District compensates land claimants

EASTERN PROVINCE BUGESERA — Four residents of Maranyundo who lost four hectares of land to the newly constructed Maranyundo Girls’ Secondary School were last week compensated; bringing an end to a row that had dragged on since 2004. Rwiza Iradukunda, one of the residents told The New Times that the district has paid her Frw100,000 in compensation and her neighbour whose names she did not disclose got Frw60,000. Two of them had no activities on their lost plots and did not get the money, but they will get land Iradukunda said. The money is for crops, elephant grass, fruits and other crops that were destroyed in the lost land, Iradukunda said with a smile on her face. In addition to money, she said the district would on March 10 also give each of them land in Kamatana- a government reserved land. Iradukunda said: For every person who lost more than 1.5 hectares of land, the district authorities promised to give him/her two hectares. We are very happy with this because we have been in need of our lost land. This has come after prolonged land struggle between the district officials and the four residents who claimed the ownership of part of the land where the school was constructed. The residents have been complaining that the district in 2004, then headed by Francis Nkurunziza, grabbed their land and gave it to Americans to construct the School. Gaspard Musonera, the district mayor confirmed the development. We have given them money for their lost crops. I am sure the issue of land will be solved by the date indicated. I suppose our residents are happy with the process, the mayor said. Since they have given some of them money, giving them land will be easy because, he said, the district has enough reserve land at Kamatana- given to the district by the government for the same purpose. Ends