Rwanda National Police

The Rwanda National Police (RNP) Environmental Protection Unit (EPU) has rolled out an awareness programme in communities in a bid to mitigate and prevent wildfires that tend to be common in the dry season, destroying national parks and forestry reserves.

The campaign started on August 27 in Kayonza, one of the districts affected by bush fires in the recent past.

The EPU operating under the Criminal Investigation Department, is mandated to protect environment in all its aspects including air space, forestry and biodiversity, and the enforcement of different legal instruments.

According to Inspector of Police (IP) Emmanuel Kayigi, Police spokesperson for the Eastern region, at least 327 hectares of land, including part of the national park, has been burnt in the region in the last one-and-half month.

About 184 hectares of the burnt land in the Eastern Province was in the eight sectors of Kayonza, IP Kayigi explained.

While speaking to residents of Ndego Sector in Kayonza, where the official launch was held, CIP Corneille Murigo, the director of the RNP Environmental Protection Unit (EPU), urged them to desist from reckless acts like burning dry fibres in gardens and bee harvesting, which lead to wildfire.

“Something done by one person affects the entire nation. It should be the responsibility of everyone to take precautions to prevent such incidents, and in case it occurs, be quick call Police and organize and a community to respond before the fire escalates,” CIP Murigo said.

One of the residents, Samuel Ndayisenga, who deals in necessary beds, expressed concern over the rate at which trees are being cut in the district.

“In the next three years, if everyone doesn’t stand up to fight cutting of trees, and planting as many as possible, we will be running to neighbouring districts to fetch firewood,” Ndayisenga said.

“But again planting trees in areas that have been burnt is like doing nothing because this also kills nutrients in the soil,” he added.

Another resident, Leo Ntirampeba blamed the fires on pastoralists, who have a negative mentality that burning their farms in dry season gives way for fresh grass to grow, and that this increases milk production.

The event also included receiving complaints from residents through the Rwanda National Police Mobile Police Station service, which was stationed in the area.

Majority complaints from the residents rallied around incidences of gender based violence especially between couples, land disputes, and baboons that jump the Akagera National Park fence and destroy their crops.

The Mobile Police Station service was introduced last year to extended policing services to citizens residing or working in places located far away from Police stations, whereby, a the vehicle treks through the terrain searching for those wishing to lodge complaints or to report injustices committed against them.