Statement on Cabinet decisions of 6th March 2020

On Friday, March 6th 2020, His Excellency Paul KAGAME, the President of the Republic of Rwanda chaired an extraordinary Cabinet meeting at Village Urugwiro.

1. The Cabinet meeting approved minutes of its previous meeting held on 28/01/2020.

2. The Cabinet meeting reaffirmed a strengthened approach to contain the potential spread of the Coronavirus outbreak in Rwanda. This effort is led by the Office of the Prime Minister along with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Local Government and Security organs. The Cabinet meeting also urged all Rwandans to take appropriate precautions and follow advice of health professionals and avoid unnecessary internal or international travels and large gatherings.

3. The Cabinet meeting was briefed on the following:

o Preparations for celebration of International Women’s Day on 8th March 2020 that will be organized at cell level;

o Preparations for the 26th Commemoration of the Genocide against Tutsi;

o Instructions of the Registrar General amending instructions of the Registrar General on modalities of lease, sale, public auction and mortgage acquisition in order to improve the current mortgage realization regulatory framework;

o Desert locust invasion in the region and state of preparedness as well as a contingency plan for Rwanda.

4. The Cabinet meeting approved the following policies/strategies:

o Waiver of entry visa requirements to the citizens of member States of African Union, the Commonwealth and Francophonie countries to foster the implementation of Rwanda’s openness policy;

o Forest concession agreement between the Government of Rwanda and a private company, Lifting Families Foundation.    

5. The Cabinet meeting approved the following draft laws:

o Draft law amending law governing the organization of the Community-Based Health Insurance scheme to remove the waiting period prior to accessing medical services; 

o Draft law approving the ratification of the agreement between the Republic of Rwanda and the Kingdom of Morocco on extradition signed in Rabat, Morocco, on 19/03/2019;

o Draft law approving the ratification of the agreement on mutual judicial assistance in criminal matters between the Republic of Rwanda and the Kingdom of Morocco signed in Rabat, Morocco, on 19/03/2019;

o Draft law approving the ratification of the Air Services Agreement between the Republic of Rwanda and the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Government of the Republic of Namibia, the Government of the Republic of Tunisia and the Federal Republic of Somalia;

o Draft law approving accession to the Marrakesh Treaty to facilitate access to published works for persons who are blind, visually impaired or otherwise print disabled, adopted at Marrakesh on 27/06/2013;

o Draft law approving the ratification of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disability in Africa adopted by the Thirtieth Ordinary Session of the Assembly, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 29/01/2018;

o Draft law approving the ratification of the Additional Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Older Persons in Africa adopted by the 26th Ordinary Session of the General Assembly, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 31/01/2016.

6. The Cabinet meeting approved the following Presidential Order:

o Presidential Order increasing the number of members of the High Council of Rwanda Investigation Bureau. 

7. The Cabinet meeting approved the following Prime Minister’s Orders:

o Prime Minister’s Order determining electronic means for publication of official acts;

o Prime Minister’s Order appointing Mrs. MUKARUKUNDO Agnès as Prosecutor at Intermediate Level;

o Prime Minister’s Order appointing Mrs. URUKUNDO Marie Agnès and Mr. NIYONSHUTI Marcel as Prosecutors at Primary Level;

o Prime Minister’s Order authorizing transfer of land located in Rugando Cell, Kimihurura Sector, Gasabo District, City of Kigali from state public domain to state private domain;

o Prime Minister’s Order authorizing allocation of land located in Rugando Cell, Kimihurura Sector, Gasabo District, City of Kigali to an investor for investment purposes. 

8. The Cabinet meeting approved the following Ministerial Orders:

o Ministerial Order relating to the electronic execution of enforcement orders;

o Ministerial Order returning Non-Commissioned Officers and Police Constables to Rwanda National Police who had been seconded to Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB).

 9. AOBs.

· The Minister of Health informed Cabinet on the continental Campaign “Zero Malaria Starts with Me” that will be launched on March 10th, 2020 in Kigali City, Gasabo District, Rusororo Sector, with the aim of eliminating malaria. 

· The Minister of Environment informed Cabinet of the following: 

o The campaign to register state land and recovering the state land that was appropriated by private individuals started in July 2018 and ended in June 2019. 

o The International Day of Forests, World Water Day and World Meteorological Day will be celebrated from 15th to 23rd March, 2020. Planned events will serve to raise awareness on various topics related to environment, biodiversity, forests, water and climate change.

o Rwanda will host the 2020 Sustainable Energy for All Forum from 26th- 28th May 2020, at Kigali Convention Center under the theme “Building Speed, Reaching Scale, Closing the Gap.’’  

· The Minister of Sports informed Cabinet the following: 

o Rwanda qualified for the final phase of the Orange CHAN 2020 to be held from 4th to 25th April 2020 in Cameroon. Rwanda will also be playing qualifying games for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON 2021) against Cape Verde on 25th March in Praia and on 31st March 2020 in Kigali.

o Rwanda Beach Volleyball teams will play Zonal Phases Olympic Games qualifying matches in Rubavu from 25th to 29th March 2020 (Women category) and in Freetown-Sierra Leone (Men category) from 2 6th to 30th March, 2020.

o The Giants of Africa Festival will be held from 16th to 22nd August 2020 in Kigali, and eleven countries where Giants of Africa Trainings camps were held will be present.

This communiqué is signed by Inès MPAMBARA, Minister in charge of Cabinet Affairs