Minister of Justice Emmanuel Ugirashebuja has urged the civil society to disperse the revised constitution as a way of ensuring that it becomes widely known and thoroughly understood at the grassroots level. He made a call on Tuesday, September 5, during his meeting with Civil Society practitioners on the dissemination and analysis of the newly revised constitution. ALSO READ: Rwanda’s Constitution to change for presidential, parliamentary poll harmonisation Ugirashebuja emphasized that for the country to progress, it requires a collective effort from various stakeholders, including civil society. In this regard, he said, it is crucial for the civil society to have access to clear and comprehensive information on the law, enabling them to provide accurate information and contribute effectively to the nation's development. “Some have not comprehended the modifications to the constitution. It is vital that they have a strong understanding of the law and the ability to disseminate it, especially in areas where we cannot directly reach. This collective understanding and engagement are essential for all of us to actively contribute to the development of our country,” he emphasized. ALSO READ: Which articles will be affected in new constitutional review? He pointed out that, the main reason for the amendments to the constitution was to synchronise presidential and parliamentary elections among others. Some changes made in the revised constitution besides elections include public ruling of the verdict, aligning the content of the three official languages to ensure that they match, and State of Emergency and State of Siege among others. Mary Balikungeri, the Director and Founder of Rwanda Women's Network emphasized the importance of civil society organizations comprehending the constitution thoroughly, especially considering their close connections with rural communities. She highlighted that their roles often involve interacting with people in these remote areas. Therefore, it is crucial for them to have a deep understanding of the law so that they can effectively disseminate it across these areas. Balikungeri further mentioned that the forum is actively seeking methods to disseminate this information at the grassroots level. They aim to engage at the provincial level and ensure that those involved at that level can effectively communicate and flow the information down to the district and even lower levels. ALSO READ: Rwanda presidential, parliamentary elections: Key proposed constitutional changes She pointed out that, in line with women's empowerment, nothing has changed regarding women's laws. “The challenge lies in women's representation at lower levels of decision-making. However, we have learned that moving forward, they will focus on strengthening this aspect.” “The 30 percent women in governance still stands. Moving forward, we need to change the narrative and find ways to engage women more. We must make them understand that this percentage is not only about a significant presence at the national level but also at the district level. We will continue to emphasize this point; it is the only persistent issue. Otherwise, the laws are satisfactory,” she said. John Mudakikwa, the Director of CELULA, emphasized the insightful nature of such initiatives. He argued that throughout the entire process of amending the Constitution, there were numerous speculations. He also noted that when people did not fully comprehend the changes, they tended to engage in continuous speculation. “This is a good initiative for us to be equipped with full information on what has been changed in the constitution and why the amendments were made, as well as how it will help us going forward,” he said.
