Declaration 2: Publication and Manuscripts
3.3 Structure and organization of umuganda
60
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).
61 Figure 3.2: Structure of the government of Rwanda
Source: Procedures Manual for Local Government in Rwanda 2007 Central Government: Ministry of
Local Administration, Good Governance, Community Development and Social Affairs
Province (intara)
District Council (akarere)
Sector Council (umurenge)
Cell Council (akagari)
Community Development
Community Development; Social Affairs Unit (in charge of
Umuganda)
Community Development
Community Development
CSOs/CBOs & FBOs Private Sector Women, Youth and Elders
Household Family Village Committee
(Umudugudu)
62
The Republic of Rwanda is divided into four provinces: Eastern, Southern, Western and Northern Provinces. Each province is in turn divided into districts, sectors, cells and villages. The central government is responsible for formulating national policy, ensuring national security and creating an enabling environment for civil society and the private sector (Bugingo, in the New Times 2002). According to Bugingo (in the New Times, 2002), local government is responsible for identifying community needs, deciding priorities, making and formulating local policy, implementing national policies and using resources effectively.
Districts are charged with local economic development and planning and co-ordinating the delivery of public services. A sector is the focal point for delivering services to the population.
Sectors are also charged with co-ordinating community participatory development as well as collecting data and information. A cell is responsible for needs assessment and prioritisation and mobilizing community action. Finally, the umudugudu, or village, which is the smallest administrative unit, is responsible for building co-operation, collaboration and solidarity among members of the community (MINALOC, 2008: 18-19).
Although the office in charge of the practice of umuganda is indicated to be under community development and social affairs at the District level (see Figure 3.2), the government identifies the village (umudugudu) as the core formal community and focus of umuganda, since all activities start from the umudugudu (MINALOC, 2008: 19).
3.3.2 Organisation of umuganda
Article 7 of the law establishing umuganda, No. 53/2007, creates the committees in charge of the organisation of the work. The village is administered by the executive committee which comprises five personnel: (1) the village coordinator, (2) the in-charge of social affairs, (3) the in-charge of security, immigration and migration in the village, (4) the in-charge of information and education and (5) the in-charge of development. According to government policy, it is the
63
responsibility of the executive committee to plan and lead umuganda at the cell and village (umudugudu) level (MINALOC, 2007: 35). In addition, presidential order No. 57/01 of 15/10/2006 designates umudugudu as the location for umuganda activities, which also entails gatherings after the work. Umuganda activities are usually supervised by the village co- ordinator. The latter oversees a group of households, usually between 50 and 70.The main responsibilities of the supervising committee of umuganda at each level are to:
Organise the plan of the umuganda work
Organise and supervise the umuganda work
Carry out the evaluation of umuganda work and making a report thereon (Official Gazette of the Republic of Rwanda, No. 53/2007, 2008: 8).
Article 3 of No.53/2007 requires that every Rwandan between 18 and 65 years of age who is physically able is obliged to perform umuganda (Official Gazette of the Republic of Rwanda, 2008: 6).
Despite having these structures, Ryan (2010: 22) notes that projects related to umuganda activities seemingly flow from the top level downwards, as national leaders set development targets that reach down to umudugudu. During umuganda gatherings, one or two of the executive committee members, from either umudugudu or umurenge, communicate a message from the government, usually from the Ministry. A message might inform people about security, education, family planning or it might concern mobilising people to form and join associations or that arise from the government program (Presidential order No. 57/01 2006: 12- 14).
Veale (2000: 237) argues that, traditionally, state and civil society are closely linked in Rwandan society. Studying the characteristics of social organisation in Rwanda, Veale (2000: 238) reveals that in the 1990s the government structures were tightly organised and intrinsically embedded in community structures. However, the author stresses that in the mid-1990s there was little
64
experience of spontaneous community organisation. He observes that local authorities mobilize the population to engage in voluntary community action such as umuganda. Although most activities are organised at the district level and are passed down to be implemented at the lower level of umudugudu, the mobilisation is usually done at the lower level.
Stakeholders in the policy of umuganda benefit from the mobilisation of members of communities to accept their ideas. For example, the Ministry of Finance (MINECOFIN) suggests that poverty be discussed during umuganda, with the aim of sensitizing people on EDPRS (Kakimba, in the New Times, 2006). This discussion in umuganda includes participating in national and international agencies involved in poverty reduction and economic development (Kakimba in the New Times, 2006). Reporting in the local newspaper, The New Times, the official in charge of umuganda in the Ministry of Local Government explains that among other things, “umuganda is also one way of putting more emphasis on performance contract implementation (imihigo)”24 by the mayors and members of parliament, as part of service delivery. It is believed that through the practice of umuganda, social services such as local trade, small-scale industries, co-operatives and associations, local government, roads, tourism and environmental protection will be easily provided (Kigabo, 2008: 11).