WESTERN PROVINCE

RUBAVU — The office of the Ombudsman has partnered with Kigali Independent University (ULK) Gisenyi campus to step up the anti-corruption campaign in Rubavu district. The new joint venture targets to fight corruption in the commercial town of Gisenyi where there is high trading activities with the neighboring DRC town of Goma.

Immaculate Mukarurangwa, the deputy Ombudsman revealed this recently at ULK Gisenyi while meeting the university dons and the ULK Ant-Corruption Students’ Club. The meeting was meant to design mechanisms under which the club would effectively work with their office in the fight against corruption in the district.

"It’s so fortunate that ULK already has an Ant-corruption club. The office of the Ombudsman was finding it difficult to control corruption in Rubavu and people would find it hard to report corrupt officials to the main office in Kigali," Mukarurangwa said.

She explained that under the new partnership, an information and communication technology centre, with a modern Internet connection would be established in Gisenyi town to enable free exchange of information. The centre would be run by the students’ club to directly report corruption cases and complaints filed by residents to the Ombudsman’s main offices in Kigali to be investigated.

"You are the leaders of tomorrow which is the reason why you need to strongly shun corruption. Our office will do everything possible to give this club technical support to fight and report corruption malpractices in the district," she added.

Mukarurangwa praised ULK Gisenyi for being the first University in the country to set up an anti-corruption club and called upon other high institutions to follow suit. She said the clubs’ activities would effectively supplement the work of the Ombudsman in its struggle against corruption and injustice.

Jean Pierre Nkurunziza, the University academic vice Rector urged the students’ body to begin the fight against corruption from their homes and university.

"The ombudsman’s office has entrusted you with a big responsibility of representing it in Rubavu. You have to work hard to ensure the trust assigned to you is fruitful and you should strive not to disappoint the office," he told students.

Nkurunziza urged the club members to make good use of the Internet by reading and researching more about ant-corruption measures and share the information with area residents.

The 90-member club would use meetings, debates, stage music, dance and drama, to carry out their anti-corruption campaign, according to Emanuel Ngabo, the club chairman.

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