Who we are
RALGA is a membership organization that brings together local government entities in Rwanda. It has derived its reason for existence from the decentralization process, which is meant to transfer authority, resources, responsibility and accountability from Central to Local Government. The move is within the framework of good political and economic governance as formulated in the long term country’s vision 2020.
OUR HISTORY
- July 2001: An ad hoc interim committee composed of 24 people was set up and was assigned to prepare legal documents, to stimulate districts to become members and to mobilise resources.
- 29 July 2002: First General Assembly which approved the Constitution, elected the Executive and Control Committees and appointed the 1st Secretary General.
- 27 March 2003: RALGA was legally registered as a Non-Profit Making Organisation by the Ministerial Decree No 34/11.
- 21 May 2003: RALGA was officially launched, in presence of Cabinet Ministers, Heads of Mission and diplomatic corps, Ministers of Local Government from the East African countries, delegates from sister associations and development partners. The ceremonies were presided over by the Right Honourable, Bernard Makuza, Prime Minister, on behalf of His Excellency Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda.
- 2005: RALGA was restructured following the administrative and territorial reforms that took place in Rwanda. The number of the members was reduced from 107 to 31 as a result of the merger of former Districts. The number of the Executive committee members was also reduced from twelve to seven (7 members of the bureau and 4 commissioners). The representation to the General Assembly increased from one delegate to four per members.
- 6 April 2013: The articles of association were revised again to accommodate the requirements of the new law on non-governmental organisations. This was an opportunity to align these articles of association with the realities prevailing in Local Governments and in the country in general. The number of delegates to the General Assembly changed from 4 to 8 per member to widen the representation of local entities, including the lowest level of administration (the village). Another important change was a new RALGA strategic focus on the second generation of the national Economic Development Program for Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS II). The four areas are decentralization, increasing finances of Local Government entities, local economic development and social welfare development.