Ugandan team studies Rwanda’s development policies

NORTHERN PROVINCE MUSANZE — A visiting Uganda team including authorities from the bordering town of Kisoro have toured Musanze district to learn different development projects Rwanda is using for urban communities. Led by the town Mayor, Sam Byibesho, the 19 member delegation toured settlements (midugudu), land and crop consolidated areas of the vulnerable groups constructed by the community residents in the sectors of Muhoza and Kinigi. They also visited Nyezoro settlement in Muhoza, and Susa in Kinigi where the residents through community initiatives installed electricity in the area. Speaking after the tour, the Kisoro Town Council Clerk, Isaiah Tumwesige said they had drawn lessons from Rwanda’s development programmes, existing community projects, cooperatives and the trend of agriculture transformation. “We have realised that community empowerment is key in fighting poverty here and the government programmes embedded in EDPRS can change peoples’ life style,’’ Tumwesige noted. Other members of the delegation included councilors, executive committee members and other officials. Tumwesige said that as they try to implement Uganda’s poverty eradication programme of ‘prosperity for all’ and the National Agriculture Services-NAADS, they wanted to get lessons on Rwanda’s quick recovery strategies. Earlier, the team held discussions with Musanze district advisory council during which they were briefed by the district Mayor Celestin Karabayinga, on the district’s three-year development plan-DDP. They were particularly briefed on performance contracts, (Imihigo), Vision2020, and poverty eradication in selected exemplary poor sectors. In his comment, the visiting Mayor Byibesho, said he was impressed by the government programmes of supporting farmers by constructing markets, application of fertilisers to increase on crop yields and the established hotels in the area. Ends