President Paul Kagame has told residents of Nyagatare District in Eastern Province that his leadership is working around the clock to eliminate poverty, but reminded them it will only happen if there is partnership.
For the past ten years, Kagame said, the fight against poverty has significantly yielded good signs.
The President, who toured Nyagatare district as part of Citicizen Outreach programme, commended the district for the milestones achieved.
The once drought-hit part of the country with almost no food crops grown, Nyagatare district has turned out to be the breadbasket for the province.
Massive government investment has turned it into the biggest source of milk, rice, bananas and maize.
For instance, 900 hectares of land were irrigated which saw harvests register an upward spiral from 3 to 7 tons of maize per season.
Currently, the district is home to big projects including a rice-factory, a multimillion-dollar granite-factory, employing over 300 workers, and supplying the regional market with tiles; a 4-star hotel yet to be completed, among others.
Over the years, the government has supplied free Friesian cows for milk production to 360,000 households, which has increased their incomes. Nyagatare leads as the biggest supplier of milk – 85,000 liters daily, earning the district over Frw7b ($11million) annually.
Addition to lucrative projects that have earned Nyagatare trust to be named a secondary city is water plant worth Rwf2 billion.
While addressing thousands of residents from Nyagatare District today in Matimba sector, President Kagame applauded these achievements and promised more in areas of socio-economic development.
“Some of those achieved set a stellar example if you reaped harvest between 1-3 ton/ha and now you get 7 tons/ha is clear that it is possible. When it’s possible why can’t we do it? But it requires determination, goodwill and partnerships with stakeholders including the government,” said Kagame.
Though a lot has been achieved in several sectors, President Kagame vowed to eradicate poverty stressing that “we can’t accept to live with poverty in our house; poverty is a bad neighbor.”
Among challenges facing Nyagatare residents include electricity rolled out in all 14 sectors making Nyagatare District. He promised electricity rollout at every household.
During his address, the President reminded citizens that they can’t allow any leaders to enjoy public funds instead of using them for planned public development projects.
“It is your right to hold your leaders accountable for resources that should be used for your benefit,” Kagame said.
“Public officials have no right to use public resources as their own,” he added.
In a one-day Citzen Outreach trip, Kagame toured Kagitumba one border post under construction which will expedite immigration and customs services at Rwanda-Uganda shared border and ease free movement of goods and people.
Later in the day, Kagame toured the East African Granite industries which began its operations in 2012, a four star hotel under construction and owned by the Eastern Province Investment Corporation (EPIC).
The Hotel will be completed before end of at a tune of Rwf16.4 billion.