WESTERN PROVINCE

RUBAVU — Community radios in the country will soon increase their hours of transmission, Annastus Rwabuneza an official of Rwanda Information Office [ORINFOR] has said.

The radios commonly known as "Radiyo Z’abaturage" operating in various provinces in the country have been operating for six hours from 5.00 pm to 11.00 pm, but they will now operate from 7.00 am and close at the usual time.

The revelation comes days after the state minister for Information in the office of the Prime Minister, Laurent Nkusi, said the government would upgrade transmitters for both Radio Rwanda and Rwanda Television, in an effort to improve coverage for rural areas.

Rwabuneza said ORINFOR authorities were doing concerted efforts to increase access to information for all residents in the country.

"These community radios have for long been broadcasting for few hours starting from 5.00 pm; but we are doing everything possible to ensure that by March 15, they will have started broadcasting the whole day and part of the night up to 11.00 pm" he explained.

He said that media experts were in the process of laying strategies and organising programmes to be aired during the added time of transmission, which he said would need recruiting more man power.

Martin Habimana, the Rubavu district officer in charge of good governance, welcomed the development, saying it will help local leaders in disseminating government policies.

"Community radios have been broadcasting for limited hours which limited their programmes. Increased hours of transmission will therefore translate into increase of educative programmes aired such as unity and reconciliation in rural areas and secondary schools which are still harbouring genocide ideologies," he explained.

"Rubavu district alone has 12 sectors; passing on message to all people in the sectors has not been easy because the only alternative we had was through organising community meetings which some people don’t attend," he added.

Residents particularly the business community who talked to The New Times also welcomed the move in anticipation of using them to advertise their products.

"Unlike other places like Kigali where people have access to many private fm stations, here in Rubavu we have inadequate access to information. Developing our community radio by increasing its hours of transmission will be great to us." said Joyce Uwimana one of the residents of Gisenyi town.

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