Rwanda National Police

The heightened campaign against sell and use of narcotic drugs in Gisagara District led to the seizure and destruction of illicit drugs.

The substances disposed of include about 135 litres of crude waragi commonly known as Kanyanga and 2175 liters of Muriture, a concocted alcoholic drink.

Muriture is distilled out of mixed sugar residues, burned bricks and water, among others.

The mayor of Gisagara, Jerome Rutaburingoga, while addressing residents, who turned up to witness the exercise to deatroy the drugs, thanked them for the responsiveness in the fight against the vice.

He urged them to continue to be part of the campaign to ensure drug-free communities by reporting to police people they suspect to be distilling such psychotropic substances.

"How do you develop as a household when one of the members is spending the family income on drugs and comes home to assault a wife, husband or children? The end result is that the family will be in conflicts rather than collectively engaging in family development activities," the mayor told the residents.

He also talked about the problems drugs cause in influencing children to get out of their homes and school thus becoming street children and engaging in other criminal activities like theft.

"Fighting drugs by reporting dealers is protecting your families amd children, and promoting safety and security in your communities," he said.

One of the former drug dealers and addict, Jean Paul Sinamenye also used his testimony of the problems he faced, and how today a valued person in his family and community.

“I was introduced to drugs by a person I called a friend. He told me that drugs would allow me to

function at a higher level, and I ended up being of no value to my family; I became an addict and all I could think was how to get money to buy drugs, either spend the little I earned or steal it," the reformed drug dealer and addict, told him community.

He observed that some children engage in such because they lack enough knowledge on how harmful such substances are to users.

He suggested that alcohol and drug abuse education be introduced in schools and involve parents to be at the front in guiding children on the correct paths.