The City of Kigali says it has enough food supplies to support all vulnerable households and residents during the current 10- day stay-at-home lockdown, commonly referred to as Guma mu Rugo.
This follows a cabinet announcement last week which put the City of Kigali and eight district into a 10-day lockdown from July 17 to 26, 2021, to stop the surging numbers of COVID-19 cases.
The city authorities said food distribution exercise kicked off Sunday 18th July 2021 in 12 sectors in three districts in the City of Kigali.
The Mayor of the City, Pudence Rubingisa said that people who might need help but are not on the list can call a toll free line 3260 to be helped.
“The program to provide food relief to the people in need in the City of Kigali has started in 12 sectors and is continuing in other sectors. If you need food call 3260 toll free for help. Let us stay at home and avoid this pandemic,” Mayor Rubingisa.
These are Muhima, Kimisagara, Rwezamenyo sectors in Nyarugenge district; Gisozi, Kinyinya, Kimironko Gatsata and Remera in Gasabo district; Gahanga, Gatenga, Kigarama and Gikondo sectors in Kicukiro district.
“There is enough food to allow all those in need to go through the lockdown unhurt,” the City Authorities said on Twitter today.
According to the Ministry of Local Government, about 211,000 families in the affected districts will be given food handouts in this process.
In Kigali, the food stuffs will be distributed following lists of needy families that were collected at the village levels in all the above sectors and the distribution exercise will be overseen by youth volunteers, local government officials.
This is the second time that the city of Kigali enters a full lockdown and announcing a subsequent community food distribution program since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in Rwanda in March 2020.
During the first full lockdown in April 2020 food donated through private sector and non-governmental organizations was distributed to communities through local leaders but the process didn’t go smoothly throughout as citizens reported incidences of missing food and unfair distributions of portions.
To avoid this scenario, the City authorities have established a feedback platform where residents will be able to report any abnormal activities in the distribution by calling toll free numbers- 3260 to CoK , 5353 to Ministry of Local Government.
