Local leaders want additional staff to ease monitoring of social protection programmes

Social affairs officers from all 416 sectors across the country have called on government to allocate additional resources to help monitor the implementation of the different social protection programmes. This came up during a meeting for officers in charge of social affairs from all sectors and the Ministry of Local Government in Kigali over the weekend. During the meeting, the officers said that, currently, they are overwhelmed by work because of the numerous programmes they have to monitor. “We need a staffer in charge of health and sanitation. Currently, a social affairs officer at sector monitors social affairs, social protection programmes and in addition to this, monitors health and sanitation programs,” said the association president, Pierre Celestin Bimenyimana. Officials from the Ministry of Local government say there should be at least 15 workers at sector level yet most of the sectors have less than ten, which affects performance for social affairs activities. Budget constraints are highlighted as one of barriers to recruiting more staff. The request for more staff emerged at a time when the government continues to investigate mismanagement of social protection programmes such as VUP Umurenge, Gir’Inka and Ubudehe in which many local leaders have been implicated. Some embezzled funds were meant for these activities, while others were implicated in corruption, whereby prospective beneficiaries of the programme are reportedly asked to pay a bribe. Phillip Ngirente, the social affairs officer in Bugarama sector in Rusizi District, said that having to monitor all these activities alone is an uphill task which affects implementation. “I am required to draw up an action plan every week but I end up implementing it at only 20 per cent”, he said. He explained that, for example, last week he was to visit VUP beneficiaries to ensure they put to good use their support for the month of September but managed to check on one village only. “I also had to visit genocide survivors who receive support in addition to mobilising subscription for Mutuelle de Santé. I also had to assess the hygiene at six lodges among other activities,” Ngirente added. Meanwhile, in some urban sectors, it is different. Jean Marie Vianey Ndayisenga, the vice mayor in charge of social affairs in Nyarugenge District of Kigali, said each sector in their district has a social affairs officer, a health and sanitation worker, good governance officer and a person in charge of cooperatives. The group also appealed for capacity building as well as transport facilitation to help them in monitoring these programmes. MINALOC speaks out Reacting to these concerns, the State Minister for Social Protection Programmes, Dr Alvera Mukabaramba, said that where there are capacity gaps they should be bridged to ensure the programmes are better monitored. “Cases of insufficient staff must be looked into. Districts should think of recruiting a health and sanitation officer at the sector level. The issue of budget will be looked into as well,” Mukabaramba said. She said, while the issue of staffing is being studied, there is need for collaboration and team work with other institutions like health centres, youth representatives, the cell leadership and others who can ease monitoring and reporting. But she said understaffing should not be an excuse for embezzlement of funds meant for vulnerable Rwandans, adding that all authorities concerned must continue to work closely to ensure this stops. In an effort to expedite services to the population, the ministry was allocated two state ministers; besides Mukabaramba’s docket; another one in charge of socio-economic development was set up. This new docket was handed to former permanent secretary in the same ministry, Vincent Munyeshyaka. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Local leaders want additional staff to ease monitoring of social protection programmes