Muyambi, a young gorilla, puts his hand around
Mark Penning, the president of the World Association
of Zoos while in Bwindi – Uganda. New Vision Photo
The campaign, it is believed will help promote Uganda as a top tourism destination as the world celebrates the UN International Year of the gorilla. (Culled from Gerald Tenywa’s story NV 22 September 2009)
Inside one of the new mobile ICT buses on its way to Kigali BY GILBERT NDIKUBWAYEZU & AMBROSE GAHENE
GICUMBI, Rwanda - In a much-publicized move to take information technology to ordinary citizens, RDB/IT has finally introduced two models of ICT buses with Telecentres. Two of these buses arrived in the country via the Gatuna border post.
The move that is aimed at bridging the digital divide in the country comes into force as one of the backbones of the ongoing e-Rwanda Project and will see internet taken closer to citizens especially in the rural areas.
The buses, which are electronically equipped with 22 HP laptops, will be travelling to rural areas to allow ordinary citizens access IT services.
“These buses will be moving to places where the multipurpose community Telecenters and business development service centres are not available,” said Wilson Muyenzi, e-Rwanda Project coordinator.
Described by officials in Rwanda Development Board (RDB/IT) as mobile Telecentres, the buses are meant to provide additional ICT services ranging from printing, scanning and photocopying documents to offering basic ICT training to those who need it.
The pilot phase that is being launched is expected to last a year during which the services will be freely offered to citizens and after which more buses will be imported and a reasonable fee charged to beneficiaries, according to RDB/IT officials.
Acting Director General in charge of IT planning and coordination in RDB/IT, Grace Mutsinzi, revealed that the buses which were assembled in Nairobi are now valued at around Rwf 154m each, the price that include the two generators to power them while serving remote areas.
Mutsinzi also said they have embarked on negotiations with various stakeholders and development partners to ensure that the use of these ICT buses contributes to the country’s vision of becoming a world class ICT hub.
“We shall also partner with schools to provide access to ICT through these buses to primary and secondary students in rural areas with no access to ICT,” he said.
The ICT bus innovation comes as an addition to the introduction of 30 Telecentres all over the country in an initiative that is aimed at boosting both public and private development through information technology.
Largely funded by the World Bank, the e-Rwanda project has also seen the country introduce the telemedicine initiative and e-treatment
From The New Times, Rwanda’s leading daily newspaper Thursday, 30th July 2009 www.newtimes.co.rw
Mr Emma Nsekanabo, PR, RDB - IT KigaliAli Balunywa in Kigali, Rwanda
Rwanda has been touted as a country whose government has deliberately invested resources in ICT. The government IT department is one of the directorates under the Rwanda Development Board (RDB). Formerly it was called the Rwanda Information and Technology authority (RITA). Today it is called RDB – IT.
RDB is a government parastatal made up of 4 directorates; IT, Business operations, Tourism and conservation and Business operation services under whose portfolio lie investments, enterprises, company registrar, environmental impact assessment, entrepreneurship development, one stop centre, human capital and institution capacity development and privatization.
I got an opportunity to speak to Mr. Emma Nsekanabo, the RDB – IT Public Relations and Communication specialist. They are housed in a new building called RDB building in Nyarutarama, an up market suburb of Kigali just after the parliamentary buildings.
Emma explained to me that RDB – IT is mandated to lead the government vision to transform the economy into a knowledge based and information rich society. The name changed from RITA to IDB – IT in late 2008 when about 8 government institutions were merged.
Its agenda is to fulfill the National Information and Communication Infrastructure (NICI) plan, which is aligned with vision 2020, which is now in its second phase, that is 2010 – 2015. The first phase 2005 – 2010 had many challenges and it involved creating public awareness.
The second phase 2010 – 2015 is focused on laying infrastructure and laying out the various applications. It is fully funded by government. The government spent US $ 8 million to complete the Kigali Metropolitan Project. It involved laying optic fibre wires using the latest technology from Southern Korea in the whole of Kigali city and its surroundings. The government has now secured US $ 40 million to extend the fibre optic cables to the borders of the country to form the national backbone.
All civil works like digging the trenches, laying the cables is being done entirely by the government of Rwanda. The government hopes to use the private public model to manage the project for sustainability and usage. Operators will just lease the cables to ensure a low price for users.
The Regional Communication Programme (RCP), which is funded by the World Bank to the tune on US $ 24 million, will oversee the laying of the cables from the sea to Kigali. Once ready, Rwanda will break off from the satellite service, which is very expensive.
Rwanda has an edge over the rest of the countries in the region. It is small and can easily achieve 100% coverage of cable. It can therefore realize its dream of being the regional hub. All schools, government institutions, district headquarters and all the borders will be covered. The government will provide a telecentre for every district with an objective of popularizing ICT in the communities. It will also facilitate training in IT basics for the people. It will no longer be necessary to travel to Kigali for computer training.
Rwanda has also embraced Negroponte’s One laptop Per Child (OLPC) project and has so far bought 100,000 laptops which have been distributed. It hopes to be able to buy many more until all pupils have one.
