WELCOME TO RULINDO DISTRICT

Rulindo district is headed by Mr KANGWAGYE Justus as the Mayor, Mr. MULINDWA Prosper as the Vice Mayor in charge of Economic Affairs, and Emilienne NIWEMWIZA as the Vice Mayor in charge of Social Affairs.

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One Thursday 8^th December 2011 Kitgum District council visited Rulindo District in order to learn on his achievements and chare experiences.

Kitgum District is a District located in Northern part of Uganda. The history and experience of the district, like any other part of Northern part of Uganda are quite similar to Rwanda’s. atrocities and hostilities caused by the Lords Resistance Army insurgency is comparable to the Genocide in Rwanda.

At the moment, the appalling incidences have abated and the two countries are enjoying the high level of peace and security. Having similar challenges hampering the course of development, Kitgum District Local Government found it wise to visit Rulindo District to learn and share these experiences.

On arrival the visitors were taken to Rusiga Genocide Memorial site where they witnessed the menace caused by the Genocide perpetration.

Due to the interest of time, the visitors divided themselves into two groups. The first group travelled to Cyungo Sector to observe the progressive development of agriculture in Rulindo District and the second group visited Tare Health center at NYIRANGARAMA.

After the lunch there was a meeting

The meeting started with brief welcoming remarks by the Mayor of Rulindo District. In his remarks, the Mayor welcomed the visitors formally to the District.

He introduced his staff; the vice Mayor economic, vice mayor social affairs and other members of the staff. The Mayor also recognized the presence of Col. MUGISHA, the speaker, the Councilor in charge of all economic staff and District Police Commander.

He noted that the visit is the beginning of cementing and streamlining the relationship between Rulindo and Kitgum District. In this regard he pledged the need to pay courtesy visit to Kitgum District.

The mayor reiterated that visiting terraces at Cyungo sector was intended at sharing the strategies and approaches aimed at taming nature into serving man.

The head of delegation  Mr NYEKO Luca that was also the Chairman of the District Council talked about the atrocities caused by LRA insurgency. In that context, he stated the reason why they decided to organize a working visit to Rwanda specifically Rulindo District. He said the major purpose was to see what Rulindo has achieved and how it achieved so that they could tap the noted strategies to be applied at their home district.

The Chairman communicated the accident they encountered on their way to Rwanda.

Finally he introduced his staff and thanked Rulindo District for the warm reception they were accorded.

The vice Mayor Economics presented commendable strategies and achievements of Rulindo District in two clusters: social affairs and economic aspects.

There was along session of discussion. The visitors articulated their questions which were answered by the Mayor and concerned officers.

The meeting ended with a vote of thanks from the head of delegation from Kitgum and closing remarks by the Mayor, Spiced up with presentation of gifts as token of appreciation.

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On Saturday, 3^rd December 2011, Rulindo District advisory committee visited Murambi genocide memorial site located in Nyamagabe District and donated two hundreds thousand Rwandan francs for support. Approximately 50 thousand bodies were buried in this memorial site.

On arrival at this memorial site Miss MUKAKARISA Gertrude welcomed them and explained the history of Murambi memorial site. She said that before the genocide against the Tutsis in 1994 some buildings of that memorial site were the vocational training center classrooms. In 1994 during the genocide, the Tutsis took refuge in that vocational training center but they had no chance of survival because the soldiers and the militia Interahamwe killed them and abused the women sexually.

In additional to the massive graves, in Murambi memorial site, there are 848 bodies deposed in 24 rooms. There is a room where a heap of clothes which belonged to the   genocide victims are kept. There is also a place where the French flag in Zone Turquoise was, near that flag there is the French soldiers volleyball pitch; the pitch is on the genocide victims graves. A part was reserved on the wall where Rwandan history was written. On this wall, you can read the history of early Rwanda, the colonial period, the independence period, the discrimination period, HABYARIMANAs regime, the RPF/Inkotanyi attack, the negotiation process and the days of darkness. You can read the remedies of the genocide against the Tutsi and the international response during genocide in 1994.

Mr. GATABAZI Pascal, president of Rulindo District advisory committee said that visiting the memorial sites is important because it gives the knowledge of the genocide reality and its prevention. He called upon the Rwandans to visit the memorial sites because those sites constitute the useful Rwandan history that must be known. He mentioned that   Murambi memorial site has unique history because it has prolific facts of genoside events. He demanded all Rwandans to join efforts in order to build the peaceful Rwanda.

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 On 29^th November 2011, 3^rd   youth students’ camp ceremony was launched at Inyange Girls School in Rusiga sector Rulindo District. It was presided by the Honorable Minister of State in the Office President in charge of Rulindo District Miss TUGIREYEZU Venantia. The ceremony was attended by the Mayor of Rulindo District, Cornel Louis MUGISHA the 503^th Vice Brigade command.  

In her speech the Minister who was the chief guest said that the youths are the future of the country. In that case they must promote the Rwandan cultural values and struggle to be heroes.  She encouraged the youth to develop our country and to solve their problems without waiting for the support from outside the country.

She reiterated that student’s camp is significant in promoting Rwandan cultural values promote  patriotism, resolve the problems, have a performance contract, environment protection, to join cooperatives,  family planning, diffusion of vision 2020, saving and credit, to have health mutual insurance, fighting against HIV/AIDS, drugs and prostitution.

Minister TUGIREYEZU encouraged the youth to be exemplary in the society and encouraged them to give their contribution in building our country using the knowledge obtained from the students’ camp.  

This 3^rd   youth students’ camp in Rulindo District was attended by 756 students in two camps:  In Inyange Girls School and in the Institut Baptiste de Buberuka.

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Today, November 18, 2011 Rulindo District organized a one day workshop that brought together different stakeholders in fight against gender based violence right from grassroots level to District level, members of security apparatus and other partners. In her opening remarks NIWEMWIZA Emilienne, Vice Mayor in charge of social affairs stated that women are the key to progress and prosperity in the 21st century. When they are marginalized and mistreated, humanity cannot progress hence a need to hold this one Day workshop to lay down line of action in preparation of the commemoration of the “Sixteen Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence that is due Worldwide.

The executive Secretary of National Women Council while addressing the participants thanked the Government of Rwanda for having demonstrated her political will to end Gender Based Violence “Since few years ago the government of Rwanda has been establishing various institutions under decentralization to promote people’s welfare. Ensuring this, fighting against gender based violence was also one of the prioritized programs by Gender Monitoring Office”. She said she went ahead to argue participants to stop the old ways of handling gender based violence as a family matter since it endangers human rights, yet when they are accorded their rights and afforded equal opportunities in education, health care, employment, and political participation, they lift up their families, their communities, and the Nation.

“One of great challenges that we meet is that some people don’t reveal violence cases that they suffer; sometimes these sinful people are family relatives and they hide it. So when such situation happens, violence also persists,” explains Intrahealth representative which facilitated the workshop.

Though the institutions put in place to deal with the issues, related cases still occur in Rulindo District due to ignorance or certain attitudes

 It is time that ending violence against women became a priority for us all.

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