While Kenya is looting itself, Rwanda just launched a satellite to Space.

General
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At exactly 23h37 local time, all eyes will be on the national television as Rwanda and telecommunication giant One Web will launch the first ever Satellite that will connect remote schools to the internet.

The global Satellite named ‘Icyerekezo’ is a symbol of Rwanda’s commitment to build the local space industry, build local capacity, inspire the younger generation and prepare to usher Rwanda into a hyper-connected future, Rwanda’s Ministry of Information Telecommunication Technology and Innovation said in a statement.

In January this year, Rwanda announced its long-term space program plan, with a complementary initiative to launch its own first satellite this year.

Subsequently, during the recent World Government Summit, UNICEF announced Rwanda’s partnership with Project Connect – an initiative designed to visually map school connectivity status globally.

These datasets are crucial input into designing sustainable programs for connecting schools across Rwanda and globally.

The “Icyerekezo” satellite named by students from Nkombo Island – one of the remotest Islands within the volcanic Lake Kivu in the western part of the country.

“Rwanda’s choice to invest in space technologies is part of our broader mission to bridge the digital divide by providing equal digital opportunities to rural and remote communities,” said Paula Ingabire, Minister of ICT and Innovation.

Last week, the country launched a Coding Academy in Western Province to foster local experts in software development as part of the Rwanda Digital talent policy’s drive to strengthen ICT capabilities in the country.

The country has also rolled a fiber optic backbone network – currently covering 92% of 3G Coverage, and 96.6% 4G LTE coverage.

Through partnership with One Web, remote schools in the country will be connected to the fastest WiFi Internet.

According to Minister of Education Dr. Eugene Mutimura, “This partnership with One-Web to use satellite technology and connect all schools is a huge opportunity to support and allow us to leapfrog the current process in bid to connect all schools in the country in the next 3 years.”

Greg Wyler, Founder and Chairman of One Web said, “Connecting remote schools to bridge the digital divide that still impacts half the population of the world is at the heart of OneWeb’s vision. We are delighted to partner with the Rwandan Government and particularly the students of Nkombo. The connectivity we can provide them will allow them to realise their dreams and allow Rwanda to become a hub for technological innovation.”
“We are delighted to partner with OneWeb in this transformative initiative which presents us a huge opportunity to leverage satellite connectivity, using OneWeb’s constellation, providing low-latency and high-speed internet to schools in remote communities of Rwanda,” she added.
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According to Minister Ingabire, naming the Satellite “Icyerekezo” by Nkombo students “truly depicts their own aspirations to embrace Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and emerge the workforce of the future. This partnership responds to our intention of becoming a regional Technology Innovation Hub, opening new pathways for connectivity, providing better education and creating new opportunities for our innovators.”

The launch of the Satellite is the latest package to Rwanda’s quest to get fully connected to technology.
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All the people in the pic working on the rocket and boosters are white. No difference with the Italians we’ve hosted for eons at San Marco, Malindi who’ve been launching and managing satellites

