We are aiming much higher, says Kicukiro mayor Paul Jules Ndamage

After emerging the best in the implementation of last year’s performance contracts, with a 95.5 percent score, Kicukiro district has vowed to increase its targets to ensure total socio-economic transformation of the residents. The New Times’ Frank Kanyesigye talked to the mayor Paul-Jules Ndamage who outline a number of projects in the pipeline. Below are the excerpts.The New Times (TNT): Could you briefly tell us about Kicukiro district?Jules Ndamage (JN): Kicukiro District is one of the three districts making up the City of Kigali. It is made up of ten 10 administrative Sectors, 41 Cells and 333 administrative villages. Kicukiro covers a total area of 166.7 km2 with about 249.284 inhabitants, with a gross density of 1,495 inhabitants per kilometer.The district is more residential, than commercial and administrative and we are moving forward in terms of infrastructure development such as roads, medical facilities, schools, among others.The Integrated Household Living Conditions Survey (EICV 3) report that was released early this year ranked Kicukiro district top in the fight against poverty in the country.Although we can boast our remarkable steps in eradicating poverty, we still have many vulnerable people; we are doing all the best to help them by providing them with shelter, for stance, for the last two years, we have constructed 97 houses for the less privileged. Our master plan will be out in January next year. It’s currently being designed by a Singapore-based company and once it’s out, we shall start to sanction construction of commercial complexes mainly along the roads that have already been constructed.Investors have started to build about 2,000 houses in different sectors. We support and encourage the role of the private sector in our district; we cannot develop without their support and involvement.TNT: How much were you allocated for 2012/2013 in terms of budget? JN: Basically, our budget this year stands at about Rwf10.5 billion and part of the money is from our own generated revenues which account for 55 per cent.We are proud of what we have achieved in few years; most of the newly built public buildings in Kicukiro district are funded by revenues internally generated from the district.All revenues generated from taxes we collect from the business community are channeled into roads construction and other basic facilities in the district.This fiscal year, the money we got, will be channeled into infrastructural projects like the construction of 34 kilometer murram roads in the district, drainage channels, Kigarama modern market, schools, electricity rollout in all cells in the district, among others.TNT: Kicukiro recently emerged the best performer in the financial year 2011/12 in implementing performance contracts (Imihigo), what was the magic behind that outstanding performance?JN: There is no magic behind it all; probably the magic I could mention here is the hardworking spirit that characterises our people, they own the development process.They are determined to develop their district, we partner with them in all aspects, and they are willing to participate in all development projects in the district. As I mentioned earlier our own revenues reached 55 per cent in 2011/12 which means that the people are fully complying in paying taxes.Local leaders in the district, and other partners like the Ministry of Local Government, and Social Affairs, development partners, civil society and the City of Kigali also play a big role in the development of Kicukiro.TNT: In Imihigo implementation, the district scored 95.5 per cent, do you think, you can do even better this year?JN: Absolutely, our target is to get 100 per cent score, I don’t think it is hard to score that considering the fact that last year we were only short of 4.5. Its a question of commitment, which we certainly have. We want to hit all our targets as planned. We can score score 100 per cent.What matters most is not the ranking, the position we get among all districts; its how much you have scored, how much targets you have hit as a district, because that serves as the parameter to guage whether you have helped change people’s lived or not. If we scored 95.5 per cent last year, that means that we implemented our development activities to that level.TNT: Lets talk about the newly formed national solidarity fund, the Agaciro Development Fund. Your district is among the top contributors. How do the people of the district own the Fund?JN: The Fund is well embraced in the district; the people have voluntarily contributed to the Fund, So far, our people have contributed about Rwf910 million to the Agaciro Fund. People are identifying with the cause.TNT: You said this year you are targeting to generate about Rwf5 billion revenues from tax collection. How feasible is that?JN: I have no doubt; we shall generate this money because the tax revenues have been increasing for the last couple of years. For stance in 2006/07, we generated about Rwf1 billion, in 2008 it rose to Rwf2 billion and last year we had projected to get Rwf 4.1 billion, only to end up getting about Rw 4.2 billion. This really explains that there is a possibility of generating five billion this financial year.TNT: Why do you think some districts fail to absorb the funds allocated to them, thus end up retuning part of of the money to the national treasury?JN: Poor planning is behind all this, I wonder how districts manage to return money to the treasury when there are lots of unfinished projects in the district, which need financing and would positively impact the lives of the people.Last year, we used all the money that was budgeted for our district, there is no way we can return money to the treasury. Most of the districts open public tenders when it’s too late and in the end the money is not used at all.TNT: Anything you may want to add?JN: As Kicukiro District we are proud of all the developments taking place in the district and this is attributed to the good governance practices under the leadership of President Paul Kagame. I urge the people in my district to maintain the struggle of transforming the district into a modern city. Let’s continue to work together as we build our country into a prosperous nation.

Insight

We are aiming much higher, says Kicukiro mayor Paul Jules Ndamage