DfID commends Rwanda on aid effectiveness

The regional director for the UK Department for International Development (DfID), Donal Brown, has commended Rwanda for efficiency and effectiveness in the use of aid. Brown, who is the acting Director of East and Central Africa, made the remarks, yesterday, while speaking to journalists after visiting the Kigali Genocide Memorial.

Sunday, December 04, 2011
DFID Acting Director for East and Central Africa Donal Brown (c), pays tribute to Genocide Victims at Kigali Memorial Centre as UK High Commissioner to Rwanda, Ben Llewellyn-Jones (R), looks on. The New Times/ Courtsey.

The regional director for the UK Department for International Development (DfID), Donal Brown, has commended Rwanda for efficiency and effectiveness in the use of aid.

Brown, who is the acting Director of East and Central Africa, made the remarks, yesterday, while speaking to journalists after visiting the Kigali Genocide Memorial.

Brown is, today, expected to officially announce UK support to various sectors in the country. 

"We are looking at a wide range of new programmes to help with financial services for the poor; we have a long term investment programme in Rwanda. We will continue to do so because it [Rwanda] is a country that uses the aid very well,” he said.

"I am proud the British government is able to support the development of Rwanda.”

This year’s UK support to Rwanda through DfID stands at £75m with £37m of the funds being direct budget support.

In March this year, UK announced £330 million of support to Rwanda in the next four years.

While in the country, Brown was also acquainted with the land reform programme and government’s land registration system.

"You have made fantastic progress in this exercise. One of the most important things is for the people to own their land,” he said.

Of his visit to the memorial, Brown said:

"It always reminds when you come here, the pain, sorrows…this is a very important reminder of what happened in Rwanda, even though today, it seems such a happy prosperous country. It’s a very important monument for everyone to remember what happened.”

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