PRESS RELEASE
From the 14th of December 2019, the RPF government took a decision to demolish houses alleged to be in areas at risk of flooding or landslides.
As opposition political parties have always pointed out the decision was not well thought through and was therefore harmful to the people affected by the demolition of the houses. This has been demonstrated by the fact that the authorities had not put in place a plan to help the people who would be affected by the demolition. As a matter of fact, the authorities tried to solve one problem but created many more problems.
The people whose houses were demolished are completely devastated and at a loss. The many problems that the victims face include: lack of accommodation because many of them have no financial means to rent a room especially that they were given so little money that cannot afford the cheapest accommodation and there no clear plan of how the few who were promised by the RPF government can get compensation.
The latter problem is compounded by the fact that no evaluation of the damaged properties was done before the demolition. As of now the area has been raised down and graded and therefore nobody will be able to recognize the boundaries of his/her property to back a claim. This means that even who were promised compensation have no hope of getting it to be able to rebuild their lives. However, the key problem is about the fate of children affected by the demolition of houses.
This is of concern to families who no longer have means to send their children to school because the income the received from renting the demolished houses was used to sustain themselves and to pay school fees for their children. Now Rwandan children, in the hundreds are denied their right to attend school. The opposition political parties call on the Rwandan government to quickly find a solution to the problem of these children to demonstrate that government policies on child protection and safeguarding are not mere paper but a reality. This is possible because lots of money is squandered in less vital projects.
In this regard the opposition political parties have taken the lead in helping these children by taking something from their very limited means to help some children from the family mostly affected by the demolition to pay their school fees. They are appealing to other well-wishers and generous people to deprive themselves of something to help get those children go back to school.
Furthermore, these opposition political parties had wished to take something to share with the most affected families, on the occasion of the New Year 2020. Sadly, local officials of Kimirinko sector were present to stop this initiative. In ending this press release the political opposition recommends the creation of an Emergency Solidarity Fund that would be used to respond to emergency situations like the one we are witnessing now unlike “Agaciro Funds” that does not help in emergency situations.
Done in Kigali, January 10, 2020
Mrs Victoire INGABIRE UMUHOZA
President DALFA UMURINZI (signed)
Me NTAGANDA Bernard
Founder President of PS IMBERAKURI (signed)
