Gone are the forums and avenues that allowed citizens’ direct engagements with their leaders, as well as participation in decision making.
Accountability and delivery of public service are the latest victims of restrictions imposed to contain the spread of Covid-19.
Gone are the forums and avenues that allowed citizens’ direct engagements with their leaders, as well as participation in decision making. Also affected are local government elections which had been scheduled between February and March last year but had to be postponed. Even community service commonly known as Umuganda was not spared.
For the local civil society, while decision-making and engagements largely take place online and other digital channels, the shift has been marred by less participation as a big section of the population lack access and has increasingly lost touch with the leaders.
“It’s time to rethink the community participation approaches because clearly people have not been participating and it’s not anyone’s mistake. As civil society, we feel that since a limited number of people can meet after Covid-19 restrictions were recently eased, we need to get representatives of the people to meet regularly. But that should not create a loophole to be exploited and leave out anyone’s voice,” said Jean Bosco Nyemazi, Rwanda Civil Society platform executive secretary.
Derail delivery of services
According to local government officials, closure of offices, working remotely and redirection of attention to the virus prevention derailed delivery of most sought after services at land offices and civil registry, among others.
Minister of Local Government Jean Marie Vianney Gatabazi said the government was devising ways to address gaps created in the service delivery and engagement with the citizens and resuming physical meetings where possible.
According to Christine Mukabunani, lawmaker and president of the Social Party Imberakuri, the pandemic not only left a backlog of citizen problems but also prompted top-down way of working exploited by officials to take bribes and abuse power especially during enforcement of virus protocols.
The Ministry of Local Government recently announced at least 444 grassroots officials were sacked last year for reasons linked with the abuse of power, corruption, and misconduct, among others.
“Our thinking at the party is that even local leaders’ elections shouldn’t have been postponed considering that people still go to markets and churches while observing health protocols.
We note that because of the virus, decision-making lacks adequate debate and citizen participation. There are similar gaps when it comes to oversight,” said Mukabunani.
The government is yet to announce timelines for the local government elections that were postponed a year ago, allowing those in offices to carry on.
The electoral commission recently said the calendar will be announced by the Cabinet but did not give details of the same.