Rains may derail Imihigo implementation in Kigali

As the 2011-2012 fiscal year draws towards the end, several challenges have been cited tas hinderances to the successful implementation of performance contracts in the three districts of the City of Kigali.  

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

As the 2011-2012 fiscal year draws towards the end, several challenges have been cited tas hinderances to the successful implementation of performance contracts in the three districts of the City of Kigali.   The contracts, popularly known as Imihigo, this year, mainly focused on urban development, rural transformation and service delivery with emphasis on the areas that can significantly impact on the population and national development. Speaking to The New Times, Nyarugenge District Mayor, Solange Mukasonga, said rains have affected the completion of the district performance contracts.The contracts must go hand in hand with the fiscal year, which closes at the end of every June of the year."The constant rains have slowed down some of the projects, necessitating us to first deal with destructions they have caused,” Mukasonga said.She said her district has achieved 85 percent of the performance contracts.The district is currently working on construction of houses for Genocide survivors, according to the mayor.Gasabo District Mayor, Willy Ndizeye, said the implementation process of the Imihigo for his district were greatly hampered by delays caused by the private contractors who did not complete their work on time."We normally face challenges with some contractors especially when they face issues that were not budgeted for at the time we enter into agreements with them.”We normally have to renegotiate the contracts hence the delays” Ndizeye said.According to Ndizeye, the district has implemented 90 percent of the performance contract.In an interview the Mayor of Kicukiro District, Paul Jules Ndamage, said his district is nearly completing the contract.Hinging mostly on infrastructure, Ndamage said his district is putting final touches on the few remaining projects."We are currently finishing the construction of roads and schools and the provision of water in some areas of the district and we hope by the end of June, all these will have been complete,” Ndamage said.A recent review carried out by the Ministry of Local Government indicated that in general, the City had only implemented 35 per cent of planned projects; however, city officials insist that 63 per cent was implemented.