Local leaders welcome move to reduce workload

Local leaders from across the country this week welcomed news that government was looking into the possibility of reducing their workload. The Minister of Local Government and Social Affairs, James Musoni, told a meeting called to strategise the implementation of the next round of performance contracts (Imihigo), 2013-14, in Kigali that government wanted local leaders to concentrate on functions that essentially accelerate development programmes. He was responding to concerns by sector executive secretaries that they lose a lot of time trying to enforce court decisions, since they serve as the bailiffs in their respective sectors. Musoni said the government was considering amending the law on bailiffs to make this responsibility a collective duty at the respective administrative entity as opposed to the current situation where the sector or cell executive secretary is the sole enforcer of court decisions. The grassroots leaders said that because they tend to concentrate more on socio-economic issues, most sectors and cells always have a huge backlog of unenforced court decisions. They gave the example of a certain sector in Huye District that has at least 300 court cases to enforce at any given time, which they said delays justice. The meeting agreed that if the law allowed different people to serve as bailiffs, both at sector and cell level, it would help accelerate implementation of court decisions while, at the same time, sector executives would create more time to fast-track the implementation of imihigo. The country has a total of 416 sectors and 2148 cells and both serve as critical local administrative units. Studies by several institutions, including Transparency International Rwanda, have previously blamed grassroots leaders for frustrating justice by delaying or refusing to enforce court rulings. Meanwhile, speaking on behalf of participants during the Tuesday Local Government meeting, Alexis Semitari, the executive secretary of Rwezamenyo Sector in Nyarugenge District, said that some sectors grapple with inadequate logistics, which he said, derails development programmes. Logistics Semitari said some sectors might not achieve their development targets if the issue of logistics was not addressed. He cited lack of computers at the sector level, which has forced some sector leaders to submit handwritten reports. The Western Province was particularly singled out as the most affected region, with the provincial executive secretary, Paul Jabo, blaming the situation on lack of electricity in some areas. He, however, said the province had budgeted for acquisition of computers after several areas were recently connected to the national power grid. At least four officers at the sector level are entitled to a computer, and one employee at the cell level. Also cited as a challenge was the number of meetings held at the district level, with the Mayor of the City of Kigali, Fidele Ndayisaba, suggesting they should be strictly limited to two every month – one for the district executive committee, and another one for security. Minister Musoni backed with the proposal, adding that even in case of emergencies no district official should convene a meeting without the approval of the mayor. Service delivery Musoni also urged leaders to remain closer to the people they lead, stating that local leaders should reside in their respective areas of jurisdiction. “Local government must bear clear values such as patriotism, service delivery focused, clarity of mission, purpose driven and clear vision. Above all, they must work towards building a corruption free family”. He challenged districts to “prioritise strengthening capacities and functioning of sectors, cells and village levels to deliver on their mandate”. The meeting examined draft performance contracts from the cell and sector levels, which set 2013-14 targets in agriculture, health, revenue collection, service delivery, cooperatives movement, planned village settlements, among others. Also present were provincial governors and district mayors.