Gatsibo residents protest over demolition

Gatsibo District authorities and residents of Kabarore Sector are locked in a row over the demolition of illegal buildings that violate the area’s master plan.At least four houses have so far been flattened with several others lined up for demolition once the due process is complete. According to the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, Isaiah Habumuremyi, the owners of the affected buildings had received warnings stopping them from putting up the illegal structures but ignored. “These people were warned and have warning letters. Copies are with local leaders.We could not look on as they violated the building plans. We know how painful it is, but it was a bitter pill,” he pointed out.Asked why the authorities had to wait until the buildings had been completed, Habumuremyi said some of the residents hastily built the structures, especially over the weekends or at night.He said that the affected residents used raw blocks, commonly known as Rukarakara, which are illegal, saying they should have used burnt bricks, as specified in the district master plan.Since the new districts were established in 2006, each of them is required to have a main city. The Kabarole city master plan, which was released in January 2012, prohibits the use of illegal building materials.The demolition exercise is spearheaded by the police, land office and district authorities.Some of the residents who spoke to The New Times, on condition of anonymity, claimed that several local leaders demanded bribes to either get speedy construction permits or let the illegal construction go on.Some residents claimed that the buildings were being demolished selectively, alleging that others built using the same illegal material were yet to be pulled down.However, the Deputy Mayor, refuted the claims, saying no illegal structures would be spared once the due process was complete.

National

Gatsibo residents protest over demolition