WESTERN PROVINCE

RUBAVU — The governor of Western Province, Celestin Kabahizi, has advised residents to live within community settlements commonly known as  ‘Imidugudu’ in order to get easy access to social services.

Kabahizi made the call last Sunday while meeting the district  Mayors to discuss the province’s development plan.

"The concept of Imidugudu should be supported by residents because it offers many advantages to the population. The fact that people are clustered together , living in defined areas, makes it much easier and more efficient for the government to provide social and economic services to the population’,he said. He dismissed fears that the policy would result in residents  losing their land.

"Moving from your plots to Imidugudu will not mean you have lost control over land, you will continue using it for agricultural production. All we want is people living together and learning from one another,” he said.

The governor explained that the province has an arrangement of designing a town modernisation plan to avoid unplanned settlements.

"Gisenyi and Cyangugu town up to now have no specific town plans and people have over the years been constructing poor houses unfit to be in big towns,” explained Kabahiza.

He called upon district and town councils to design a modern town planning strategy to ensure only modern buildings are constructed in line with the country’s developmental vision.

Fabien Sindayiheba, the Rusizi Mayor said apart from increasing access to basic services, the community settlement policy is intended to enhance proper land use.

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