Dear Editor,

I am impressed by the progress of land redistribution in Eastern Province as published in The New Times of 15th February 2008. The land commission helped by residents endorsed over 108 residents to receive land.

The prospective beneficiaries who had registered earlier were seconded by their fellow residents. Out of the 108 beneficiaries, all from Nyagatare and Rwimpasha sectors, over 70 percent were given farm land measuring more than two hectares each, while others were given farms for livestock farming.

The technique of giving priority to returnees from Tanzania, evictees and those who had earlier missed land including Genocide survivors and residents who settled in the area before the 1994 Genocide is commendable.

The simple truth is that; all Rwandans may not benefit from the land redistribution exercise but, the government plans to create more job opportunities to cater for other residents.

In spite of this development, there are some people who want to take land that does not rightfully belong to them.
I request that the responsible authorities intervene before trouble erupts from scrambling for land.

Apparently, land has been a problem in the Eastern which is largely dominated by livestock farmers who were disgruntled with the inadequate grazing land. With the land scheme at hand, land problems in this country will soon become history.

Nyagatare