Expansion of infrastructure remains among the City of Kigali’s top priorities following performance contracts signed during the City’s seven years of Good Governance evening party on Saturday at Kigali Convention Centre.

Having presented key highlights that shaped each of the districts’ 2016/17 performance contracts, each of the three City districts’ mayors had an opportunity to present what is planned for the next 2017-18 fiscal year.

They all prioritise infrastructure, especially roads construction in order to ease transport across the city as well as affordable housing for ordinary people in line with the City Master Plan.

Prof Anastase Shyaka, the chief executive of Rwanda Governance Board, tasked local leaders to serve the community and keep doing their best to give the city a good image at the international stage, in the context of the City’s 2050 Vision.

"Leaders should be role models to their citizens by practicing good governance. The community, too, should work hand-in hand to build a clean and smart city we want with good vision,” Shyaka said.

City mayor Pascal Nyamulinda said Kigali’s progress has been in good and amazing shape since the 1994 Genocide against the Tusti.

He urged local leaders to keep the city’s pace in setting the country’s development agenda through good governance, implementing the signed performance contracts, and be responsible to improve their performance.

"There is a reason to celebrate because the city is getting better and better, given what we have achieved so far. We are not only celebrating with the community with what we have achieved, but also looking forward to improve our way of taking the city to a different level of progress today. The city is making a difference in terms of security and hygiene. But we should build on our progress to keep working hard to make it look better in the future,” Nyamulinda said.

"Kigali was like hell in 1994, but it is a different place at the moment and its citizens, too. It has recovered and is being turned into an amazing place thanks to each of the community’s contribution.”

Infrastructure projects top the City’s priorities during the next seven years starting with the 2017/18 fiscal year, especially by focusing on road construction.

These include works on Gasabo’s three main roads; Ndera-Gikomero-Rutunga-Kajevuba round disc road, Zindiro- Masizi-Birembo-Gasanze as well as Nyacyonga-Gasanze-Batsinda road while 30 more roads will be built in Nyarugenge during the next seven years.

Kicukiro, meanwhile, looks to scale up water through a Rwf1.5-billion water project that could ensure universal water coverage once finalised.

The City’s seven years of achievements evening party brought together the City Council and stakeholders and community representatives at all levels of local administration; where they presented their last seven years achievements as well as set more performance targets for the next seven years.

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