Protais Murayire resigned both as a member of Kirehe District Advisory Council and Mayor, on Monday, barely days after his authoritarian tendencies were exposed. Questions about his leadership style became apparent last week during a meeting between the new Minister for Local Government and Social Affairs, Francis Kaboneka, and Eastern provincial leaders. In that meeting, local leaders from Kirehe District sent text messages to the minister complaining that the mayor had warned them against raising any complaints during the meeting with the minister. It emerged that the mayor had convened an impromptu meeting with his subordinates at the district and sector levels, on the eve of the meeting with the minister, and issued instructions that no one in his district was allowed to pose a question to the minister without the former’s consent. It’s telling that a district mayor can attempt to gag fellow local government leaders; one only wonders how widespread this practice might be, especially at the grassroots. But the circumstances in which Murayire’s excesses were brought to light represent a silver lining. It is an indication that the decentralisation process is getting entrenched with masses increasingly gaining confidence to hold their leaders to account and reject intimidation and any form of misrule. Equally commendable is the fact that the minister did not only take up the case but let the other leaders present know about the complaint and also made it clear to all that such abuses were intolerable no matter who is involved. That is an epitome of transparency and servant leadership. Nonetheless, there are suggestions that similar cases might be happening in other districts, especially in the Eastern Province. This calls for closer monitoring, especially by the leaders at the provincial level as well as the line ministry. Leaders must be seen to be serving the people and allowing them to freely participate in development processes and finding solutions to their problems as opposed to imposing their will on others. Leaders who may attempt to exclude or suppress those they are supposed to serve are a few rotten apples and should be stopped.
