Huye, 13th to 14^th May 2014-The two day National Urbanization Policy (NUP) consultative meetings on Provincial level were held in Huye District for a combined thinking on how cities in the Southern Province can be more urbanized in the sustained platform.

The consultative meetings brought together all Mayors of the Districts in the Southern Province; Huye, Nyanza, Nyaruguru, Nyamagabe, Gisagara, Muhanga and Ruhango Districts. Not only Mayors, but also representatives from the Private sector and Central Government; MINALOC, MINECOFIN, MINEDUC, MINISANTE, RNRA and RSSB.

Different Provincial stakeholders, development partners behind the orientation in fine-tuning the province Development Programs also attended the meetings and contributed effectively for the success of the vibrant meetings.

Governor South, Mr.Alphonse Munyentwari called for an integrated and well coordinated planning to foster the change of mindset and levels of thinking to renovate and upgrade urbanism in the Southern province and Rwanda in general.

Engineer David Niyonsenga from MININFRA assures that the development of the National Urbanization Policy (NUP) was set to explore and harmonize the thinking and understanding of urbanization and to discuss the proposed programs for the sustainable urban planning and development of the six major secondary cities. In order to achieve the urbanization targets, this requires an improved spatial planning, developing a socio-economic development strategy on a regional level and preparing all conditions necessary to facilitate growth, including the master plans and urban management. In this regard, the NUP Consultative meetings focuses on some important elements that are lacking in the current masters plans to fit in the context of secondary cities development. District Plans and Local Urban Development Plans are based upon normal, natural growth rate, and hardly focused on strategic intervention and sustainability. As the policy aims to make cities grow faster than they would normally do, the factor of behavior change and ownership in proper land management will create a difference towards a need for sustainable urbanization that will enhance socio-economic transformation of Rwanda.