BUGESERA - A week-long leadership development training program targeting all provincial governors, the mayor of Kigali and all agencies affiliated to the local government ministry kicked-off yesterday in Gashora, Bugesera District.

This is the last of a series of training programs involving local government officials, following the one that brought together mayors and another that drew vice mayors from all districts.

The training was introduced by the Ministry of Local Government in May this year, with the aim of equipping local leaders with the required leadership capacities to effectively implement government programs.

While opening the training, the Minister of Local Government, James Musoni, noted that it was imperative for the local leaders to undergo such training as this will help improve service delivery.

"Dynamic change without crisis requires leaders who keep on learning, adopting and are innovative and are pro-active.

You must think ahead to prepare for the future and improve the current performance, and to achieve this, you need such trainings,” he said.

The training of the leaders is in line with the implementation of the local government capacity building strategy that was approved by the cabinet in early this year.

Musoni urged the participants to consider the training as a serious tool that will provide excellent leadership knowledge needed to transform the country as well as elevate the wellbeing of nationals.

"If you’re to benefit from this training, you must put aside your positions and concentrate on what the trainers tell you. We need a high degree of discipline.

This will help fine-tune our mindset and help attain the prosperity we want in social, political and economic transformation,” the minister said.

Shahrill A.J, an expert from Singapore, who is the principal trainer, acknowledged that Rwanda and Singapore need to adapt to the changes in today’s world.

"For the country to develop it must build human resource capacities and change as the world changes. You cannot use old solutions to solve the current problems. These leaders need to know the kind of people they lead, for them to prosper,” the expert said in an interview.

In an interview, Dr Aisha Kirabo Kacyira, the Governor of Eastern Province welcomed the training, adding that it will help to improve on their performance

"It’s a very important and valuable training that I think will help us to refocus and empower us to deliver better services.

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