Kigali, 6 May 2011
President Paul Kagame in his office today received Mr. Carl Wright, the Secretary General of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum. Mr. Wright has been in the country attending a two-day regional workshop aimed at validating the study report on the state of local government in Eastern Africa that last May 5th 2011.
Speaking to the press, Mr. Carl Wright said: “We discussed the outcomes of a very successful Kigali regional local governments’ conference, which is the first ever meeting of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum that was prepared in collaboration with the United Nations. I presented the President with a copy of the Kigali statement which commits the countries of Eastern Africa to greater coordination on decentralization and democracy in local governments. I also discussed with the President the role of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum in the Commonwealth and the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of State meeting, which will take place in Australia in October”.
The Minister of Local Government, James Musoni, said that the Commonwealth Local Government Forum SG is happy with what Rwanda has achieved in local governance and that he requested President Kagame to play a role in the spread of good practices in the region.
He said: “The President assured him there was a mechanism already in place where countries in the region share experiences in the framework of the East African Community. The meeting also discussed general issues affecting the Commonwealth”.