What is really forcing Rwandan Mayors to resign?

Thirty mayors of districts elected in February 2016 for five years, at least 10 of them have just filed their resignation letters some giving personal reasons, others are forced to leave, Top Africa News has learnt.

In the Beginning the Mayor of Kamonyi District in the Southern Province of Rwanda has resigned from his post. But what is the reason? Personnel or changes led by President Paul Kagame or Anastase Shyaka in charge of good governance across the country.

But no doubt, there is a change of governance at the District level even if we cannot go on with the in depth analysis of this story  without a glance at the recent Paul Kagame decision to sack the Former Infrastructure Minister James Musoni whose other assignment are not known or the Media are yet to spot where he is. Is he in Private Sector? We will search this.

Returning to the vague Mayors resignation, when Kamonyi Mayor resigned he told local media that   his resignation is a personal move.

The then Mayor Philbert Mugisha of Nyamagabe was forced to resign on November 16 of 2017 for having irregularly passed a public contract and therefore for corruption.

“He was dismissed for lack of performance,” reports IGIHE.com, a private news website popularly known in Rwanda.

In March 2018, the wind of quitting hit the district of Ruhango in southern province where Mayor François Xavier Mbabazi and his two vice mayors Epimaque Twagirimana (Economic Affairs) and Annonciata Kambayire (Social Affairs) were forced to resign by the Advisory Council.

The President of the Council, Jerome Gasasira Rutagengwa, accused the trio of having made many mistakes in the execution of many projects of the District.

The district of Nyabihu in Western Province also saw its leaders, mayor and two vice mayors, packing their luggages between May 11 and May 14. The district of Rusizi followed with the departure of former Mayor Frédéric Harerimana who justified his departure by a need to rest and change the type of activity.

On April 10, we had previously witnessed the departure of the Mayor of the City of Kigali, Pascal Nyamurinda also citing Personal reasons!!! ”

Then it was the turn of the Executive Committee of District Gicumbi (Mayor and two vice mayors) in the Northern Province and, to this day, the Mayor of Bugesera, Emmanuel Nsanzumuhire, just presented this May 27th his resignation

As we publish this story on this March, 31^st 2018, in the Southern Province, Huye District:  all members of the Committee that runs the district have handed over the keys of office and exit. On this Day, the District Advisory Council President told IGIHE news website that the council has ruled to remove them from the office due to inability to solve various problems the District is facing.

The Head of RALGA, a membership organization that brings together local government entities in Rwanda, Mr. Ladislas Ngendahimana, said that in addition to the fact that some executives District officials are dismissed for serious misconduct, others feel far from realizing their performance and feeling forced to resign.

Beyond all this, it is interesting to observe the mode of Rwandan governance where a leader is elected by universal suffrage or not must be accountable to his performance.

Inside Umwiherero of 2018: Kagame Interrogates Government, Says System Is Rotten

A total of 300 government officials boarded air conditioned buses (some owned by the RDF) from assembly point in Kigali city and were driven in a tightly guarded convoy that snaked all the way to Rwanda Defence Force Combat Training Centre in Gabiro, Gatsibo district.

Since February 26th the team has been brainstorming on matters of national interest and President Paul Kagame is chairing this meeting known as National Leadership Retreat that will conclude on March 1st.

On the first day, President Kagame engaged the officials in a lengthy session. He is not happy with manner in which his team is working. For the past 15 years, the president demanded answers as to why the issues of stunting in children under five years and poor hygiene still return to this annual meeting.

President Kagame’s speech which was exclusively in Kinyarwanda was punctuated with interactions, asking questions and receiving responses from officials at the gathering.

(Additional reporting collected from Taarifa Rwanda News Website)