City leadership vacuum to be filled this month

Kigali City has set December 19 and 23 as days when the process to replace Mayors Who recently resigned will begin, The New Times has learnt The process will begin with electing members of the advisory councils of Mageragere and Kimironko sectors in Nyarugenge and Gasabo Districts respectively to fill vacant council positions. Those elected will form the quorum needed by both districts to elect new Mayors. The Mayors who resigned last month represented the above sectors. The former Mayor of Nyarugenge, Origene Rutayisire resigned last month citing personal reasons. A week before, Claudine Nyinawagaga of Gasabo district, also tendered in her resignation to the District Advisory Council (DAC). In her resignation letter, Nyinawagaga cited personal reasons, however, in a subsequent press conference, City Mayor Dr. Aisa Kirabo Kakira said that she resigned due to her failure to manage a tender to supply firewood and cooking oil to Remera Prison that cost the government Rwf222 million. According to Kirabo, the tender was awarded without competitive bidding which led to the sacking and arrest of the district Executive Secretary, Félix Kabandana. The Executive Secretary of Kigali City, Dieudonne Nkulikiyinka and the city engineer, Solomon Karimunda, were sacked last month by Kigali City Executive Committee following investigations by the National Public Prosecution Agency (NPPA) of inflating prices in a tender to construct stone-paved roads in the Nyarutarama area. Emmanuel Ruziga, the Executive Secretary of Kicukiro District was also suspended by the District Executive Committee in September over allegedly illegally awarding a tender and overlooking the inflated prices despite having been informed by relevant district officials. Ends