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[SIZE=7]Kenya’s first satellite finally deployed into the orbit[/SIZE]
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1.30 pm Kenyan time, May 11, 2018, will go into the books of history as the day that Kenya’s first satellite was deployed into the orbit.
The satellite named 1st Kenya University Nano Satellite Precursor Flight (1KUNS-PF) was successfully deployed from KIBO (a satellite deployment module) from the Japan Space Agency (JAXA) Tsukuba Space Centre in Tokyo, Japan.
1KUNS-PF is a result of scientific and technological collaboration between the University of Nairobi, School of Engineering – the KiboCube Team, the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), University of Rome (Italy), and the Kenya Space Agency.
Speaking after the launch, Ambassador Amina Mohammed, the Cabinet Secretary for Education delivered a key message from the President, H. E. Uhuru Kenyatta. She said that the successful deployment of the satellite will go a long way in helping Kenya to advance into space science. The data collected by the satellite will be key in helping the government to make key decisions like weather forecasting and disaster management. Principal Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Amb. Macharia Kamau noted that the satellite was one of the deliverables and an outcome of the TICAD 6 conference that took place in 2016 in Nairobi. “Our economy will become tech driven. Reliable data will be for early warning systems and data marking. Weather data will be key in disaster preparation”, he said.
About the satellite
The 10cm x 10cm x 10 cm satellite is the first outer space object registered by Kenya and the first Kenyan Satellite that has gone into space orbit. Its payload consists of two commercial cameras and experimental web audio upload and broadcast – capable of limited earth observation and audio broadcast.
On April 2, 2018, the completed CubeSat was transported/ launched as cargo by NASA (USA) to the International Space Station (ISS); from where it was be deployed into orbit.
The successful deployment of 1KUNS –PF heralds the next phase for UON/Kenyan scientists and Engineers to develop bigger high resolution satellites (3U CubeSat) with serious scientific and technological value for the country.
The Principal Investigator is Prof. Jackson Mwangi Mbuthia, current Dean, School of Engineering, College of Architecture & Engineering, University of Nairobi. The University won a UNOOSA international competitive grant in 2016 leading to the development of 1KUNS-PF with technical support from JAXA.
Commercial satellites have considerable economic potential for Kenya. They enable earth mapping, earth observation, land use and environ mental monitoring, weather forecasting, food security mapping and forecasting, communication, disaster management, coastline and border monitoring, outer space observation, management of forests, livestock and wildlife monitoring and management.
Building the human capital and a satellite development capacity requires a long term commitment to a space science program.
The 1KUNS–PF project has created the opportunity for the University of Nairobi to work with JAXA as the satellite launch partner and Kyushu Institute of Technology of Japan as the technology partner for human resource development in satellite design, manufacture and testing to meet the quality standards set by JAXA for nanosats launch from ISS using KiboCUBE.
Depending on the mission goals for each year of the space program, the cost of design, manufacture, launch per nanosat and gradual setting up of the requisite laboratories will require a financial commitment ranging from 0.5Million to 1.0Million USD per year.
The satellite development activities in each year will incorporate new mission goals. It is proposed that every year, M.Sc. and Ph.D. students who show a great passion for space science will be recruited to join the satellite design, manufacturing, launch and mission operations teams.
The University of Nairobi invites interested collaborators and partners from both the Public and Private sector to work with us on expanding this very important program that will yield enormous benefits for Kenya.
UoN appeals for financial commitment to support the design, manufacture and launch of the nanosat constellation. We shall work with you as our collaborators to agree on the mission goals for the nanosats constellation.

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Internet ya satellite huwa sio reliable. They should stick to fiber, wacha wajaribu.

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this was done and dusted yesterday,kwani umeamka from a coma?
https://www.kenyatalk.com/index.php?threads/rwanda-launches-satellite-to-connect-remote-schools-to-internet.103460/#post-2105140
meanwhile here is an old photo
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They will start like this, with vanity projects, mwishowe they will be scratching everywhere to search for what is eating them. Hizo barabara zao nzuri nzuri zitajaa potholes wakose pesa ya kuziba ndio watatambua. Consetrate with the necessary and practical development projects first, with what the citizens need most, kisha fantasies zitakuja baadaye.

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Apart from Taiwanese, kenyans esp shiny eyes like me are the most industrious people i have met

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Still a third world country

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@Nattydread pitia kidogo hapa? How viable is satellite internet? I remember you answering another talker on another thread that it’s very expensive to Install in a remote area here in Kenya

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Hahaha

OneWeb will have access to private data within Rwanda. So easy to spy…

That’s why we should build our own satellites…

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You can launch any satellite but what matters is what it can do…kama hiyo ya Kenya itasaidia nani isipokua vloggers wa make-up na watu kama akina Ramma. (Since its for “light” audio n video whatever)