Cultivating Community: Lessons from Rwanda’s Umuganda for Lesotho’s Deputy PM

Hon. Justice Nthomeng Majara, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs from the Kingdom of Lesotho, has appreciated Umuganda’s unique approach, emphasizing ownership, partnership, and collaboration among community members. Upon returning home, she plans to share these messages with others.

She made the announcement on October 26, 2024, when she attended Umuganda Community Service, where the City of Kigali launched the ‘lgiti Cyanjye’ (My Tree) community tree planting campaign. The campaign aims to engage Kigali residents in planting and caring for trees, fostering a sustainable, greener Kigali.

“Today has been a very beautiful experience for me; we’ve been here for a week, since last weekend, on a benchmarking exercise and a study tour for government ministers and senior officials to come and learn about the problems and strategies that Rwanda is doing so well for their good governance and accountability,” said Hon. Justice.

She highlighted Rwanda’s significant progress in the last three decades following the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi and expressed interest in learning best practices from the country.

She said, “We have many priorities in Lesotho that we are here to improve based on the best practices that we have come to share with Rwanda.”

Hon. Justice believes the Umuganda is another renewal exercise that they want to adopt, as it allows them to understand the community and leadership’s perspectives and the solutions offered, making it a good practice.

She said, “Today, I have learned that it’s about community; everybody must be a part of it; we must all own it; and we must make people believe that it’s for everyone. This is what I’ve learned; back home we have recently started a cleaning campaign because we are struggling with waste management, but usually, you find that other members of the community regard it as a government event, like it doesn’t involve them, so we’re learning the strategies that will include everyone.”

“And I just want to say, please keep on; we will come back to Rwanda again, hopeful to share with you that we are now on the right check.”

She emphasized the benefits of tree planting for both city beautification and environmental sustainability. “Because we plan, we live, and with the partnership that you have here, you have shown us that the trees we maintain, if one dies, are replaced by another one; that’s the love of what you are doing; that’s the most impressive.”

Rwanda’s Minister of Local Government, Dr. Patrice MUGENZI, encouraged residents of Kigali city, particularly in the Kicukiro area, to plant more trees to promote cleanliness and environmental protection.

He expressed gratitude to the Deputy Prime Minister of Lesotho, Hon. Justice Nthomeng Majara, and her delegation for their support in the Umuganda community, highlighting the cultural unity of Rwanda. “This Umuganda community work came from our Rwandan culture of working together.”

The Mayor of the City of Kigali, Samuel DUSENGIYUMVA, emphasized the importance of the ‘lgiti Cyanjye’ campaign in Kigali, stating that it encourages residents to plant and care for their trees, fostering community champions to take ownership of the urban environment and build a sustainable, green, and resilient city.

He encouraged Kigali residents to participate in tree planting but also emphasized the importance of maintaining these trees, as they have been experiencing some damaged trees due to lack of water, trampled, or other factors in the city.

Today’s Umuganda saw over 25,000 trees planted in the City of Kigali, aiming to contribute to Kigali’s goal of planting 3 million new trees over the next five years.