The Mayor of Huye District, Ange Sebutege, has urged development partners to join efforts and make social security issues one of their top priorities. He made the remarks during a meeting held on May 27, with members of the Joint Action Development Forum (JADF), who discussed ways to reduce poverty levels in the district. Sebutege said that ensuring the well-being of citizens should be at the heart of all development initiatives. “Some of these social security issues should no longer exist,” he said. “We must ensure that no citizen lacks a toilet or shelter. That’s not the image we want for our people.” He stressed that coordinated efforts and joint planning can efficiently address persistent social challenges. “If we make social security a top priority and align our capacities accordingly, we can overcome these issues. Talking about problems without acting will not bring change,” he added. According to the Seventh Household Living Conditions Survey (EICV7), Rwanda has made significant progress in reducing poverty. The national poverty rate fell from 39.8 per cent in 2017 to 27.4 per cent in 2024. The 12.4 per cent decline translated into 1.5 million people lifted out of poverty. Extreme poverty dropped from 11.3 per cent to 5.4 per cenrt. In Huye District specifically, poverty declined from 39.4% to 24.2%, meaning about two to three people out og ten still live in poverty. Cyprien Mugirumurera, President of Huye District’s JADF, echoed the mayor’s call for sustainable solutions. “We are committed to resolving current social security issues by helping people access basic needs like toilets and shelters, he said. The JADF president also highlighted that in solving existing issues, they are going to follow a new approach. “We aim to empower citizens with sustainable support, such as job opportunities, while involving them in the process. When people contribute to their development, they are more likely to protect and sustain it.” Mayor Sebutege concluded by expressing optimism that Huye should continue to perform well in national evaluations, noting that the district had previously ranked second in the performance contracts (Imihigo) with a score of 80.97 per cent.
