Members of Parliament (MPs) will, beginning November 2 through November 8, 2020, conduct field visits around the country to inspect government activities in socioeconomic sectors amid Covid-19 pandemic, among other issues. The week-long field visits to local communities countrywide will focus on response strategies against Covid-19, according to a press release issued from Parliament on November 1, 2020. The projects targeted by the parliamentary oversight, include construction of classrooms and farming activities under the agricultural Season A, 2020/2021. The government planned to construct more than 22,000 new classrooms in a bid to reduce overcrowding in schools, especially primary before the schools reopen. The move was partly aimed to respond to recommended physical distancing of at least one meter between a student and another in order to curb the spread of the Covid-19 — a viral and infectious respiratory disease. Schools have been closed since March 2020 because of the Covid-19 preventive measures that the Government took, but they started to reopen gradually in October. During their tours, MPs will hold meetings with representatives of the population on the following topics including compliance with measures to contain the spread of Covid-19 pandemic; hygiene and sanitation; and provision of healthcare services and such other services offered by health facilities, especially during the time the country is dealing with Covid–19 outbreak. Others are participation in EjoHeza Long-term Savings Scheme — which is considered as a pension scheme for people working in the informal sector; childcare/education and protection of children against Covid-19 pandemic especially during the period when schooling activities have been suspended. Deputies also intend to visit stalled or mismanaged government projects exposed in reports of both the Auditor-General and the Public Accounts Committee. Unlike previous years, MPs will make use of live talk shows aired on public and private community radio stations to convey their message to a wider audience, in efforts to observe measures to mitigate Covid-19. Between November 2 and 6, MPs will visit sampled sectors across the country while on November 8, they are expected to tour all sectors of the City of Kigali. The organic law determining the functioning of the Chamber of Deputies stipulates that the Chamber of Deputies organises at least twice a year, visits to the population by all deputies to carry out oversight of the Executive Branch, provide advice to the population and identify problems facing them.
