Residents of Rugarama village in Gasabo District, Kigali City say they are not safe because of rushing streams of rainwater in their neighbourhood. They attribute their problem to the nearby Rwandan Housing Bank (BHR) estate which is under construction. They are even more worried due to the ongoing construction of a drainage system they say is poorly planned and therefore likely to cause hygiene-related diseases. The channel pours in the Nyabugogo stream. People in this neighbourhood are simply vulnerable, complained Adolph Niyonsenga, a resident. They say the running rainwater destroys their houses and that might be washed away. The residents are waiting to be compensated by the bank, which has already carried out valuation exercises. Niyonsenga says he is among those to be compensated by BHR to give way to the construction of the drainage channel. He said that when his neighbours were being compensated, he was left out. I have since failed to know why I was left out, Niyonsenga wondered. Efforts to get a comment from BHR officials were fruitless with everyone we contacted shying away from talking about the matter. Meanwhile, Niyonsenga and other people in the same situation petitioned local authorities and were told that the issue was being sorted out. We equally need protection from the Government as other citizens, one of the complainants, Emmanuel Munyankindi, said. Ends
