Rwanda : Nyaruguru district gets an anti-drugs committee

Close to 50 teachers, executive secretaries of Nyaruguru’s 14 sectors and a number of religious leaders on Tuesday gathered in Nyaruguru district’s conference hall in Southern Rwanda to elect an anti-drugs committee meant to curtail the increasing number of drug users.

The seven-member committee is mainly tasked with following up the implementation of drugs prevention, writing up daily reports and setting up anti-drugs clubs across Nyaruguru district.

One of the committee members is Philibert Uwamahoro, a head teacher at Ruramba High School. After his election as the President of the anti-drugs committee at the Nyaruguru district level, Uwamahoro sounded ecstatic.

“I am very happy. My priority is to set up similar committees at the very grassroots level to enhance the information flow on the use of drugs as the best way to fight against them”, said Uwamahoro.

Other committee members are Berte Nyirantama and Claudine Mukaremera, Vice President and Secretary respectively, while Vincent de Paul Gakwerere, Pluscille Mugwaneza Cyuzuzo, Marceline Mukamwiza and Callixte Nteziryayo were elected as advisers.

The anti-drugs committee, dubbed the “eye of the neighbour”, emanates from the traditional Rwanda.

“Nobody could pass by a wrongdoing child without scolding them”, Mayor François Habitegeko of Nyaruguru district reminded the audience.

Rwanda’s First Lady Jeannette Kagame rejuvenated that ancient tradition – which was already on the verge of collapsing − on 20 December 2011 with a countrywide campaign of “the eye of the neighbour” committees, a more or less carbon copy of the traditional Rwanda practice.

“A healthy Rwandan constitutes the primary richness of our country [Rwanda]”, Mayor Habitegeko told the anti-drugs committee, assuring them of the district’s collaboration.

And Nyaruguru district seems to have all good reasons to get its anti-drugs committee. It does not enjoy a clean sheet with regard to drugs consumption, especially among the youth.

Police sources have leaked to this news website that three students from Nyamyumba High School in Mata sector were caught red-handed while smoking marijuana about a fortnight ago.

The three are being detained at the Nyaruguru Police Post as investigations continue for four other student suspects and to trace the whereabouts of one escapee.

Mayor Habitegeko corroborated the information, saying that even if the number is still low across the district, drug-users come at the forefront of a number of crimes committed in the district.