IN SUMMARY

  • According to residents, the island can no longer accommodate the growing population. They also lamented about limited access to basic services such as health and education due to overpopulation.
  • Speaking to Rwanda Today, the Mayor of Bugesera District Louis Rwagaju said the government plans to carry out the relocations from next month.
We are three boys in our family but among us none is planning to marry because we do not have space to construct our houses,” says Samuel Harerimana, a 30-year-old resident of Mazane Island.

“Our source of livelihood is also limited to fishing, which is insufficient. We want to be relocated from the island to the mainland, where we can get enough food and land to cultivate.

“We also want to diversify the source of our livelihood to increase our income like the rest of the citizens.”

Isolated from mainland

Mr Harerimana’s dilemma is shared by the more than 1,000 inhabitants of the island who claim they have been isolated from the mainland.

Located in Lake Rweru in Bugesera District, the small but somewhat unknown island of Mazane has a growing population of 1,109. With a surface area of seven square kilometres, it borders Burundi to the south and Ngoma District to the east.

Mazane Island comprises three villages and is one of the cells in Rweru Sector.

Rising population

According to residents, the island can no longer accommodate the growing population. They also lamented about limited access to basic services such as health and education due to overpopulation.

The residents say they have been isolated and most of their children are forced to drop out of school due to poor living conditions. In particular, most of the children have not completed basic education.

“We have only one primary school and few students progress to complete secondary school,” said Alphonse Ndikumana, a parent who lives on the island.
While the children have access to free education, most residents claim they cannot afford the high fares for their children to go to school, in particular using water transport.

“Most children drop out of school because the parents cannot afford to pay daily boat fares every morning and evening,” Mr Ndikumana observed. “The situation gets worse during the rainy season because travelling on water is very risky — the boat can easily capsize.”

Limited access to electricity

The islanders also expressed their frustration over limited access to electricity. The island relies on insufficient solar energy which is installed at the health centre.

“We still live in darkness; there is no electricity,” said Eugene Dusenge. “We have to pay Rwf200 daily to take the boat to the shore to charge mobile phones or have a haircut

“It is also difficult to do farming. We cannot grow beans or potatoes in the swamps because floods destroy the crops, particularly in April.”

Jean Chrisostome Rwabuhihi, the Executive Secretary of Rweru, however said the district administration was aware of the concerns raised by the residents.

The district is working with various government agencies to address the issues, he said, adding that there were plans to relocate residents living in high-risk zones to safer areas to save them from floods.

“There are around 210 families living in a one-kilometre-square area, that’s why we realised that it is necessary to relocate them before the situation gets worse,” said Mr Rwabuhihi.

Speaking to Rwanda Today, the Mayor of Bugesera District Louis Rwagaju said the government plans to carry out the relocations from next month.

“Currently, we are working with Rema to relocate 50 families from Mazane and Sharita islands, which are located in Lake Rweru,” he said. “However, priority will be given to the most vulnerable families and each of the selected families will be given one house.”

Mr Rwagaju added that the project was expected to cost at least Rwf341 million.