By Andrew M. Mwenda How human rights groups exploit Rwanda’s positive brand to build their own and what can be done about it There has been an intense contest over “Brand Rwanda” in the international sphere. Many visitors to Rwanda are impressed by what they see. Physical observations – clean …
Read More »Pedal power brings cheap energy to rural Rwanda
By Steve Terrill The lights Daniel Ntibaziyandemye uses for his nocturnal fishing trips are charged by pedal-powered generators that offer an affordable means of creating energy, even for the poor. The small generator, which stands knee-high inside a wooden frame, is operated by what looks like a recumbent exercise bike …
Read More »Rwanda and its critics
By Andrew M. Mwenda Inside one nation’s struggle against deeply entrenched prejudice Over the last five months, 19 journalists formerly working with News of the World newspaper have been arrested in the United Kingdom for hacking into people’s voicemails for news information. Six top company executives have been forced to …
Read More »Inside Rwanda’s skills gap
By Andrew M. Mwenda Trying to overcome a deficient professional class through education and by cultivating a performance-based society Last week, New Vision reported that Rwanda is recruiting teachers from Uganda to teach in its schools. Many Ugandans may have seen this as an opportunity to get a well paying …
Read More »Post 9/11 America and post genocide Rwanda
By Andrew M. Mwenda Who should lecture the other about how to exercise restraint in the face of severe security threats? Last week, I was invited by Rwanda’s minister of foreign affairs, the pleasant Louise Mushikiwabo, to attend a public lecture by United States permanent representative to the United Nations, …
Read More »Why Rwanda is smart and others laggards
By Joseph Rwagatare No country in this world has ever developed solely on ideas generated by its citizens. Talking or writing about famine can elicit unexpected reactions, including jokes. There was this one reported in the Tanzanian Mail on Sunday of August 7, 2011 by a correspondent on the current …
Read More »Why Rwanda’s story leaves the world divided
By Deogratias Harorimana The African development model is increasingly moving towards the Asian Tigers’ to seek solutions from within. When the North African public protests escalated into the greatest mass social revolution in the Arab world’s history, Western powers were surprised and many development partners remained cynical about its success. …
Read More »Museveni’s visit to Rwanda
By Frederick Golooba-Mutebi Unravels the mystery of cattle kraal diplomacy As soon as it was announced in print media in both countries, President Yoweri Museveni’s recent visit to Rwanda became the focus of attention for journalists and watchers of the two countries and the Great Lakes region in general. It …
Read More »Rwanda’s Bralirwa makes history
By Special correspondent First national company to issue dividend Directors of Rwanda’s leading brewery by market share, Bralirwa, a subsidiary of Heineken International, has proposed a 100 percent net income dividend payout as an incentive to investors. The proposal is the first of its kind in Rwanda and will be …
Read More »Rwanda and prejudices towards Africa
Without placing allegations of human rights abuses in context, it is easy to call Obama or Cameron delusional despots. Last week, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, while on twitter, got into a heated exchange with a British journalist, one Ian Birrell. The journalist was accusing him of human rights violations, …
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