local government Rwanda

Local government inspection manual to be launched soon

BY GEORGE KAGAME

The ministry of local government is set to launch an inspection manual where all administrative units in the country will be guided on how to deliver speedy services to their people.

The manual comes in place to compliment the now famous Imihigo performance contracts between local leaders and the President Paul Kagame. The contracts are part of the Rwandan government determination to practice good governance principles.

Speaking to The New Times Protais Musoni the minister of Local Government said; “the local government manual will consist a database in which all tax payers in the country are registered and the firms that collect these taxes,” Musoni said the information would be used by policy makers in the public, and private sectors as well as community based organisations. He added that with clear statistics the manual hopes to achieve a good working environment between tax payers and collectors.

The Ministry of Local government supervises the Imihigo targets otherwise known as performance contracts. Musoni said the manual will emphasize pro poor measures to reduce poverty in the country; “we have set out social protection measures to help absolutely poor people in the country. We aim to help vulnerable people in communities that have genocide survivors, child headed families disabled persons and people living with HIV/aids.” The local government inspection manual comes into force in this year.


The local government inspection manual is a Minaloc document that is approved by cabinet and it spells out clear guidelines for local government official to implement in regard to what needs to be done in order to achieve fast service delivery in the country.

Local government authorities have since 2006 signed performance agreements with President Paul Kagame, in the agreements the authorities set out performance targets to achieve in improving education, health, and speedy service across the country. Some district mayors like that of Muhanga district, who was voted out of office by his executive council citing failure to achieve performance, which are also enshrined in the national Vision 2020 document.


Rwanda’s commitment to Good governance, the decentralization policy adopted in 2003 has received world wide recognition for its effectiveness in getting public service closer to the people at the grassroots level of the Rwandan community.

In the decentralization reforms which began in 2003 have been lauded for improving services delivery by local government leaders to grassroots communities.
Musoni further added that his ministry intends to reduce the cost of paper work in administrative routines; he said the Minaloc was in partnership with national institutions like RITA (Rwanda Information and Technology Authority, NISR, Ministry of Infrastructure to deliver ICT across the country; “by end of 2008 all sectors (Mirenge) in the country will have ICT services in their office,” said Musoni.