GATSIBO - The Governor of Eastern Province, Dr. Ephraim Kabaija, has given local leaders only two days to ensure that the people meant to benefit from the ‘One cow per household’ project receive the animals.

In a meeting that brought together all local leaders in the district, yesterday, the Governor told them that ‘One Cow per Family’ program was meant to help those in extreme poverty.

"I am disappointed,” Kabaija said. "How can you, as leaders, give the cows to yourselves?”

The Governor said that the residents have also suffered at the hands of corrupt local leaders who extort from them money in exchange of services related to the cows. He said that when it comes to corruption, favouritism and other malpractices, the law must take its course.

"For those who took the cows from people just because you were their leaders, take them back and I won’t call for any punishment. But some of you who squeezed money from the rightful beneficiaries, the police will take over from me,” he said.

Aisha Mukandego one of the local leaders that received the cows unlawfully, said she was ready to hand over the cow to the poor in their village.

"I will immediately give back the cow,” she said. "I didn’t know that I owned it wrongly. They made their choice and gave it to me”.

Three local leaders from the village of Rwankuba in Murambi sector, who acquired cows fraudulently, were immediately detained at Kiziguro Police station.

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