Dear Editor,
 
I’m concerned about the increasing population in Karongi district. On many occasions local leaders warn residents against big families, but how will people stop having big families when they have multiple partners.

You find people producing while leaving the fate of their children under the mercy of God. It is not hard here, to find a young mother aged about 21 having more than seven children and still counting.

Some women produce with multiple husbands. There cases where you find a mother not knowing the person who fathered some of her children. When you ask such a person she will admit but tell you she doesn’t mind.

I’m worried that as other districts tackle vision 2020 plans, Karongi might still lag behind because of the increasing population. And controlling Aids spread may also become a problem.

Indeed most families have seven and more members excluding parents. My suggestion is that the local leaders should come up with stringent measures to control population explosion. Otherwise the problem may soon get out of control.

The fact that Karongi is one hilly area with infertile soils exposes the people to hunger. The big population therefore, only threatens them the more with hunger and poverty.

To make matters worse it is common to find an old widow looking after kids of her elder children who dump them and move to Kigali to find a soft life. Karongi has to address the issue of population explosion before it gets out of control.

Kibuye