Creating a crime-free village in cities or urban areas is possibly an idea that sounds impossible to many, but not to residents of Matimba Village in Rwezamenyo Sector, Nyarugenge District. Matimba derives its name from Nyagatare District.

Matimba for many years been notoriously known as a hive for drug dealers and abusers, ladies of the night, drunkenness, thieves or a store for stolen items, among others. Fights, snatching of people’s belongings even during daylight were the order of the day; ladies of the night had literally found a safe haven.

It is a different story today. It is no longer Matimba; it’s Ntwali Village or Smart Village as residents have come to rename it. If you set foot in this place for the first today, you will not believe its story of the past. Those who experienced its past criminality hardly believe its new story.

Impact of community policing

Staying true to its new name, residents in an effort to address the situation and to improve their social wellbeing joined efforts to strengthen their community night patrols, neighborhood watch and through financial contributions, they installed CCTV cameras in different corners or identified areas used by wrongdoers.

With the help of the sector and district authorities, residents also started a shop for their ‘Irondo’ (night) patrol members, where they buy goods at subsidized prices.

Through financial contribution by each member of Irondo, they also started a grocery worth Rwf1 million as their small income generating activities.

"It has totally changed; you can arguably say that Matimba is now one of the safest places in Kigali today,” says Jean Rutembesa, who manages Irondo shop.

The notorious dirty street where ladies of the night used to line up as early as 6:30pm is now a tarmacked. The former ladies of the night formed or joined cooperatives.

Belancille Mukansengimana, for example, who used to be a sex worker now runs a fruit shop, and "earns a respectable living.”

On visiting Ntwali Village today, the ‘clean, green and safe’ slogan defines the place; well-dressed youth and residents move safely at any time of the day or night going about their work, community night patrols, ‘Irondo’ patrol all corners of their village.

Mzee Musa Mvunabandi, an elder born in Matimba 58 years ago in the former Matimba justifies that "aha ubu harangwa n’umutekano” – meaning ‘Now it’s peaceful and secure here’.

Children can peacefully do their schoolwork at night or spend more hours at school studying or having group discussions, there is less noise from bars, unlike in the past, says Mvunabandi, jokingly adding that "even girls from Matimba can expect to get a husband now.

"It was rare for any self-respecting young man to think of marrying a girl from this place; she had to lie that she doesn’t hail from Matimba to convince a potential suitor.”

"The cameras have played a very important role. Now anyone planning to commit an offense is afraid to do so; where we don’t have cameras we have Irondo patrols,” said Rutembesa, a member of Irondo team.

The Executive Secretary of Rwezamenyo Sector, Stella Mbabazi described the community’s initiative as a vivid example of creating a crime free sector.

She notes that the residents identify and report people they suspect to be drug dealers, abusers, thieves and stores for stolen items. This facilitates security organs to uproot the criminal rings.

Indeed, majority of the young people that were addicted to drugs were rehabilitated. Some of them are part of Tuzamurane cooperative, which is comprised of only reformed dealers and addicts that run a workshop and living a well-off life.

"Crime prevention initiatives gave us the best choice,” says one of the young men, Eric Mushimiyimana, who is a member of Tuzamurane. The cooperative has 35 reformed drug dealers, addicts and former street boys.

The group received funding from the Ministry of Youth through the Business Development Fund to start up their workshop.

"The efforts by the residents have massively improved their social welfare; some have started small businesses including former wrongdoers, there is active participation in government development programmes like Umuganda and supporting the disadvantaged families,” said Mbabazi.

Senior Supt Emmanuel Hitayezu, the Police spokesperson for the City of Kigali lauded the community efforts. "We have seen a number of villages in remote parts of the country where residents have taken an upper hand and made them crime-free such as Kagarama in Gatsibo, Cyankongi in the remote part of Kicukiro; but Matimba is a true example that even cities or towns can be crime-free.”

During Police Week recently to mark the Rwanda National Police (RNP) 18th anniversary, the force launched the construction of 30 village offices—one in every district—identified as crime-free, as a reward for their outstanding community policing efforts.

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