To residents of Rwamugurusu Village of Munyiginya Cell in Bwana Sector, Rwamagana District, having a fully equipped office, with television set and lit with solar power, it is a motivation to further strengthen their efforts to fight anything that can destabilize such development activities and affect their social wellbeing.
The residents expressed their happiness, yesterday, after they official received an office, which was constructed by Rwanda National Police (RNP) in its ongoing 18th anniversary Police Week.
The Governor of the Eastern Province, Fred Mufulukye flanked by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Emmanuel K. Gasana, presided over the inauguration of the facility.
Morris Irivuzumugame, the village chief says he had a daunting challenge to keep community records secure, holding community meetings and offering counsel to conflicting couples with confidentiality, due to lack of proper workrooms to operate from.
"I used to keep all copies of reports and other records at my home and this was not a secure way of keeping records, but also working at my home was forfeiting my family privacy because residents find you at home to resolve their issues”, said Irivuzumugame.
The office was constructed in recognition for their collective efforts to significantly curb lawlessness in their village.
Jean Marie Budeyi, a resident of Rwamugurusu village, said: "We are proud of our Village Chief for bringing us together to fight crimes in our community and elevating us to this status, the gesture has motivated us to further boost our community’s security …we are going to support him”.
Philomene Mukampfizi, a village committee member, also said: "We're happy for the police and national leadership for recognizing our efforts… I have always urged fellow women to report crime and promote harmony at family levels now they see the results.”
While inaugurating the office, Governor Mufulukye said that "recognition is a strong bond” created between the village and authorities, and urged them not to drift back.
He urged them to raise the bar even further to achieve beyond physical security to realize all aspects of human security.
Gasana reiterated the benefits of crime free communities in promoting individual liberty, a critical factor for sustainable development.
For security to prevail, he said, three components have to be intertwined; guarding oneself, protecting one another and being protected by the state.
He assured residents that their safety will always be guaranteed but emphasized the need to sustain the existing partnership.
"Although you are protected by the state, you also have to take part to protect each other against anything that can affect their wellbeing. Through combined efforts between the public, local authorities and security organs we shall have and sustain a crime-free society” IGP Gasana said.