KARONGI – Officials from the Eastern Province are accusing the Rwanda Association of Local Government Authorities (RALGA), of deliberately keeping them out the association’s activities.

Last Friday, a two-day meeting between RALGA and vice mayors in charge of economic affairs from around the country was held in Karongi District, Western Province, but no representative from the Eastern Province turned up.
Eastern Province Governor, Dr Ephraim Kabaija, blamed it on RALGA.

"I am not aware of the meeting but I am not surprised. After all, it’s not the first time we have had such problems with RALGA. It has happened twice before,” Kabaija told The New Times in a phone interview.

"I was not told, and it would be wrong to invite yourself to a meeting; but I wish them (RALGA) well.”

Kabaija admitted there was need for capacity building in his province, adding that last week’s meeting would have been of significant importance to them.

However, RALGA’s Secretary General, Theogene Karake, denied claims that the Eastern Province was deliberately left out.

"We followed the right procedure, and with authorization from the Ministry of Local Government; we made it a point to invite everyone,” Karake said. "Maybe the Eastern Province had its own issues and it is not us to blame.”

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