NYAGATARE - President Paul Kagame has called upon Rwandans to embrace the culture of sharing the country’s available little resources. He said this while addressing the residents of Karangazi Sector in Nyagatare District on the second day of the land re-distribution exercise in the Eastern Province. He inaugurated the four-day exercise on Tuesday. The President said that understanding the concept of sharing would make life and work easy for everyone.

This was because, Kagame told an attentive huge gathering, the Rwandan population is approaching ten million, and with the country’s minute size, this called for appropriate, urgent initiatives. Embracing the culture of sharing, he pointed out emphatically, is certainly going to be one of them.

The audience was made up of lively people present to witness the handover of the land formerly belonging to Maj. Gen. Fred Ibingira.

 The general and his family had 320 hectares, but now remain with 95 hectares. As provided for by the law, he retained 25 hectare, whereas seven other members of his family who shared the same farm were given 10 hectares each. The rest of the land was given to 22 families who have been landless following their eviction from the parameters of Gabiro School of Infantry.

President Kagame said that there is no one to blame for the land inadequacy in the country because that is its actual size. He observed that since the country cannot be enlarged to suitably accommodate us, with all the land we need, the best alternative was to share whatever is available. He appealed to the land benefactors not feel victimised.
Kagame said everything possible was being done to create a win-win situation.

Land has been a problem in the region, which is mainly occupied by livestock farmers who have lamented lack of land on which to graze their cattle. The President said the exercise, which started in Rwempasha sector in Nyagatare, will continue in the rest of the province.

The President reminded his listeners that what was being done was a promise he had made to them last year, stating that the delay had been caused by the search for the appropriate solution and approach. To this the surging audience roared in cheers. Another land which was re-divided in the presence of President Kagame yesterday was a farm belonging to Rwanda’s Ambassador to India, Lt. Gen. Kayumba Nyamwasa.

This is in Rwimiyaga Sector, which is also in Nyagatare District. The land, which covers an area of 209 hectares, was re-distributed to 17 families who were also victims of the Gabiro garrison eviction. Other people who got part of this piece of land were three relatives of General Kayumba who resided at the farm and they were each given ten hectares.

This is the second piece of land belonging to the envoy to be re-distributed, following the one in Rwempasha that was worked on Tuesday. It is on this particular one that Gen Kayumba retained 25 hectares.

For this reason, he could not get any on the Rwimiyaga land as the policy bars anyone from owning more than 25 hectares, in our circumstances where there are others who do not have anything yet.

The four-day exercise led by Kagame will today proceed in the districts of Gatsibo and Kayonza, winding up in Kirehe on Monday.

Ends