Kigali, 2-3^rd September, 2015, The Ministry of Infrastructure organized a two days High Level Workshop on Secondary Cities development that brought together leaders, staff and Local Private Sector of Nyagatare, Musanze, Huye, Rubavu, Muhanga and Rusizi Districts to discuss on how the District are ready to accommodate an urban population growth to reach the National Target of 35 % urban population by 2020. Four (4) main pillars were discussed: urban population growth targets for each Secondary city, the planned urban areas to accommodate the population growth and urban development, the existing and envisaged socio-economic pull factors and the urban governance.

The workshop was held at Lemigo Hotel and officially opened by the Permanaent Secretary in the Ministry of Infrastructure Mr. Christian RWAKUNDA co-chaired with the Professor Shyaka Anastase, the CEO of Rwanda Governance Board, the Permanent Secretary in Ministry of Local Government and the Director General of Rwanda Housing Authority. In his remarks, the Permanent secretary in MININFRA urged Secondary Cities leaders to gather ideas and discuss deeply how to follow their objectives through a concrete action, which will be particularly different for every urban location following a set of principles of good urban governance with clear mechanisms and tools to administrate everything in a bid to boost the development of their respective cities.

The development of Secondary Cities that are entitled “poles of growth” in EDPRS II will support the need to achieving an economic growth of 11.5% per annum as targeted by the EDPRS 2”Rwanda a modern and green economy driven by urbanization and infrastructure, increased international integration, domestic firms that go global, and new industrial and service products, including in the ICT, finance, and tourism sectors”.

Thus, new programs are now being developed at the Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA) and are considered as a quick wins to achieving the ambitious targets prescribed in EDPRS II which includes the expected increase to the rate of urbanization from the current 16.5% to 35% by 2020 indicated by the population census in 2012.The six pointed out secondary cities are Rubavu, Musanze, Nyagatare, Muhanga, Rusizi and Huye.

The Government of Rwanda is mobilizing funds to support the implementation of the Infrastructure and facilities needed to follow the process of formation of goals together. This will ensure a shared vision and the best use of limited resources and share the challenges and profits from the learned lessons.

In regard to the Secondary Cities development, the GoR addressed the pull factors in the new draft Urbanization Policy and is currently identifying strategies for place-based local economic development in the secondary cities to actively establish the conditions favorable to such development. Each District presented on the existing investment opportunities, Local economic development potentialities, available financial mechanisms, access to business services and opportunitiesRetail shops in close proximity to residential areas, Employment opportunities and basic food commodities.

Also discussed are access to infrastructure and utilities services ofPublic transportation in all urban neighbourhoods and responding to the demand clean water, safe and reliable electricity, adequate road network, ICT utilities, adequate health service, education facilities,Information and new technologies facilities at neighbourhood levels and Signage within the urban areas.

The Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA) and its agency Rwanda Housing Authority (RHA) are also working together with UN-Habitat, Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), World Bank and many other stakeholders on development of jobs and facilities to support the growth. With local city leaders, the mayors, district councils and technicians, the government plans to develop plans to make the cities sustainable.

In his closing remarks, the Minister of State in charge of economic planning recalled that the secondary cities are there to transform the economy of the country by focusing on the creation of off farm jobs and accommodate population with socio-economic facilities. They also play a key role in the distribution of urban population and urban areas to avoid the over population of the capital city and the improved human settlement. He also recalled that the private sector role is of importance in realization of secondary cities development projects without fully rely on the public investment as opportunities for private investment are there and have to be optimized. The recommendation made during this High level workshop will be strategically oriented to be turned into measurable actions.