Lack of proper hygiene is the most pressing issue in the community and needs special attention at the grassroots level, MPs have said.

MPs made the remarks on Tuesday after their countrywide welfare and development assessment that ran from January 18 to 26.

The activities evaluated during the assessment included nutrition, hygiene and sanitation, fertiliser use, market for produce as well as development projects in each district.

In Gakenke District, the lawmakers challenged local leaders to do their best to tackle poor hygiene.

MP Eugene Barikana said there was need for serious measures to address hygiene issues in the district to prevent disease outbreaks.

"What is clear is that hygiene has not been embraced as a culture among residents,” said Barikana.

"Everything in the families we visited seemed to be dirty. There was a lot of filth, most of the families do not have toilets,” he said.

The MPs also said there are still some people living with livestock in their houses and urged local leaders to use possible means to ensure hygiene in families.

"It is a big challenge that the culture of hygiene is yet to be adopted. This is a big challenge we have to tackle,” he said.

Mayor Deo Nzamwita told the MPs that the district has put more efforts in hygiene promotion campaigns.

"We had a big problem of poor hygiene in the past but things are improving unlike in the past. We have arranged house to house campaigns but the challenge is the mindset,” he said.

On lack of pit latrines in some families, Nzamwita said local leaders will put in more efforts.

In the 2015 house to house assessment of the district, over 3,700 families were found sharing accomodation with animals.

Improvement in fertiliser and VUP programmes

Meanwhile, in Southern Province, lawmakers said fertilisers were available at the same price in all sectors and that Rwanda Agriculture Board has been availing seeds, mainly maize and bananas, to farmers’ cooperatives.

They said there was market for the farmers’ produce and that feeder roads had been constructed and were helping farmers take their produce to the market.

MP Innocent Kayitare said farmers get subsidised fertilisers and seeds from government when they are grouped in cooperatives.

Kayitare said the development activities in the district were being implemented well.

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