Residents in a Kigali suburb have raised concerns over the likely compensation of alleged Genocide suspects in their neighbourhoods.

The suspects are part of over two hundred residents of Rugando Cell in Kimihurura short-listed by Kigali City authorities to be paid for loss of their homes. 

According to the new City Master Plan, some homes will be demolished to pave way for modern structures that include an international convention centre.

Some Rugando residents argue that the Gacaca Court in the area indicts some of the likely beneficiaries, most of them Republican Guard soldiers of former regime for Genocide related cases. 

They anticipate that the said cases are likely to retard the one-year-and-five-month long compensation programme, which is in the final stage.

Deo Karambizi, the president of Gacaca Court in Rugando Cell, is worried the alleged Genocide suspects might get compensated thus leaving without compensating their victims as the courts ruled. 

Karambizi said that laws prescribing the procedures of dealing with such people forbid the assessment of their assets for compensation. 

"I believe they (suspects) should appear before Gacaca Court, and either is charged or cleared of what they are indicted for. That’s when compensations for their assets will be accredited,” he said.

But, Gerald Kayumba who is in-charge of security in Rugando Cell and also member of a team overseeing the exercise downplayed such fears. 

He said that the suspects won’t be compensated. Much of the property assessed belongs to over twenty former Republican Guard fugitives who have been blacklisted, Kayumba said.

However, one of the short listed residents for compensation who didn’t want to be named for security reasons put the number of reportedly blacklisted property owners to three.

"The blacklisted assets are those of only three Republican Guards,” an irritated resident said on condition of anonymity.

And Kayumba said: "We will soon present the full list of suspected Genocideires to (Rugando Cell) Gacaca Court.”
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