Kigali, 25 May 2018: Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA) and its affiliated agencies commemorated employees of the former Ministry of public works and Energy (MINITRAPE) and former Ministry of Transports and Communications (MINITRANSCO) killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

The victims remembered include 82 employees of MINITRAPE and 46 employees of MINITRANSCO.

Activities to commemorate these victims begun by a walk to remember that started from the offices of Bugesera District to Nyamata genocide memorial center where staffs of MININFRA and affiliated agencies paid respect to over 45,000 victims laid to rest in this memorial.

MININFRA also inaugurated the new clean water borehole, solar power system and 20 renovated houses in Rutobotobo village, Murama cell, Nyamata Sector of Bugesera District for genocide survivors.

Addressing the survivors’ families in Rutobotobo village, Honorable Germaine Kamayirese, Minister of State in Charge of Energy and Water commended them on resilience despite hurdles they may face.

She urged them to cooperate and ensure sustainability of the given infrastructures and promised them more activities.

The night vigil was carried on at MININFRA HQ where wreaths were laid onto the monument of the Genocide on which names of the victims are written and the lighting of the flame of hope.

A documentary film was screened about the activities MININFRA has so far supported in to the families of the victims.

The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG); Dr. Jean-Damascene Bizimana, comforted the families that lost their beloved families and relatives in the Genocide against the Tutsi and thanked MININFRA for preserving the history of the Genocide by writing a monograph.

In his lecture, he explained a series of characteristics of the crimes of genocide including killing members of the group, causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group, deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or part, imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group and to forcibly transfer children of the group to another group with no bond between them.

He also explained the 10 stages of genocide, which he related to the Genocide against the Tutsi with concrete example.

The Minister of Infrastructure, Amb. Claver Gatete, commended the very informative lecture given by the Executive Secretary of the CNLG. He said that they will seek time as the Ministry and affiliated agencies and call him back so that they better understand the history of the Genocide against the Tutsi.

 He also said that they will always strive to ensure that genocide never happens again by fighting against genocide ideology.

He pointed out the worst leaders that these two ministries had and the roles they played in preparing and executing the Genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi.