NORTHERN PROVINCE

MUSANZE — A court order to evict a 90-year old widow from her house in Muhoza Sector, Musanze district has sparked criticism.

The wrangle over a residential house located in Kigombe Cell, between Juliana Nyiramasasa, and Dr. Cyprien Hakizimana, represented by Anthere Iyakaremye, had dragged on since 1999 in Musanze Court until recently when it ruled in favour of the Hakizimana.

Court gave Nyiramasasa one week to vacate the house or face forceful eviction. The old woman says that she built the house with her late husband shortly before they fled the country during the 1959 Genocide and they re-occupied the house in 1995 after returning.

But Dr. Hakizimana, currently living in Brussels, Belgium, claims that he bought the house from the former Ruhengeri authorities, while the old woman was still in exile.

However, Nyiramasasa contends that proof that Hakizimana bought the house was never presented during the hearing. She blamed the area local leaders for not helping her, yet Governor Boniface Rucagu had reportedly instructed the district to find another alternative residence for her in 2003.

The Bishop of Shyira Diocese, John Rucyahana, criticised the verdict describing it as a gross abuse of justice. He said the institution that should have helped the childless-widow, has instead failed her. 

Rucyahana who claims to have followed the case, since 1999, appealed to the Ombudsman to overturn the verdict.
However, Amiel Ndahiro, the Sector Executive Secretary, told The New Times that he would go ahead and enforce the eviction in conformity with the court orders.

Ends