Gicumbi’s Vice Mayor, in charge of economic planning, Alexandre Mvuyekure, has said financial constraints have hampered plans to design the Byumba town master plan.

The plan was supposed to feature in the 2010-2011 performance contracts.

In an interview, Mvuyekure said plans to design the district’s master plan were halted after the district failed to woo any financiers.

He further said failure to put up infrastructural projects in the district’s main town of Byumba was to blame for the latest poor ranking in the performance contracts.

Gicumbi District was ranked 27th in the recently announced results of the performance contracts.

"Actually the master plan was one of the things that made us lose marks in the performance contracts because we failed to implement it. We lacked funds for it,” points out Mvuyekure.

"We failed to lobby funds for it; but the development has been forwarded to the infrastructure ministry. We no longer want to risk pledging things we cannot afford in next year’s performance contracts”.

Mvuyekure disclosed that the district has, so far, managed to put up new alternatives to develop the town.

"We have designated 60 plots for commercial buildings and some investors have shown interest in them,” he said.

Some of the area residents, who spoke to The New Times, said the district’s delay to improve on the infrastructure was affecting their businesses.

"The district should embark on rehabilitating the city roads, it’s a major concern here; we are tired of dust,” Jean Pierre Tuyisenge, a businessman in Byumba Sector decried.

 "It’s high time the district thought about beautifying our city, we will feel better when we are working in a conducive environment,” said another city resident.

According to the district officials, the rehabilitation of the town is now the responsibility of the Ministry of Infrastructure.

"Our city is among the other upcountry cities the infrastructure ministry has targeted to improve in terms infrastructure and developing master plans,” said Mvuyekure.

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