KARONGI/NGORORERO – Local leaders several districts in the Western Province have vowed to eliminate grass-thatched houses, locally known as Nyakatsi, within the first half of 2011.

According to local authorities, Ngororero District has the least number of Nyakatsi.

Gedeon Ruboneza, the District Mayor told The Sunday Times, yesterday, that residents and the district leaders had agreed to have completed the task by early next
year.

"We have acquired the last consignment of plots where modern housing will be built and our target is to have completed the job by March, next year,” Ruboneza
said.

He said that out of the 546 houses that need a facelift, over 200 had been completed and expressed optimism to meet the set target.

Similarly, Bernard Kayumba, the Mayor of Karongi District, said that his administration and the local population were determined to eliminate grass-thatched houses by
the end of next June.

"We have already dispatched most of the iron sheets that will help in the exercise, and by the end of this month, some sectors are expected to have fully accomplished the
task,” he said.

The Western Province has an estimated that a total of 31,294 grass-thatched houses.

The Governor of the province, Celestin Kabahizi, recently issued an ultimatum of mid- next year for all local leaders to have eliminated grass-thatched houses.

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