The National Electoral Commission (NEC) has announced that preparations for local government elections have started and the called for active participation of Rwandans.

"We would like to announce that preparations for the exercise have started,” the Commission said in a communique.

It said that it had started consolidating the credentials of potential candidates, updating the voter’s registry and conducting civic education programmes.

The elections will cost over Rwf3 billion. These are the first elections to be conducted since the outbreak of Covid-19, meaning they will be held under strict guidelines.

The elections had been scheduled to take place in February 2021 following the expiration of the five-year term for the current leaders but were postponed due to Covid-19.

Among the positions to be filled include committees at the village, cell, sector and district levels (except for districts in Kigali), and members of councils for special interest groups namely women and youth councils, as well as the council of people living with disabilities as well.