KIGALI - Kigali City Council (KCC) has pledged to provide the visually impaired people with white canes, a mobility and safety tool needed by this vulnerable group of people.

Jean d’ Arc Gakuba, the Kigali city vice mayor in charge of social affairs revealed this on Friday during the celebrations to mark the international white cane day held at Nyarugenge District.

She said that the canes will be handed over soon when they arrive in the country.

"We have contacted some Indians who promised to bring those canes on November 26. We cannot confirm how many they are, but what we know is that we will have a good number of them,” Gakuba said.

The White canes reflect light in the dark which makes them safer from being hit by cars and motorcycles.

Gakuba also said that there were plans between KCC and the ministry of health to have white canes manufactured within the country in order to reduce on their cost.Each cane currently costs over Rwf 20, 000.

Donatilla Kanimba, the Rwanda Union of the Blind (RUB) executive secretary, observed that there has been little commitment from the Rwanda community to respect their rights as one of the marginalized groups in the country.

"Disability is not inability. We might be visually impaired but we can do the same things others can do once given the chance, Kanimba said.

"This discrimination has kept many of us in the dark,” she added.

There are about 3000 visually impaired people across the country.

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