Bukoba
Daily News; Sunday,April 20, 2008 @00:03
THOUSANDS of people from neighbouring Rwanda have crossed into Karagwe district, in Kagera region driving large herds of cattle and other livestock that officials fear posed a big threat to other animals in the area.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Karagwe, Mr Gosbert Blandes, disclosed this during the Regional Coordination Committee (RCC) meeting held here yesterday. "Thousands of aliens from Rwanda have been crossing into Kaisho/Murongo Division in Karagwe district. Some of the aliens included those repatriated in 2004.
They have now come back in full force carrying hundreds of unvaccinated livestock," he said. He appealed to the government to take immediate action to return them to their home country. The Kagera Regional Commissioner, Mr Enos Mfuru, who chaired the meeting said the exercise was being hampered by lack of funds."
We requested a total of 1.2bn/- for the exercise but we got only 300m/-.We also appeal to the government to allocate more funds to enable regional authorities to deal with the aliens, he said. Meanwhile, the Kagera Regional Administrative Secretary (RAS), Ms Marie Diria, has warned against the increasing trend whereby unknown people have been vandalising road signs and posts.
She said many road signs and posts along the 112 kilometre Mutukula-Bukoba -Kigoma highway and the 100 kilometre Kyamyorwa-Buseresere highway had been vandalised by unknown people who deal in scrap metal. She said stern action would be taken and those caught engaging in such sabotage acts would be prosecuted.
The regional meeting also unanimously endorsed the use of manure and compost in the region in stead of chemical fertilisers. The leaders noted that farmers in the region favoured the use of cow dung and were shy to use chemical fertilisers which they viewed as harmful to banana and coffee farms.