanda – Angola’s capital, between Rwanda and Uganda, as the two countries meet again to seek an end to ongoing standoff between them.
Under the facilitation of Presidents João Lourenço of Angola and Félix Antoine Tshisekedi of DRC, Presidents Paul Kagame and his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Kaguta Museveni will today meet face-to-face to discuss these matters. An end to the crisis is much awaited for. it will be known today.
Before the start of February, a lot has happened throughout the week. We take a scan through and bring the most memorable events that shaped Rwanda this week.
Congratulations to the winner of Rwanda Development Board’s Business Awards and Happy Heroes’ Day.
This week has a merit to be called a diplomatic week for someone who has in mind the annual diplomatic luncheon that was hosted by President Paul Kagame on Wednesday, Jan 29,2020. From credentials presented to him by 10 envoys earlier the same day, the week was also for Rwanda’s last envoy – from a recently appointed batch – to present credentials to Ghanaian President.
Dr. Aissa Kirabo Kakira, Rwanda’s envoy to Ghana presenting her credentials to Ghanaian President
There were more than 60 diplomats who represent their countries and international organisations in Rwanda in the Kigali Convention Centre’s hall who enjoyed a toast with President Paul Kagame and received credits for having furthered relationship with Rwanda.
They were also updated on the Rwanda’s diplomatic policy, achievements and pressing diplomatic issues that Rwanda carried from last year.
The issue of diplomatic tensions between Rwanda and Uganda relationship took centre stage in this speech and on ground, barely every day, reports of Uganda torturing Rwandans dominated the headlines in Rwanda.
Even by press time, a Rwandan was rushed to Musanze-Ruhengeli hospital in the Northern Province after he was allegedly beaten and left for dead at the Rwanda – Uganda border of Cyanika.
At the diplomatic luncheon, President Kagame was thankful to his DRC’s counterpart Antoine Felix Tshisekedi for his effort to dismantle the negative forces operating on his soil to destabilise Rwanda and the region at large.
Since his inauguration, Tshisekedi’s government has been regularly dislocating these negative forces made of former Rwandan militia Interahamwe in most cases and sending them with their families to Rwanda.
This week, our reporters visited these ex-combatants in Mutobo reintegration camp – Musanze district in northern Rwanda and their dependents in Nyarushishi transit camp- Rusizi district, Western province. They are being given decent food and medication prior to their reintegration into the community.
On top of this event, however, there were other equally big headlines this ending week.
In other diplomatic component, Rwanda comforted the citizens of China over coronavirus and expressed its solidarity with the people of the republic of China who are going through difficult moments because of the disease which is spreading quickly.
The communique from Rwanda’s ministry of foreign affairs came in the afternoon of January 31,2020 while in the morning – same day, Rwanda’s carrier – RwandAir had announced a decision to suspend flights to Guangzhou following global alert by the World Health Organization.
Yvonne Manzi Makolo, RwandAir CEO told KT Press that the carrier will follow closely how the situation evolves and advise accordingly.
Rwanda said it will not ask its people in China to fly back home because, according to Minister of Health Dr Diane Gashumba, the country hopes that China will sort out the issue as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, China built a 1000 bed coronavirus hospital in Hubei within two days to combat the disease.
In other health news last week, a meeting to prepare the Global malaria summit in Kigali brainstormed on Rwanda’s achievements and announced future commitments. The Malaria Global Summit will take place at the sideline of Commonwealth Heads of States and Government Summit(CHOGM) in Kigali- June 2020.
Plan to demonstrate Rwanda’s new technology of mosquito spraying using drones was sabotaged by the heavy rains in Jabana sector, Gasabo district.
In this same context of fighting malaria, Rwanda announced plan to give more than 3 million mosquito bed nets made in Rwanda in the effort to find homegrown solutions to problems of the society. Distribution will start this month.
The Miss Rwanda pre-selection exercise proceeds this week-end. 2o girls out of the 53 that were selected through the four provinces and Kigali city will remain for the camp which takes place in the Eastern province town of Nyamata.
In the cybersecurity world, police reminded the general public that they are not safe as far as WhatsApp exists. Rwanda Police explained tricks fraudsters use to swindle money from Social Media users-mainly WhatsApp user and showed how to avoid it. 
And the floods? No words to describe it. Almost the worst happened again. We saw Moto taxi riders struggling to move their motorbikes and heard people with fragile houses in the capital Kigali crying for help due to the floods that destroyed their homes.
Shall we have the same incident every other end of the month since the previous incident happened on Boxing Day? God Forbid!
A man in the Northern Province helps school goers to cross a river after a heavy downpour. The man in the past saw his son killed by the same river from school and ever since decided to come and help children to cross whenever it rains
