EASTERN PROVINCE NYAGATARE — Residents of Nshuri trading centre, Nyagatare District, whose homesteads were lined up for demolition recently, have been given less than two months to vacate the place. Provincial Governor, Dr. Ephraim Kabaija on Tuesday instructed area local authorities to enforce the eviction by end of this year. Addressing residents, at Umutara Polytechnic, the Governor explained that the affected families have to vacate their homes to pave way for rice growing in the area to start early next year. However, the affected residents complain that they have been given short time to find ways of building new homes in their new resettlement site. Some claim that their eviction comes at a time when they are struggling to repay loans they obtained from various financial institutions, using their former houses as collaterals. Fatuma Mukakibibi, said that she is servicing a loan of Frw500,000 she got from Duterimbere micro finance mid this year. Houses they have been using for business activities have been closed by authorities, and most homeowners look stranded pondering their next move-with authorities only promising to help them. “They should tell us what to do, than leaving us stranded with our closed houses,” they say. Meanwhile, Kabaija told the concerned authorities to make sure that no grass thatched house is setup at the new settlement site. The officials have set December this year as deadline for pulling down all old grass thatched huts still spotted in the various parts of the district. “I want the issue of such huts to become history,” Governor ordered, adding that also cases of domestic violence and cattle thefts should be eliminated in the same period. At the meeting, the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) First Division Commander, Maj. Gen Fred Ibingira reaffirmed the army’s support in hunting down cattle thieves who are posing threat to the farmers. Ends
