RC Mwassa stresses need for civic education

KAGERA: KAGERA Regional Commissioner (RC) Fatma Mwassa has urged the media to enhance civic education ahead of the local government elections scheduled for November 27, 2024.

She also encouraged residents to exercise their constitutional right to choose their leaders, emphasising that participation in local government elections is a fundamental democratic right that allows citizens to select leaders who will oversee development in their communities.

“We must recognise that electing leaders is crucial for our country’s development, particularly because local government elections directly impact people’s lives. Everyone is encouraged to actively participate in exercising their constitutional right to choose a preferred leader or to run for office,” she stated.

During a press conference held at her office yesterday, Ms Mwassa noted that local government leaders play a vital role in managing development projects in areas such as infrastructure, health services, education and security.

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She highlighted the importance of providing citizens with proper civic education to ensure they understand their responsibilities in the electoral process.

“Without this knowledge, many may neglect their civic duties in the upcoming elections. The local government election is very important and we want trustworthy candidates who truly represent the citizens’ choices. That is the essence of elections,” she said.

Equally, the RC Mwassa cautioned District Commissioners (DC) and District Executive Directors (DED) in the eight councils Muleba, Bukoba DC, Biharamulo, Ngara, Karagwe, Kyerwa, Missenyi and Bukoba Municipal to remain vigilant and prevent non-residents from registering, as this could undermine the election process.

“Kagera shares borders with four East African Community (EAC) nations Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and Kenya across Lake Victoria.

It is crucial to avoid allowing non-residents to register, as this could compromise the integrity of the elections,” she emphasised.

In Kagera, there will be a total of 3,833 registration centres, with approximately 1,566,530 eligible voters aged 18 and older expected to participate in the local government elections.

The registration exercise is set to begin on October 11 and run through October 20 of this year, while nomination forms will be collected and returned between November 1 and November 7, 2024. Campaigns will take place from November 20 to November 26, 2024.

Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa recently announced that preparations for the local government elections are complete, during the 16th meeting of the 12th Parliament National Assembly.

Completed tasks include the development of regulations for electing local government leaders at the village, hamlet and street levels, as well as guidelines for civic education and the elections themselves.