As part of the ongoing Police Week activities, the Minister of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs, Seraphine Mukantabana, on Tuesday joined residents of Karongi District along with officers of Rwanda National Police (RNP) where she handed over solar energy systems to 130 households in Kanyege Cell of Mutuntu Sector.

During the event, the Minister was accompanied by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Jean Baptiste Seminega, who represented RNP leadership, Karongi District Mayor François Ndayisaba, along with other police officers and local leaders.

After distribution of solar energy power systems, Minister Mukantabana urged residents to be vibrant in crime prevention.

She appealed to them to put up measures geared towards environmental protection as means to prevent environmentally-related disasters.

"One of the drivers of a prosperous country is having citizens who are patriots; if we have to maintain what we have achieved and achieve even more, we must be patriots and be focused to ensuring we move our country to a higher level of sustainable security,” Minister Mukantabana told the residents.

She also spoke at length against school dropouts and human trafficking where she urged parents to always ensure they closely monitor their children so as not to fall victims of the modern day slavery.

Elsewhere, on the same day in Muhanga District, Commissioner for Operations, Commissioner of Police (CP) Emmanuel Butera presided over the handover solar energy systems to 106 households while 112 other homes in Huye District were also connected with solar energy.

The separate events were also attended by district mayors and other local leaders, and residents.

Later on Wednesday, the Minister of Local Government, Francis Kaboneka also inaugurated solar energy connected to 251 households in Musanze and Gakenke districts.

Minister Kaboneka called for improved hygiene, personal commitment in fighting drug abuse and warned against early marriages.

Minister Kaboneka was also accompanied in Gakenke by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Emmanuel K. Gasana, who also urged beneficiaries of the solar to protect and use them in development activities.

The Police Chief said that this is a time to renew the commitment to serving the community and even better while also counting on the community's collaboration