Kamonyi: Local leaders urged to engage residents in environmental protection

{The District Police Commander of Kamonyi, Supt. Donath Kinani, on January 19 held a meeting with local leaders and urged them to involve residents in conserving the environment and fight related crimes.
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In a meeting with about 30 local leaders including cell and village leaders held in Kayenzi Sector, reminded them that by involving the residents it will be easier to identify those who destroy the environment and encroach on gazatted or prohibited places like wetlands, forests and illegal mining.

“It is a government policy to conserve the environment and in your daily duties, you should as well sensitize the people to desist from illegal activities related to environmental degradation, and bring them on board to fight them,” Supt. Kinani said.

He noted that some residents graze their livestock in these gazatted places, cut trees in forests and illegal charcoal burning.

He emphasised the need to engage residents in planting many trees, avoid bush burning and littering of flammable substances which can easily lead to wild fires, illegal sand and stone mining, which also result into disasters.

“Fighting environmental crimes is not only the work of police and Rwanda Environmental Management Authority (REMA) but also the role of local leaders, starting with those on the grass root level, and the residents themselves,” he noted.

Moise Niyonagize, one of the local leaders echoed the same message noting that the meeting enlightened them as grass-root leaders, their roles and thanked police for always reaching out to them.

Last year, Rwanda National Police and partners in environment, launched its Environmental Protection Unit (EPU), which is at the heart of sensitizing and fighting related crimes to conserve the ecosystem.

Late December, last year, a joint operation to implement the recent adopted resolutions to protect and turn River Nyabarongo muddy brown waters blue, as well as other critical water bodies, has come into force with officials from Rwanda National Police (RNP) and Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) combing the districts of Ngororero and Rutsiro to crackdown on illegal and substandard mining activities, which have been blamed for the current state of the ravaged river.