Residents of Kamonyi district have been cautioned against encroaching on buffer zones of River Nyabarongo, after a crocodile killed a man who had gone fishing in a prohibited area on Wednesday. The victim, John Hakizimana, 35, is a resident of Rugalika Sector, Kamonyi District. In an interview with The New Times, on Thursday, March 26, Alice Kayitesi, the Mayor of Kamonyi said that citizens of her district are well aware they are not allowed to go to buffer zones, yet some few still go ahead and defy the regulations in place. It was a very unfortunate incident, however, there are things that a few citizens do, yet they know that they are prohibited, she said. When we get a lot of rains, River Nyabarongo overflows to its banks, and some people take advantage of the situation to go fishing in the water, which exposes them to animals like crocodiles or hippos that are found in the buffer zone. Kayitesi cautioned citizens to avoid such dangerous practices, but also to respect the governments regulations of not leaving their homes, as part of the preventive measures against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). We request the citizens to stay at their homes in this time when we are trying to work to prevent and fight COVID-19, she said. The only people allowed to go out during this ongoing lockdown are those offering essential services while farmers are also free to work in their farms during the lockdown.
