Elections of the new City of Kigali executive committee members will be held on August 16, according to the National Electoral Commission (NEC). Members of the city’s executive committee are elected for a five-year term of office according to the 2019 law governing the City of Kigali. The team cannot serve for more than two consecutive terms of office, according to the law. ALSO READ: Kigali City starts operating under new structure “The term of office for the current executive committee members elected in 2019 is over,” Moise Bukasa, the NEC communications officer said. The committee comprises three members elected from members of the council, including at least one woman. The committee comprises the Mayor of the City of Kigali, the Vice Mayor in charge of Urbanisation and Infrastructure, and the Vice Mayor in charge of Socio-economic Affairs. In 2019, the City of Kigali elected Pudence Rubingisa as the Mayor deputized by Nadine Umutoni Gatsinzi as the Vice Mayor in charge of Socio-Economic Affairs and Ernest Nsabimana who was then in charge of Urbanisation and Infrastructure. This team was later replaced after Rubingisa was appointed Governor of Eastern Province late last year, and was replaced by Samuel Dusingizemungu. The current deputy city mayors are; Fulgence Dusabimana (urbanization and infrastructure) and Martine Urujeni who is in charge of socio-economic affairs. ALSO READ: Change in Kigali City structure will speed up service delivery The election of committee members will be preceded by council member’s elections who serve a term of office of five years renewable. According to NEC, receiving candidacies for council members’ positions started on July 23 and will conclude on August 1. Announcement of provisionally approved candidates will be done on August 3 while the final list of candidates will be announced on August 5. The electoral commission will hold a meeting with approved candidates to discuss campaign activities on August 12. Campaign activities are planned from August 13 to 16. Election of councillors from each district and Bureau of the Council members for the City of Kigali will be held on August 16. Elections of City of Kigali Executive Committee members are planned on the same day. Members of the executive committee cannot serve for more than two consecutive terms of office, the law says. If a member of the executive committee ceases his or her duties when the remainder of the term of office does not exceed one year, his or her replacement has the right to stand for election for two consecutive terms. The new office bearer elected in the executive committee serves the remainder of the term of office of his or her predecessor. No elections for a replacement in case the remaining term of office does not exceed six months before the expiry of the term of office. The reforms gazetted at the end of July 2019 were aimed at bringing in more efficiency to deliver better for Kigali residents and cut down on bureaucracy and improve efficiency in administration of the city according to the Ministry of Local Government. Under the law, legal personalities of all the urban districts were scrapped, making City Hall the only office that decides what is done in all areas of the capital. Other changes include the reduction of city councillors from 33 to 11, with six of them being elected and others appointed by the President. The City of Kigali is operating as one entity as stipulated by the new law governing the City of Kigali. Formerly, Kigali City and each of her three districts – Nyarugenge, Kicukiro and Gasabo – used to have different planning and budgeting, which, according to the local government ministry, used to hinder planning and implementation of several projects.
