Bujumbura — President Pierre Nkurunziza has called on EAC citizens to invest more in their communities by participating in development initiatives and to re-double efforts towards free enterprise as a pre-requisite for economic development.

The President made the remarks over the weekend when he led EALA legislators and hundreds of local people in construction of a stadium during the Ibikomwa Biterambere (Community works for development), held in Buganda District, Cibitoke Province, 60 km north-west of Bujumbura.

President Nkurunziza remarked that though the region's development was on track, its citizens were capable of further charting their own destiny.

"Since we took over government in 2005, we have built 1900 primary and secondary schools out of a total 2500 constructed since independence in 1962. This shows that peace is key for development", he remarked.

The President congratulated the people of Buganda district for participating in the construction of the stadium with a capacity of 6000. In attendance were the Minister for EAC, Republic of Burundi, Hon Leontine Nzeyimana, Hon Abdulla Sadaalla, Deputy Minister for EAC, United Republic of Tanzania, EALA Members and Members of the Burundi National Assembly, led by their Deputy Speaker, Hon Mo-Mamo Karegwa.

The Speaker of EALA, Rt. Hon Margaret Nantongo Zziwa called for social cohesion as a means to ensuring unity in the region and hailed citizens of Burundi for contributing to development.

The stadium, according to the Engineer-in-charge of the project, Ndabayirushimana Augustine,will completed in the next three months.