Editor,

In the article published in The New Times No 2092 of Friday 16th April 2010 "INILAK, Nyanza residents in row over Genocide remains”, we were surprised to hear that INILAK was being criticized by the area residents for disrespecting and inflicting pain on Genocide survivors, by the way the university handled the remains of their relatives after they were exhumed from the plot of land acquired by the university and left in plastic sheeting.

We want to let the public know that when INILAK bought the land from the residents, the latter did not say that there were bodies buried there.

The fact is that when these remains were found during the construction, the Independent Institute of Lay Adventists of Kigali contacted the local authorities over the issue.

The exhumation was done in the presence of the Executive Secretary of Kibinja cell where the campus is located and remains were gathered and taken to the offices of Kibinja cell upon the agreement between the two parties.

This was done in line with Nyanza district’s program of giving a decent burial to genocide victims. Now that the remains have been handed to the competent authorities, INILAK should not in any case be answerable of the fact that they took long to be reburied. 

The Independent Institute of Lay Adventists of Kigali strongly holds to assure Rwandans that it sympathizes with the residents of Busasamana over the issue, but they have to be patient as the local authorities are dealing with the matter. 

Ferdinand Mbonaruza

INILAK Public Relations Officer