The recent election of Kigali City mayor has stirred a debate among Rwandans on social media and local radio stations as to whether the mayor is actually elected by the councillors who represent the people or is predetermined way ahead of elections.

This is largely attributed to the high turnover in recent weeks that has led to the resignation of mayors in different parts of the country. 

There is a perception that some of the local leaders resign due to internal pressure despite citing personal reasons in their resignation letters.

However, government maintain that the resignations are largely due to failure to deliver services as per the signed performance contracts.

Over the last few weeks, Rwanda has seen at least 4 mayors and vice mayors resign from their positions, in some cases such as Gicumbi and Bugesera districts, the mayor and the entire council resigning from their positions.

Gonzaga Muganwa, a veteran journalist and political commentator says that the reason mayors fail is because “they are selected not elected.”

“Without a power base, a Kigali mayor is more of a technocrat who can be 'resigned' anytime” says Gonzaga who is a proponent of the revision of current electoral code to allow citizens to directly vote mayors.

Under the current electoral law, Mayors are not voted through universal suffrage but rather by councillors’ right from the sector level, going up to the districts and according to Muganwa, this does not allow individuals to grow in leadership.

“It doesn't allow individual talent to rise without blessings from the selectors. And selectors can always deselect one. We the people are so remote from electing process,” says Muganwa, wondering why universal suffrage is not used to pick mayors.

Muganwa also argues that it is difficult to hold leaders accountable if they are not directly elected by the people.

However, Ladislas Ngendahimana, the Secretary General, Rwanda Association of Local Government Authorities (RALGA) says that it is absurd to argue that local government leaders are not elected by the people since they are not voted through universal suffrage.

Mr Ngendahimana says the councillors who elect represent the interests of the people and that there are national mechanisms to hold local government leaders accountable.

“Citizens have such powers and they are shared by both the electorate and the central government. Whereas decentralisation is a process, there has not been full devolution in Rwanda. Thus; the principle of subsidiarity applies to build a unitary State Rwanda,” says Ngendahimana.

He also argues that the powers are shared at both levels and either side [state and electorate] can play its role as stipulated in the law.

“What is much needed is to educate citizens on the rights and powers they hold over their leaders before challenging the current system,” says Ngendahimana.