Rwanda : Ngororero leaders were unjust in distributing livestock-Residents say
Residents of Ngororero district have alleged that their local leaders used nepotism and friendship in the process of distributing cattle meant for the vulnerable families in the community.
Residents say that this injustice has been evident in community development programs (such as Ubudehe and Girinka) in which the animals were not handed to rightful beneficiaries, but those who are related to the local leaders.
One of the residents, Seraphine Ayinkamiye, says the One-Cow per Family (Girinka program) is meant to benefit the poor; however she is astonished to see that instead of the cows being handed to the poor families for free, the leaders have solicited money out of the families.
Some residents have also claimed that the beneficiaries are maliciously implicated by local leaders to being unable to manage the cows and in turn the animals are retrieved from the poor families and handed over to others.
However, the district official in charge of livestock and animal husbandry, Jean Damscene Abishuka says that these issues are baseless and the allegation could have been prompted by the fact that new lists of beneficiaries are being made currently.
Abishuka also alleges that it’s possible that all residents want to be on the new lists but the poor families have to be chosen and acknowledged by the community councils. He also says that appropriate action will be taken in case any of the leaders is implicated and found guilty.
However residents insist that the central government should intervene in this case and have their plea resolved.
