EASTERN PROVINCE RWAMAGANA — The Eastern Province is planning to set up an Integrity Fund as part of its homegrown effort geared towards fighting poverty. In an interview with The New Times, the Mayor of Rwamagana district, Valens Ntezirembo disclosed that the idea was mooted at a meeting of provincial leaders and the district Mayors from the province who were tasked to study the modalities of coming up with such a fund. The meeting which was also attended by the Agriculture Minister Christopher Bazivamu was aimed at evaluating the achievements and challenges the province faces which included incidences of crime. Ntezirembo explained that the fund would be used to harness efforts by the residents to enable them set up income generating projects. The residents, he said, would be encouraged to shift from agriculture dependency through diversification of their economic activities in order to attain a more holistic development approach. “The district units were tasked to study the viability of adopting other modalities of economic livelihoods apart from agriculture, opportunities which can lead to employment generation,” the Mayor said. Meanwhile, it was revealed at the meeting that incidence of crime has reduced from 194 to 166, between December and January. The meeting also resolved to task the district authorities to come up with lasting measures on maintaining security in the area. According to the crime report,robbery, drug abuse, murder, forgery, defilement, rape, assault, money counterfeiting, and genocide denial, were named as those toping the list of crime incidence. Ends
