Kigali, 09 August 2018
President Kagame today presided over the signing of Performance Contracts, Imihigo for the 2018/19 Fiscal Year with central and local government leaders.
The President also awarded the top best performing districts in recognition of their commendable performance in implementing Imihigo targets for the last fiscal year 2017/18. These include Rwamagana, which maintained its top performance with 84.5%, Gasabo and Rulindo, which scored 82.5% each, and Gakenke, which kept its fourth position from last year with 80.4%.
Speaking at the event, President Kagame pointed out that through Performance Contracts, the Government is able to assess how best public institutions can leverage the available means to achieve set targets.
The President advised leaders to learn to separate their personal squabbles from that of the office they are appointed to lead and focus their full attention on resolving issues that affect their communities.
“We should all aspire to become exemplary leaders. Leaders who are willing to do all that is necessary to take our country where it deserves to be. Leaders with a clear vision of what needs to be done. Every day, citizens in our communities voice out their complaints. These are our people; they are our neighbors, and we know each other very well. These are people whose concerns we are supposed to address. We have been talking about this for years now. Let’s sustain our achievements and continue to make progress. Our gains are not meant for one generation, they should be carried through for generations to come,” President Kagame said.
Introduced in 2006, Performance Contracts have been credited with improving accountability and accelerating the pace of citizen-centered development. The Contracts promote decentralization of governance and fast-track economic development.
At the same event, President Kagame also dissolved the Parliament’s Chamber of Deputies to pave way for the forthcoming elections of new Members of Parliament due next month.
The President thanked outgoing MPs for their contribution to the country’s development and wished them success in their future endeavors as some of them might be re-elected while others will continue to serve in different capacities.
“We will elect new MPs next month. This should not be ‘business as usual’. They will have to build on what their predecessors have achieved and put more efforts where we still have noticeable gaps,” President Kagame said.
The Article 79 of the Constitution stipulates that the President of the Republic shall dissolve the Chamber of Deputies at least 30 days and not more than 60 days before the expiry of its current members’ term of office.
Sworn-in on 4 October 2013, the outgoing Parliament was elected for a five-year term of office and is third since Rwanda held its first post-Genocide parliamentary elections in 2003.