Authorities in Gatsibo District have hooked all villages (Imidugudu) to a user group telephone network to improve communication between district and village leaders.

Free mobile phones with Central User Group were yesterday distributed to leaders of all the 630 villages to bridge the communication gap between village and district leaders. 

The Mayor, Ambrose Ruboneza, said the phones will ensure quick sharing of important information among local leaders and faster response to problems.

"The phones will help us save time. They will make it possible to get all necessary information from local leaders when needed. It was not easy to reach a cell leader who had no phone…in many cases we failed to find them when we paid visits to remote parts of the district,” he said.

The District Police Commander, Superintendant Gerald Habiyambere, said the phones would help in monitoring security. 

He urged the local leaders to make good use of the phones, adding that they were now in a position to blow the whistle as soon as they saw drug traffickers.

"We are confident that this development will enable relevant authorities to respond to emergencies, mainly related to security and health. The phones will, among many other things, help us arrest dealers in drugs. Victims of rape will also be helped in time before evidence is tampered with,” he said.

The cell leaders appreciated the free phones, noting that most of the time delivery of information to relevant authorities had been delayed due to lack of telephones or creditsto make calls.

One of the beneficiaries, Jeanette Muteteri, a local leader in Rubona cell said: "We expect constant communication flow with our direct supervisors and the phones will certainly facilitate our working conditions. It is important for us to get the phones that don’t demand us to pay money, to call a Mayor or police officers. They will certainly be great improvement in the way we operate.”

All Sector Executive Secretaries were also given smart phones and computer laptops.