As Rwanda celebrates its 20th anniversary of liberation, some of war veterans living with disabilities express their inner wishes to responsible people to increase their monthly living allowances.
The law nº 02/2007 of 20/1/2007 regulating the protection of former combatants living with disabilities, stipulates that a disabled former war combatant is a former Rwandan combatant who currently faces physical or any other form of disability inherited from the war starting from October 1990. This involves both persons currently serving in the RDF or others demobilized by a competent authorities.
Basing on this law and on reliable statistics released by the RDRC (Rwanda Demobilization and Reintegration Commission), there about 2940 disabled former combatants in Rwanda.
These former combatants are usually grouped in four categories. The ones in the first category are those with serious wounds or permanent disabilities, like blindness, including the ones whose limbs were cut off and so on.
The second category also is made up of some disabilities but with less serious than the first one. The first two categories mainly use wheelchairs to move from one place to another.
The presidential order nº 41/01 of 06/11/2007 regulates that a disabled former war combatant in these two categories is allowed to get a 50 thousand Rwandan francs taxes excluded as a monthly living allowance. The ones in the last two categories, who are said to have least disabilities get about half of that amount.
Fair tough it is said to be, some say that this amount is not enough. Since 2007 when the law was enforced, the price of many products and services went higher.
We visited the ones living Nyarugunga sector, where tree villages hosting 58 families are located. Some of our informants told us they hardly get the above mentioned amount and this brings in difficulties to fulfilling their familial responsibilities.
“This monthly living allowance is very small” Ndekezi John told us.
This man belonging to the first category said: “ You cannot pay school fees for your children who learn in secondary schools.”
As he is not the only one to say that the amount of money is very few, his comrade SAKINDI Adolph leaning back in his wheelchair, raised another issue. “We find it difficult to feed our families and provide them with medical care.”
He said and pauses a little bit to sit properly. “Look! We have people in our homes with no medical insurances.”
From the RDRC the chairman’ perspective John SAYINZOGA says that they know the issue of raising living allowance.
“We have addressed the issues to the ministry of local government, which is our umbrella” he said. He agrees that since 2007 prices went higher all over the world.
“Actually the Ministry has a lot to do. They have a program of helping people with disability in general, the elderly, and other needy people. These disabled former war combatants are part of the program too.” Sayinzoga continued.
73 Rwandan million francs are used monthly as the disabled former war combatants’ monthly living allowance. These Former combatants wish this allowance increased at a certain extent.
The Article 18 of above mentioned law states that benefits given to a veterans living with disabilities are meant to be derived from the State budget.
John Sayinzoga, the Chairman of the Rwanda Demobilization and Reintegration Commission says that in collaboration with the Ministry of local government both are collaborating as to finding lasting solutions about these problems.
Alain Joseph MBARUSHIMANA
UM– USEKE.RW
