Residents from Kicukiro District celebrated Liberation Day yesterday with a resolve to be patriotic and work towards the development of their country. The residents from Gatenga cell said they are happy with the country’s progress citing the education and health facilities as well the infrastructure, especially the good road network. Ange Mukeshimana, a resident from Isangano village in Gatega Cell spoke of why celebrating Liberation day was important. “In our village, we don’t have people suffering from malnutrition. People are living in decent housing and have more dignified lives,” she said. Jean d’Amour Habimana from Amahoro Village spoke of how he has witnessed the road network in his area has improved remarkably. “Gatenga was known for its dust during the dry season and its mud during the rainy season. We had no public transport as the roads were in very bad condition. But look now, because of tarmac roads, we have a bus passing by every 10 minutes,” he said. Felix Gatera, the Chairman of RPF in Amahoro Village said leaders before 1994 concentrated on sowing divisions among Rwandans instead of thinking about their quality of life. “We didn’t have any primary school here in Gatenga. There was no plan or modern settlement, there were no roads. The leaders then only put their effort in sowing ethnicity among Rwandans,” he said. Many Rwandans were stuck in exile and they were barred from entering their country simply because they were Tutsis and others mistreated inside their country, he said. Prosper Muyumbe the Executive Secretary of Gatenga cell that the area residents for their continued support. For example, he said, they recently pooled resources and purchased motorcycles to ease the work of the leaders at the grassroots levels. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
