WESTERN PROVINCE RUSIZI — The Rusizi district advisory council on Saturday fired the top district executive, including the Mayor, over alleged embezzlement. The council fired the Mayor Jean Pierre Turatsinze, his two deputies, Espérance Umutoni, in charge of Social Affairs, Théogene Nkuranga, in charge of Economic Development, and Boniface Bajanama, the district Executive Secretary. Also on a three month suspension are district directors; who include Alexis Muvunyi, the director of Good governance, Deo Rugaju, the director of Health, Habib Karyango, the director of Internal Resources, Charles Ntibaziyaremye, the director of Education and Zura Kamariya, the director of Finance. The council accused the leaders of involvement in a string of irregularities, occurring at the district since their appointment in 2006. “After thorough investigations into various irregularities that occurred in this district from 2006 up to this year, I as the President and all my colleagues …..declare that we have sacked the Mayor, his two vice Mayors, and the district Executive Secretary’s for their direct involvement in various irregularities going on in the district ,” Joseph Bahenda, the council President told the meeting, after over two hours of consultations. He added: “And we have also suspended five directors….for three months because they also did nothing to arrest the situation.” The council subsequently appointed Silvestre Habiyambere, as the acting Mayor and Ejide Gatera, who has been the Executive Secretary of Bugarama Sector, as the new district Executive Secretary. The decision comes a month after the council instituted a commission of inquiry to investigate the said irregularities in the district. The council cited embezzlement and mismanagement of public funds amounting to over Rwf100 million. This includes Rwf60 million which is unaccounted for in the education department, over Rwf2 millions for the Fund for Genocide Survivors (FARG) allegedly swindled by the former district official in charge of FARG, Yves Rutebuka and over Rwf50 million that was meant for the health insurance scheme. The commission also implicated the vice Mayor in charge of social affairs (Espirance Umutoni) in the sale of over 100 mattresses and various cartons of exercise books worth Rwf5million - which were meant for Genocide survivor students in 2008. Speaking to The New Times shortly after the meeting that lasted a full day, Bahenda explained that the council’s decision was long overdue because the leaders had failed to address various problems in the district. He said that they would forward their resolutions to the provincial headquarters in Karongi district. Ends
