Today, President Kagame began a four-day tour of the Southern and Western Provinces starting in Ruhango District. The visit comes as the country experiences a steady recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic including the return of safe large gatherings.
During his visit, the Head of State will interact with hundreds of thousands of residents of Ruhango and Nyamagabe Districts in Southern Province, as well as Nyamasheke District in Western Province. The President will also hold discussions with Southern and Western Province opinion leaders in Huye and Rusizi districts respectively.
President Kagame will also visit Rachel Nyiramandwa, a 110-year old resident of Nyamagabe District who first met the President in 2010. Through government socio-economic programs including Gira Inka and the building of her home, Nyiramandwa’s life was transformed allowing her to retire in dignity.
The President will conclude his visit in Karongi District where he will tour the Rugabano Tea Factory which has a capacity to process 1,000,000 kilograms of tea per year. The factory aims to increase Rwanda’s total tea export volume by 3 percent within 10 years and provide local residents with a lucrative income that will improve their livelihoods as well as boost the regional economy. The factory currently employs close to 2,000 workers and benefits over 4,000 community members through cooperatives.
The Southern Province has a population of over 2,700,000 and is made up of eight districts; Muhanga, Kamonyi, Ruhango, Nyamagabe, Nyanza, Nyaruguru, Huye, and Gisagara. Access to electricity in the region had drastically increased to 72%, including an increase from 17% to 86% in the last five years. 96% of residents in Ruhango are enrolled in CBHI and the number of classrooms has grown by 74% in the last five years.
Western Province has a population of over 2.9 million and is made up of seven districts; Rubavu, Rutsiro, Ngorero, Nyabihu, Karongi, Nyamasheke, and Rusizi. Its main economic activities include agriculture/agribusiness, fish farming & fishing, and livestock. The province is also home of vibrant cross border trading, with a large percentage of the over 600 millions USD exports passing through this region. Electricity access has also increased to 73%.
