Members of parliament have asked the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning to allocate funding towards ensure completion of the second phase in expanding National Ubutore Development Centre-Nkumba located in Burera district, Northern Province. The members of parliamentary committee on National Budget and Patrimony on May 17 evening as part of the ongoing hearings on sector allocations in the 2021/2022 budget framework. During their scrutiny, MPs realized that the Ministry of Youth and Culture was in need of over Rwf1 billion to complete expansion works for the centre but no single coin has been allocated towards the works in the 2021/2022 fiscal year. National Ubutore Development Centre-Nkumba is one of the facilities offering the national civic education training programme-Itorero aimed to inculcate Rwandan values in all categories of people. Itorero was abolished during the colonial era before the government revived it in November 2007 to promote Rwandan values, patriotism among citizens, among others. Itorero includes lessons on values and patriotism, but also self-reliance meant to accelerate poverty reduction. It has been mostly active with secondary school graduates, students at universities, teachers, local leaders, community health workers, journalists, among many other groups. “There must be budget allocated to expanding National Ubutore Development Centre-Nkumba. It is worrying that no money was allocated because this is such an important facility,” said MP Christine Mukabunani. The Minister of Youth and Culture, Rosemary Mbabazi said that , in general, the budget allocated to development of youth and culture was cut by nearly 30 per cent from Rwf9.1 billion in 2020/2021 to Rwf6.5 billion in 2021/22 fiscal year. Besides the budget deficit to upgrade National Ubutore Development Centre-Nkumba, she said, upgrading of the National Heroes Mausoleum/Remera (Phase 3) is also facing a Rwf350 million budget gap. The Mausoleum in Remera is where many of the national heroes are laid to rest. “The budget is insufficient to complete the construction works,” she said. Other funding gaps include in works to upgrading National Liberation Museum Park in Gicumbi district which is facing a Rwf153.7 million deficit according to Robert Masozera, the Director General of Rwanda Cultural Heritage Academy (Inteko y’Umuco). Commonly referred to as U Mulindi w’Intwari, the museum is located in Nyakabungo village of Mulindi cell, Kaniga sector in Gicumbi. It was for the largest part of the four-year liberation struggle (1990-94) the headquarters of the war that not only liberated the country, but also stopped the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Other projects that need more funding, he said, include completion of the National Archives Building which requires a Rwf302 million budget to buy equipment. MP Theogene Munyangeye expressed concerns of limited budget allocation to culture and youth yet they are integral part of national development. “I also hope that cultural tourism could generate a lot of revenue for the country. There is a need to identify all cultural sites and value them,” he said.
