SOUTHERN PROVINCE

MUHANGA — The photographing exercise for the new national ID which began in Kigali last month was Monday extended to Muhanga district in the Southern Province. The exercise was however derailed for about two hours by a heavy morning downpour.

According to authorities, the four-day exercise targets about 184,294 residents across the twelve sectors of the district.

The opening day at Gahogo site [Gitarama stadium] recorded a high turn up during the early morning, but the numbers dwindled by the day, due to rains that slowed down the process.

The commencement was also delayed by late arrival of equipment but local officials said the turn up was impressive.

However, scores of residents found their names missing on the register, while others went to the venues earlier than the dates set for their respective villages.

Despite the delays, the mood during the exercise was calm and local leaders actively guided residents to ensure a smooth process. They answered different queries and addressed various concerns ranging from missing names. The affected residents however, complained that there was no enough civic education on the programme.

"The process kicked off smoothly despite the rains. We hope to have 160 photographers. Each would photograph at least 250 residents for us to have finished in four days," said Dieudonné Manago, one of the officials.

The photography covered Kamonyi district last week, and the next district will be Ruhango before proceeding to other areas of the province.

Meanwhile, traders say the exercise has improved business as many local residents employed as monitors, and photography technicians are spending lots of money on food and accommodation.

Ends