Rwanda National Police

Police officers operating in Gicumbi District was on June 24 joined by residents of Cyumba Sector to lay bricks that will be used to construct houses for the disadvantaged families in Rwankojo Cell.

The human security activity is in line with supporting families that were affected by the recent heavy downpour.

According to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs, the heavy downpour between January and April destroyed about 1, 000 houses.

The communal exercise to lay the bricks also involved the youth and local leaders. The bricks will be used to construct three houses for thw affected families in Rwankojo Cell.

Daniel Nzitunga, one of the beneficiaries whose house was swept away by landslide, thanked the Police and residents for the support to once again have shelter.

“Since our house got destroyed by landslide, I and my family were being accommodated by neighbors, whom i cant thank enough. I thank our government for thinking about us, I know that in the next few days we will be able to sleep in a new house,"  a happy Nzitunga said.

André  Ndereyimana , another beneficiary, while expressing his  appreciation, said: "There are times when we only knew that the role of police is to maintain physical security, we are happy today to have a police institution that even strives to support the vulnerable and know how you sleep or eat."

While addressing residents, Athanase Kamili, the Acting Mayor of Gicumbi commended them for the big turn up.

He also thanked families that have been hosting their neighbours that were affected by disasters.

“This exercise to build houses for you is one of the country’s values to embark on homegrown solutions, but also a gesture by the police to show that policing and development involves us all as institutions and individuals in security and development matters," Kamili said.

He also took the opportunity to challenge residents to support the police efforts to fight trafficking and sell of illicit drugs.

Supt. Gaston Karagire, the District Police Commander of Gicumbi also called for partnership against narcotic drugs.

Gicumbi is mapped as one of the transit routes especially for illicit gin.