The Office of the Ombudsman, this week in Rubavu District, launched a campaign to encourage the communities to speak out against any forms of injustices.

The campaign will see staff from the Ombudsman’s office visit all the country’s districts on a monthly basis, interacting with grassroots communities and their leaders on matters related to injustice.

During the outreach program, the cases of injustice brought forward would be resolved on site, or referred to other institutions for further action, should the need arise.

This is a commendable initiative that the citizenry should take advantage of by bringing forward their grievances before they get overboard.

This approach will go a long way in curbing crime in villages where cases of residents taking the law in their own hands have continuously been reported.

Local authorities should, however, not sit back and leave the work solely to the office of the Ombudsman. They should take the lead in addressing cases of injustice within their communities as they live and work closer to the people.

It is through the concerted efforts of various organisations and structures that cases of injustice and corruption would eventually drop.

And, with the office of the Ombudsman promoting the use of technology to receive complaints and deliver feedback, addressing the cases would not only be timely but would also facilitate the storage and compilation of data, which is critical in fighting injustice.

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