President Kagame has shown his concern in districts of the country with highest stunting including Musanze and Karongi Districts specifically.
The issue was raised On Monday, during the closing ceremony of one week retreat of 459 district councilors including mayors and vice mayors, who were elected this month for a five year term.
Musanze is country’s food basket in irish potatoes, vegetables, fruits, maize, to mention quite a few, but, like Karongi, its level of child stunting is above 40% which is beyond the national average of 38%.
In either of the districts, no local officials was able to explain why their districts are stunted, but they only made a pledge to end it.
“You should end child stunting if you don’t want to be a stunted country,” the president told them.
“Do you want a stunted country?” Kagame further asked them a question to which they said ‘NO’.
He however was not satisfied because what he has always seen translates that they are not working on it.
He said ending stunting should go along with ensuring cleanliness.
The president told local officials to stop their endless meeting behind which they hide and fail to give better service to the community.
“Let’s stop these meetings. Let’s zeroe on the most important meetings and whatever you do, remember to have time to solve the citizen’s problems,” he said.
The president noted an increasing number of street children which he said poses a security challenges and tasked local officials to find reasons for this problem and solve it once and for all.
He tasked local leaders in Burera and Gicumbi districts bordering with Uganda, to end smuggling which, in some instances end up to taking their lives.
He said these smuggling include illegal brew.
“Can anyone tell us someone who developed through smuggling Kanyanga? But I can tell you those who developed due to farming,” Kagame said.
