AnNoNciata Budengeri who has been Musanze district’s Vice Mayor in charge of economic development has resigned. Budengeri tendered in her resignation to the District Advisory Council (DAC) on May 16.

According to Alex Luberwa, the president of the DAC, she cited personal reasons for her resignation. "It was a surprise to the council," Luberwa said yesterday.

This is the second high ranking district official in the country to quit within a spate of one week. The New Times on Tuesday reported that the Nyanza District Executive Secretary Didas Karangwa resigned citing need to pursue further studies.

Honorable as it seems to be, the culture of leaders resigning, especially at districts level has always triggered off speculation.

The speculation comes after the failure for one to perform well under the culture of performance contracts introduced in the country. Under this program leaders commit themselves to achieve certain goals within a specified period. They are usually referred to as contracts.

It has since emerged that the contracts are a nightmare to non performers. In Nyanza, the district Mayor Francois Munyankindi said that his Executive secretary’s (Karangwa) resignation was connected to low performance. Nyanza trailed other districts in the Southern Province during the latest evaluation after the first quarter of 2008.

Sources in Musanze say that Budengeri was compelled to throw in the towel due to poor service delivery. Being the vice Mayor in charge of economic development she was accused of failing to lift residents out of poverty. According to sources, Budengeri’s resignation was well in time to evade an impending interrogation by the DAC about her performance.

However, the district Mayor Celestin Karabayinga said Budengeri’s resignation was her own personal decision and was not connected to failure to deliver. Luberwa said her performance has been good and Budengeri would retain her position in the DAC as councilor. He also said he was not aware that Budengeri was supposed to be probed for any questioning. Sources said that although it was not mentioned in the resignation letter the vice Mayor has had health complications for about a month.

Meanwhile, in a telephone interview, Budengeri also shrugged off the speculation. "I have been sick," she said. "But people should learn to appreciate that leaders can not be stuck on one thing, one can serve in a certain position and leave room for others," she said, adding that no body compelled or failed her during her tenure.

Ends