The cabinet has recently approved the resumption of the local government polls for over 34,000 seats in the local leadership that are set to get new leaders. The electoral commission is set to release the calendar before the campaigns and voting processes can commence. This cohort comes into office at the final mandate of the current government and will be required to add extra efforts to fulfill what the government promised the citizens before the mandate comes to an end in 2024. The New Times talked to activists, scholars and senior government officials to find out some of the tasks that await this next generation of local government leaders and what should be their main priorities. Impacts of Covid-19 Stepping into the office, the new leaders will encounter a number of social ills induced or exacerbated by the pandemic. For close to two years, the pandemic not only impacted the socio-economic gains registered so far but also saw government resources allocated for different dockets diverted towards the virus spread. This led to the decline in government’s revenues, an issue that this new cohort will have to deal with strategically. Ubudehe categories After the categorization of Ubudehe categories took so long, they were reviewed and activated, but actors still express concerns over several challenges in the process. Some cite transparency issues under categorization whose burden will be borne by the incoming leaders. Others ask that the new leaders would focus on eradicating corruption and bribery given to some grassroots leaders to provide some services of one category to other people who are not eligible. Teenage pregnancy Since the election of the last cohort back in 2016, teenage pregnancy cases erupted and the mandate is ending without a clear impact that is registered to having addressed the vice. Figures from the Ministry of Health indicate that 17,849 teen pregnancies were recorded in 2016 and scaled up to 17,337 in 2017. The figures also increased to 19,832 in 2018 and reached 23,628 in 2019 but slightly dropped in 2020 to 19,701 cases. Rwanda Investigation Bureau also reported having arrested 4,452 sex offenders between 2020 and early 2021. However, teenage pregnancy was often taken along with gender-based and domestic violence, hence the two need a parallel multi-sectoral solution from the incoming leaders. Brutality Several cases of brutal attacks, insults and mob justice have also been on the rise in recent months. These took place either between citizens themselves, or between citizens and local grassroots especially security enforcement agencies often known as DASSO. Civil societies often express concerns that these can be solved through civic education and decentralization strategies. Unfinished business Activists say that one of the big challenges that the local leaders will face is mobilizing resources for the stalled socio-economic projects. Last year, the Auditor-General highlighted that 62 projects, mainly public worth Rwf 216.1 billion that were delayed for up to 2,721 days. The new personalities in office will then be required to eradicate corrupt practices and mismanagement that have been rampant in the management of the projects and get them moving.
