Mr. Uwineza, warmly welcomed by RALGA's general assembly, brings experience in public policy, coordination, and local governance from his previous responsibilities.
Other key resolutions of the meeting include the increase of annual membership contribution from 28 to 56 million Rwandan francs per district (all) and from 100 million to 200 million Rwandan francs for the City of Kigali.
This move aims to support the implementation of RALGA's Strategic Plan for 2025–2030 that focuses on strengthening local government in Rwanda and enabling members to deliver their mandate by building the capacity of local government staff and elected leaders strategically and consistently, among other activities.
In her remarks, RALGA Chairperson Dr. Odette Uwizeye underlined that RALGA will continue to strengthen its institutional capacity, expand its operations, and further empower local government entities.
She emphasized that RALGA will remain a key pillar in supporting its members to effectively fulfill their responsibilities and deliver quality public services.
“This will be achieved through self-reliance, initiating investment projects that generate income for RALGA, and expanding partnerships to mobilize resources aimed at sustainable and impactful development,” said Dr. Uwizeye, RALGA Chairperson. RALGA's Strategic Plan for 2025–2030 supports Rwanda Vision 2050 and NST2 goals.
The strategy is aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 16 on “peace, justice, and strong institutions” and SDG 11 on building “sustainable cities and communities.” It is also aligned with EAC Vision 2050 and the African Union Agenda 2063.
In his opening remarks, Mr. Dominique Habimana, the Minister of Local Government, who was also the guest of honor, urged RALGA to continue innovating and creating new approaches that will enable it to fulfill its mandate of building the capacity of local governments, advocating on their behalf, and representing them where necessary, because the demands and expectations also continue to evolve.
“We commend RALGA for its achievements in strengthening local government capacity. We also appreciate RALGA’s continued role in ensuring that the voice of local government is heard on international platforms. It is important to continue mobilizing sufficient internal resources to sustain the momentum.” said Minister Habimana.
“We expect that RALGA will continue to be a strong and reliable platform that enables local government entities to build their capacity, become more resilient and effective, deliver impactful results, and ensure that citizens receive quality services. Subsequently, this will improve satisfaction levels with public services across various sectors and citizen participation in planning and development initiatives.” added Minister Habimana.
The meeting also featured presentations on (1) conflict prevention and conflict resolution delivered by the Kigali International Arbitration Centre (KIAC) and (2) mental wellness presented by Prof. Vincent Sezibera, a lecturer at the University of Rwanda.
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