RWAMAGANA - Alcohol abuse is the leading cause of crimes in the Eastern Province, local leaders said yesterday.

The provincial Governor, Dr. Ephraim Kabaija, tasked district mayors to end recurrent crimes, by the end of this year.
The Governor, who was speaking at a security meeting in Rwamagana District, also blamed child rape and defilement on some parents’ negligence.

"The mayors and security officials have got to be vigilant and fight alcoholism. A fair number of culprits intoxicate themselves before abusing children,” he said.

"Educate parents with realistic examples. They shouldn’t for instance, bring strange boys to work in their homes, when they have minor girls,” he said.

The Governor added that alcoholism was partly to blame for rural poverty and child malnutrition. The security meeting also discussed the problem of road and water accidents that have marred most parts of the province in the last few months.

According to the Regional Police Commander (RPC), Chief Superintendent Gilbert Gumira, road accidents have recently claimed lives of over 20 people, while an almost similar number drowned in different rivers and lakes.
He blamed water accidents on poor canoes which, he said, are, in most cases, overloaded.

"We want to set measures to end road accidents, especially at the dark spots. Such areas include; a stretch between Musha and Nyagasambu highway and marrum roads,” Gumira said.

The meeting agreed to secure all porous borders in part to control smuggling of banned alcohol, drugs and marijuana.

"There are 60 porous borders in the province. People claim to use them for meaningful trade…but this is absolutely wrong. We shall punish anybody caught using such entries,” he said.

Ends