Bugesera Mayor Credits Strong Partnerships for District Development
Bugesera District Mayor Richard Mutabazi says the district’s development has been driven by strong collaboration between local authorities, development partners and residents, urging all stakeholders to continue working together while ensuring citizens remain at the centre of development initiatives.
He made the remarks on Friday, June 26, during the closing ceremony of the three-day Joint Action Development Forum (JADF) exhibition, held at Bugesera Stadium from June 24 to 26.
The exhibition brought together more than 70 development partners who showcased projects and services in the areas of economic development, good governance and social welfare.
Mutabazi thanked the exhibitors and praised development partners for their continued contribution to the district’s progress, saying Bugesera’s development is the result of strong collaboration between local authorities, development partners and residents.
“We recognize the important role you play in the daily development of Bugesera District. Working together with local government and other development partners, from gathering citizens’ views during planning, jointly designing development programmes and implementing them together, has been key. We build on what works, and where we fall short, we accept our mistakes and improve. This spirit of collaboration is something we highly value,” he said.
According to the Mayor, the visible transformation taking place across the district reflects the collective efforts of all stakeholders.
“The Bugesera we see today has made significant progress. Anyone who does not recognize that this development is the result of partnership has simply not looked closely enough,” he said.
Mutabazi stressed that development initiatives should always place citizens first and give them opportunities to understand, question and contribute to programmes intended to improve their lives.
He said, “Everything we do is for the citizens we serve. This is part of our country’s commitment to accountability. That is why we strive to explain what we do, what we are responsible for and what we have accomplished in a way that gives citizens a voice. They should be able to understand these initiatives, ask questions and seek clarification.”
He cited the participation of banks during the exhibition as an example of how institutions can engage directly with residents by explaining available financial products and services.
The Mayor added that the three-day exhibition provided a valuable opportunity for residents to access information and services in one place without having to travel from office to office.
Emmanuel Murenzi, President of JADF-Bugesera, said the exhibition achieved its main objective of strengthening interaction between development partners and the communities they serve.
He said, “The primary goal was not simply to display what development partners do. It was to give citizens the opportunity to ask questions, better understand the projects being implemented and appreciate the role they themselves should play in ensuring these initiatives succeed.”
He noted that residents also received information on business opportunities, financial inclusion and access to bank loans that can help them start or expand income-generating activities.
According to Murenzi, bringing together development partners, financial institutions and community members in one venue helped strengthen public awareness of the services available in the district while creating new opportunities for collaboration.
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