GASABO - The Ministry of Local Government (Minaloc) is preparing to launch their next five-year plan. This was revealed yesterday by Eugene Barikana, the Secretary General in the Ministry of Local Government.

He was addressing employees and journalists who turned up to attend the presentation of the Ministry’s Third Quarterly report.

He said that most of the targets set out in Minaloc’s previous five-year plan ending late 2008 were achieved.
The ministry is charged with implementing the famous Vision 2020 objectives.

Among the achievements he cited were organising parliamentary elections, winning a UN award for its Ubudehe project and registering citizens for national identity cards locally known as Indangamuntu.

Ubudehe refers to Local Collective Action. The programme, through a complex process, identifies absolutely poor communities and households at the lowest local government unit and thereafter through grass-root local government officials helps these communities determine areas where they can be assisted by the ministry.

In July this year, the programme won a UN award for efficiency in bringing public services closer to the people.
The Ministry has also helped poor Rwandans have access to proper housing units.

These, according to Barikana, include Rwandans who were forcefully evacuated from Rwanda, survivors of the Genocide, and child-headed families throughout the country.

He said that in 2008, Rwanda had a shortage of 38,296 proper houses and up to October the ministry had started construction works for 23,833, of which 2,125 were completed.

Albert Ndemeye, the acting coordinator of VUP-Vision 2020 Umurenge, said that the remaining 21,877 were all at different levels of construction, with 9,127 houses being given their finishing touches. 

VUP is an alternative poverty alleviation programme on top of Ubudehe and Labour Intensive Public Works Local Development Programmes (PDL-HIMO) set up in the ministry in 2006.

Jean Marie Karekezi, the Coordinator of the Fund for Genocide Survivors (FARG), said that the survivors needed 3,235 houses in the year and so far 2,325 have been completed.

The launch of the next five-year plan will be communicated soon according to the Ministry officials.

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