The Minister of Defence, Gen. James Kabarebe, yesterday, said the armed forces will continue to support local communities in implementing development programmes as well as promoting their welfare.

He said this during the inauguration of Groupe Scholaire Camp Kanombe, a 26- classroom school which was built jointly by the army, police and residents of Nyarugunga Sector, Kicukiro District.

"As we maintain national security, working with residents is one of our key responsibilities,” Kabarebe said.

"We want to make this school one of the best and exemplary schools in the country, and we can achieve this by having good teachers and equipping it with a laboratory and library,” he said.

The Mayor of Kicukiro, Paul Jules Ndamage, appreciated the role of both the army and police saying that even the land where the school was built was donated by the Defence Ministry.

"This is the first school under the 9-Year Basic Education that has managed to build and complete 26 classrooms at once,” Ndamage said.

He noted that the classrooms the students have been using were not only limited in size but were dilapidated having been built in 1968.

Groupe Scholaire Camp Kanombe has 400 students in both senior two and three, but according to Paul Rubayita, the Director of Studies, the number is expected to rise to 600 students with the senior one intake.

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