Kenyan leaders praise Rwanda’s decentralization system

KIGALI - A visiting delegation from Eldoret Municipal Council in Kenya who were on a ten-day visit to Rwanda have praised the country’s decentralization system and said it is worth adopting. William Ronoh, the Mayor of Eldoret Municipal Council, who led the 36-person delegation made the remarks after meeting Rwanda’s Local Government Minister, Christophe Bazivamo, early this week. According to a statement from the ministry, Ronoh said there are many lessons to learn from the country’s decentralization policy, which would apply in Kenya. “We are really learning a lot from Rwanda’s decentralization policy and we are taking them as medicine to heal our country,” said Ronoh. He also acknowledged Rwanda’s good governance, noting the way Rwanda solves its local residents’ problems. At the end of the visit, the Permanent Secretary in MINALOC, Eugene Barikana, thanked the Kenyan delegation for their acknowledgement of Rwanda’s development programmes. He also noted that the achievements were due to the determination and patriotism among the leaders and the citizens. Barikana added that the government’s ambition now is to fight poverty in the country. Minister Bazivamo explained to the visitors that enhancing the decentralization system is a way of promoting good governance and creating good services for the residents. According to the Minister, decentralisation enables residents to easily access services, locally solve their problems and get involved in development programmes. Ends