HUYE – For the past few years, Huye district has been lagging behind other districts in the implementation of performance contracts locally referred to as Imihigo.Imihigo is a programme modelled on the traditional practice where people present before a leader their targets to be achieved over a period of time, after which an evaluation is conducted.In the modern day Rwanda, Imihigo was adopted as a means of planning to accelerate the progress towards economic development and poverty reduction.  It is regarded as a tool that enhances public accountability among local officials in various capacities.In the past few years, Huye district hadn’t featured in the top ten of the best districts.The best place it got was in 2010-2011 evaluation when the district was ranked 13th of the 30 districts. For the critics, Huye district - regarded as the second city after the capital Kigali - had failed to make use of the various research institutions, higher institutions of learning and historical places, among other facilities in its midst to achieve a better position.But now the situation seems to be different. This year, the district, which scored 93.8 per cent, was ranked number four after the districts of Kicukiro, Kamonyi and Bugesera in that order.The improvement is seen in the district as a major achievement, which, for the district’s leadership, signals an improvement in people’s welfare.In an interview with The New Times, the Mayor, Eugene Kayiranga Muzuka, attributed the improvement to relentless efforts by local leaders and residents who, he said, worked together in implementing the district’s goals.He said the driving force behind the recent improvement was the ‘teamwork and commitment’ among leaders at all levels of administration, and the support they got from residents."Ownership of the contracts was a key element in their implementation. Every leader and employee, as well as stakeholders and residents, all played an important role in ensuring that the contracts are timely implemented”, Muzuka said."We involved all stakeholders and residents right from the planning phase to their implementation. Together, we worked as a team towards a common cause.Such a partnership was a key determinant of the success we registered this year”.He mentioned infrastructure development; including roads, public lighting, water supply, health facilities, schools and the construction of modern buildings in Butare town and some business centres across the district, as one field in which the district registered success.Others are agriculture with the increase of farmers’ productivity and the high subscription to the community health insurance (Mutuelle de santé), just to mention a few."We are not confined to the contracts we signed, but we also think out of the box to implement other projects which can speed development,” Muzuka noted.According to the mayor, now that the district has stepped forward, it is determined to keep the position and even perform better."The target is now to move further forward. No room for complacency,” he said, adding: "Timely planning of our activities, added to commitment and teamwork, will guide us.”