A Member of Parliament, Adrien Rangira, is reportedly in trouble and might be forced to resign immediately after the recess. This follows complaints by Butare genocide survivors and some of his colleagues that Rangira and a former parliamentarian Esperace Kayiranga misappropriated about thirteen million francs in 1996.

The money was reportedly for the construction of 100 houses to provide shelter for 260 destitute children survivors and widowed women of Maza and Buremera sectors of Kiruhura district in Butare Province. The money would also help build a mass grave and a memorial site for the 1994 Genocide.

Rangira’s woes began recently when various Members of Parliament especially those from Butare, relatives of the survivors and the area residents converged at Gasando Cell, Ruhahya Sector in Kiruhura District to rebury the remains of the genocide victims.
“He should not have done this to his fellow survivors and besides, a distinguished person of his caliber should not be associated with such behaviour. This justifies the need for him to resign from his duties as a representative of the people,” said Ildephonse Gasana, the head of Association de Rescapes du Genocide (ARG), an association that brings together hundreds of genocide survivors in Butare.
Gasana accused Rangira and Kayiranga of lining their pockets in disrespect to the slain victims, with the latter allegedly building a substandard monument that ‘lasted for a short period’.
The Mayor of Kiruhura Ms. Madeline Byukusenge echoed Gasana’s charges and noted that the residents were forced to mobilize about six million more francs for the reconstruction of a durable monument.
Meanwhile, the legislators present led by Specioza Mukandutiye also vowed to table the issue before the House for disciplinary action to be taken against the Rangira.
 “This is very shameful and is not expected of him as a survivor. He is very unlucky because this issue has been raised in my presence. As a member of the Disciplinary Committee in Parliament, I will raise the issue so that he can be punished for it” Mukandutiye, an MP from Save District of Butare Province said of Rangira.
“I’m very shocked to hear that he ‘ate’ money that was supposed to construct houses for genocide survivors, he deserves a serious punishment. He is also a survivor and shouldn’t be involved in such a scandal,” Senator Elie Mpayimana said of former MP Esperace Kayiranga.
“I knew him as a reputable man and together we used to fight social injustices during Habyarimana’s regime,” Mpayimana added.
During the occasion the Governor of Butare Province Eraste Kabera called for the resignation of Rangira.

“Rangira does not deserve to represent the Abaturage in Parliament, he should be forced to resign from his duties,” the Governor underscored.
“Misusing money put aside for the construction of the Genocide site is in itself regarded as the ideology of Genocide. How can someone supposed to be the custodian and voice of the people in Parliament betray them like that?” Kabera wondered.
“Representatives of the people should be exemplary people in uprooting the culture of impunity and the ideology of genocide” he added.

Efforts to contact Rangira over the matter on phone were fruitless by press time, as he was said to be outside the country. But sources alleged that Rangira and Kayiranga acquired the money from the Prime Minister’s Office way back in 1996, during Pierre Celestin Rwigema’s tenure as Premier.
At the time, the sources add, Rangira allegedly built fifty houses ostensibly to hoodwink the would-be beneficiaries.

The IBUKA boss François Ngarambe could also not be reached on phone.