Declaration 2: Publication and Manuscripts
3.2 Specific objectives of the policy of umuganda
The policy document of umuganda states clearly that it aims to promote development activities in the framework of “supporting national budget and to provide an opportunity for conviviality among people” (Official Gazette of the Republic of Rwanda, No. 53/2007, 2008: 6).According to this government policy as well as the policy of community development, the policy and practice of umuganda aim at facilitating the implementation of poverty reduction and giving effect to the policy of decentralisation (Ministry of Local Government, 2007: 8).
3.2.1 Umuganda for poverty eradication and economic growth
As part of the national reconstruction process, economic growth, through poverty eradication, is currently a concern for Rwanda. Rwanda is taking advantage of the free labour force of umuganda as one of the means of achieving its developmental goal. This is seen in the government’s first major planning document, Vision 2020. Currently all Rwandan policies revolve around vision 2020, which is the government’s overall conception of the future (Uwimbabazi and Lawrence, 2011: 19). The government declared its intention to capitalize on the ‘supply of cheap labour for building infrastructure’ (MINECOFIN, 2002: 12). Umuganda was
“touted as one of several institutions of traditional social organization…harnessed for the struggle against poverty” (Poverty Reduction Strategic Paper *PRSP+, 2002: 8). As a reporter in
21 The New Vision: Uganda’s leading Newspaper. Umuganda, a platform for poverty reduction, www.enteruganda.
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The New Times states, the policy is a source for soliciting important ideas in the formulation of the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS) (Gahindiro, in the New Times, 2008).22
According to the government, one way of fighting poverty and meeting economic development goals is to reduce the burden of public expenditure on services. The practice of umuganda is ideally meant to do that (Kwizera in the New Times, 2010; Official Gazette of the Republic of Rwanda No. 53/2007). An example of reducing government expenditure is repairing existing buildings and constructing new ones, such as school classrooms. An example given by Gahene (in the New Times, 2010) is the 92 classrooms and 44 school toilets that have been already constructed through the practice of umuganda, in Gicumbi district, in Northern Province, for the nine year basic education programme. Interviewed by The New Times, the district director, Mwanafunzi, commented that, “all residents in 21 sectors *that form the Gicumbi district+ have been sensitized to participate in umuganda to clear ground for the construction of more class rooms”. He added that the Ministry of Education had offered to supply iron sheets, cement and nails so that the classes and toilets would be ready for the 2011 students’ intake (The New Times June, 2010).
Residents participating in umuganda clear the ground for school construction (Photo: The New Times 2010).
22Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS) is a five-year medium plan that is expected to guide Rwanda in its economic development and in its fight against poverty, up to the year 2012 (The New Times 2006).
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However, a question can be raised, at this point, as to how such labour reduces state expenditure. The African News reports that the public sector has estimated the economic value of community labour through umuganda to be9 billion Rwandan francs, which is about 15million US dollars (The African News, 2006a).How can this be translated in terms of the economic growth of the country? And what does it mean to the poor? According to the African Economic Outlook:
The EDPRS first redefines the country’s growth and development priorities to emphasise accelerating growth of GDP and exports to create employment. Second, it aims to consolidate and extend the decentralisation of public spending, accompanied by robust accountability mechanisms. It also recognises the key role of private sector in accelerating growth in order to reduce poverty (2008: 524).
While economic growth accelerated to 4.2% and 4.6% in 2006 and 2007 respectively, agriculture in GDP decreased by 35.3% (African Economic Outlook, 2006: 431 – 431). The African Economic Outlook of 2008, reports that the continued weakness in the agricultural sector presents a further decline in real GDP growth to 4% in 2008 (2008: 524).Having development activities as the aim of the policy of umuganda, and bearing in mind that 80% of the Rwandan population depend on agricultural basis activities for their daily survival, the question remains as to the extent to which umuganda has impact on social economic life of the people, especially the poor. Should umuganda focus on constructing class rooms or should it be directed into the agricultural sector, since the majority of Rwandans depends on this sector for their livelihood?
As already identified, the practice of umuganda is seen as a significant driving force for the EDPRS, providing for everyone’s participation to build ownership through implementing the
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strategy. Nevertheless, the issue is how useful is umuganda to EDERS programs and how the poor benefit from this practice.
Criticism still surrounds the practice of umuganda. For example, seeing the practice of umuganda as forced labour, an article in The African News (2006) reported that people resisted the compulsory labour, and human rights organisations criticize umuganda as forced labour (Human Right Watch, 2011: 85). Although in theory the policy of umuganda offers room for dialogue between local authorities and communities, some have found little interaction in practice, with the government mostly issuing top-down directives (Mukarubuga, 2006: 21).
Nevertheless, the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) recognises the potential for umuganda, as community gatherings to promote dialogue and service delivery alongside infrastructure development (Kakimba, 2006).23 NEPAD and the World Bank have commended umuganda as “an effective way of promoting self-sustaining development and ownership of the development agenda” (NEPAD, 2005: 117, Rwandan Research Group, 2008: 12).
Moreover, in a recent article in The New Times, the Minister of Finance announced that umuganda is a way of enhancing the effective participation and contribution of all citizens to the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategic process which, in the long run, contributes and strengthens the culture of free debate at the grassroots level (Gahindiro, in the New Times, 2008). Thus umuganda is regarded as an effective tool in the implementation process of the policy of decentralisation in Rwanda (Ministry of Local Government, 2007: 8).
3.2.1 Implementation of decentralisation through umuganda
According to the Rwandan Decentralisation Strategic Framework (2007: 7) the framework has five main objectives:
23Poverty to be discussed during Umuganda. The New Times, 29 September, 2006.
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a) To enable and encourage local people to participate in initiating, devising, implementing and monitoring decisions and plans that consider their local needs, priorities, capacities and resources by transferring power, authority and resources from central to local government and lower levels.
b) To strengthen accountability and transparency in Rwanda by making local leaders directly accountable to the communities they serve and by establishing a clear linkage between the taxes people pay and the service financed through these taxes.
c) To enhance the sensitivity and responsiveness of public administration to the local environment by placing the planning, financing, management and control of service provision at the point where services are provided and by enabling local leadership to develop organisation structures and capacities that take into consideration the local environment and needs.
d) To develop sustainable economic planning and management capacity at local levels that will serve as the driving motor for planning, mobilisation and implementation of social, political and economic development to alleviate poverty.
e) To enhance effectiveness and efficiency in the planning, monitoring and delivering of services by reducing the burden from central government officials who are distanced from the point where needs are felt and services delivered (2007: 7).
According to Thomas, “decentralisation is intended to give the power to the people enable them to execute their will for development” (2008: 11). The Law No. 29/2005 specifying the administrative entities of the country was gazetted on 31 December 2005. This in turn
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determines how the policy of umuganda will be implemented in the decentralised state structures. Although umuganda operates under the authority of the central government, particularly the Ministry of Local Administration, Good Governance, Community Development and Social Affairs (MINALOC), the planning of its activities are carried out by lower administrative units, the umudugudu (village).