10 years ago, a new tool was introduced in Rwanda’s governance landscape that is today one of the country’s flagship policies.

As with most policies, it was borrowed from the country’s rich past that helped define it.

In came Imihigo that has given some leaders sleepless nights lest they fail.

Back in history, when warriors prepared to go to war, each would pledge before his peers to face the enemy bravely and with no fear. They would pledge to vanquish.

When they returned home, someone with a good narrative ability would recount, colourfully, how each had performed. The brave were richly rewarded while those deemed to have shown cowardice were publicly ridiculed and became the laughing stock of the community.

That is how Imihigo, or performance contracts, were reintroduced into over governance system. Leaders set targets and are expected to achieve them or face the consequences.

In the recent past, some resorted to cooking the books in order to appear among the elite performers and lived to face the consequences. Hard workers transformed their territories and pledged to set the bar even higher the next year.

Now the government is giving leaders a bigger challenge; to walk the extra mile beyond their job descriptions. It will be a results-driven Imihigo. A teacher will be judged by the results of the students not on mere attendance.

This will call for more dedication and thinking outside the ordinary box and only the most resilient and result-focused leader will pass the muster. 

But even then, they will not achieve the goals alone, they will have to take the population along with them and share the successes or failures together. That way, everyone will take ownership.