EASTERN PROVINCE

BUGESERA — Rilima sector authorities, Bugesera district, have resolved to evict about 26 families of Kamaranzara cell from their farm land, sources said.

The move, according to residents who spoke to The New Times this week, is aimed at creating space for construction of community settlements (Imudugudu) to resettle about 400 residents formerly living in Kidogo, Gashanga, Gaseke, Kintwari, Gihushi and other areas.

Residents said an eviction order has been issued, urging workers to cut down everything on a 45 hectare plot of land so that they could immediately start construction.

Different crops including cassava, sweet potatoes, coffee, beans, maize, and banana plantations had been cultivated on the plot.

Other crops include forages for feeding cattle, avocado, mangoes and different fruits. Scores of residents who asked not to be named complained that local leaders did not give them prior warning.

"We used to hear it in rumours that they want to grab our land to construct a settlement, but we did not take it serious until recently when we saw their workers [TIG convicts] in our plots carrying out measurements,” one said.

The residents argue that they had not acquired their land freely, but had bought it from fellow residents who left the area to different places. They also allege that scores of cell and sector leaders have previously grabbed their land to build their personal houses.

They cited the Executive Secretary of Kamaranzara cell, Pascal Murindwa, who allegedly built his house on a plot where residents had planned to build a playground for their children.

"How can a leader build a house in someone’s land?”

This land belongs to widows, Genocide survivors, and disabled people. It is surprising to see our leaders grabbing our plots where we had planned to set up some income generating activities,” another resident looking visibly infuriated said.

The residents also accuse the cell authorities of planning to disable four boreholes in the area in order to compel them to fetch water from their leaders’ borehole where a Jerrycan costs Frw15.

"Our leaders are not fair; they are aware that some of us can not manage Frw15 for a jerrycan of water. Some are unable to move long distance to fetch water from their boreholes, but they disabled our boreholes and channelled the water to their commercial boreholes,” a woman claiming to be a widow said.

However, when contacted, the Executive Secretary of Rilima, Vital Ruzagiriza, denied the claims. He instead accused residents of being against the government policy of settling people in community settlements.

Ruzagiriza defended cell leaders, saying they have never grabbed land belonging to residents to construct their personal houses.

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