WESTERN PROVINCE

RUBAVU — The District Mayor Celestine Twagirayezu, has called upon Gisenyi town residents to renovate and modernise their houses to the required standards ahead of the construction and rehabilitation of roads in the town.

He was addressing residents recently at Umuganda stadium during a meeting with area residents meant to discuss how Gisenyi can be developed and beautified as a tourists’ destination.

During his recent visit to the district, President Paul Kagame promised to rehabilitate roads in Gisenyi which has poor roads.

"The president promised that the road reconstruction and renovation will start soon. The renovation will include several streets leading to residential areas. That is why we need to work harder on our houses to ensure the town is clean and modern by the end of the road re-construction process,” explained Twagirayezu.

He called upon landlords to acquire loans from various banks which he said will help them construct recommended and standard houses.

"There is a standard quality of houses we need in this town. That’s why we recently put red marks on all unwanted poorly constructed and very old buildings and ordered the who have the capability to do so,” he said.

He added that Gisenyi town had to be a model and clean town since it was one of the most visited areas by tourists due to its natural tourist attractions such as Lake Kivu, the new methane gas project, its beautiful shores and beaches as well as many attractive hotels.

Calling on residents to install security lights on their buildings, the Mayor, said that the district would restore street lighting in town.

At the meeting, the acting Rubavu District Police commander, Chief Superintendent Ernest Murayire, called upon parents to closely monitor their children’s activities, saying that many children were currently being used to smuggle drugs into Gisenyi from the neighboring DR Congo town of Goma.

"Almost 80% of the arrested drug smugglers are underage children. Drug dealers use them because they know the law is a bit soft to minors involved in such acts and in most cases they have briefed them never to reveal to police the names of people who send them,” he said.

The Police chief urged residents to cut visits to Goma due to the current tense situation coupled with the mistreatments of Rwandans visiting there.

On security, Murayire asked residents to always share information with the police on things which might compromise security.

Residents appealed to the district authorities to continue supporting the vulnerable residents in the district including those whose houses were recently destroyed by storms, demobilised soldiers who need financial assistance to start income generating projects and the increasing number of and street children in Gisenyi. The Mayor promised the district’s support.

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