Rulindo District Advisory Council has highlighted improvements in service delivery and infrastructure over its five-year mandate, while identifying local revenue mobilisation and compliance with financial procedures among areas requiring further work. The council presented its achievements on Thursday, September 10, during a District Council Accountability Day that brought together district leaders, government officials and grassroots leaders to review progress since the council began its mandate in November 2021. ALSO READ: What explains recent drop in Imihigo performance scores? Council Chairperson Aimable Dusabirane said the district had made progress in economic development, social welfare and governance. Among the achievements highlighted were improvements in water supply, transport infrastructure and social protection. There are about 13 water networks for which we secured new pumps, nine water networks that were rehabilitated, as well as the new Rwinyana water treatment plant that was built, he said. A bus station in was built in Shyorongi has improved public transport between Rulindo and Kigali. The district also reported increased participation in EjoHeza savings and the establishment of a social welfare fund, which collected more than Rwf60 million. The fund is initially focused on fighting stunting among young children. Dusabirane said citizens were satisfied with the services they receive, at a level of more than 80 per cent. The district also saw notable achievements in education, with the share of students studying STEM subjects rising from 58.7 per cent to 69 per cent, while TVET enrolment rose from 29 per cent to 55 per cent. The share of parents contributing to school feeding also increased from 64 per cent to 89 per cent. At the grassroots level, village leaders said citizens have been involved in setting, monitoring and assessing performance-contract targets. Oscar Ukozivuze, head of Nyarubuye Village in Kajevuba Cell, Ntarabana Sector, said residents are informed about the district's performance contracts through meetings held at different levels. He said citizens participate in community work, village councils and government programmes, while village leaders represent their concerns in meetings at cell and sector level. “To achieve all the performance targets, our people are at the forefront of participating in government programmes. They participate in Umuganda, attend village councils and provide suggestions so that they can take part in the activities being implemented for them,” Ukozivuze told The New Times. “I would not say that the results we have been shown are 100% sufficient because the journey is still long. What they presented was good and I was happy with it because I also contributed to it, but the work is still ongoing. “A citizen should not just sit with their hands in their pockets and fail to ask about what is being done for them or fail to give their suggestions. There is still a long way to go,” Ukozivuze added. ALSO READ: Imihigo should translate into better livelihood Odette Musengimana, village leader of Buramira in Giko Cell, said performance contracts are discussed regularly in community meetings, with households setting targets and monitoring their progress. “We have taught citizens about setting targets and preparing a performance-contract notebook at home as a family. We then monitor them and have periods when we assess how the targets we set are being achieved. We visit households, door to door,” she said. Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Usta Kayitesi said accountability should not only focus on celebrating achievements but also providing a starting point for the next leadership. She said the progress reflected cooperation between different levels of government and citizens. “We either win together or lose together,” Kayitesi said. She commended collective efforts at all levels of district governance, saying they reflected the country’s commitment to accountability, transparency and unity. “Most of the achievements highlighted would not have been possible if those three things were not present. People have worked every day to promote unity and have been willing to accept accountability,” she said. Sam Kanyamibwa, Chairman of the Rulindo Joint Action Development Forum, a union of district partners, said those who work there and investors, thanked the council and district leadership for their effective collaboration. ALSO READ: New examiner begins review of performance targets for districts He said the achievements were encouraging and noted that the forum had also played its part, raising more than Rwf59 million for local development. “We hope that this direction will continue because Rulindo is a beautiful district, both because of its landscape and because of its people. They are citizens who are committed and work together. When people come together, nothing is impossible,” Kanyamibwa said. Identified gaps The council also acknowledged areas where more work is needed. Dusabirane identified mobilisation of local revenue as one of the district's weaknesses, arguing that districts need to increase their own-source revenues to supplement funds received from the national budget. He also called for continued training of employees responsible for financial management and procurement. The district has been subject to recommendations from the Office of the Auditor General, and Dusabirane said the council follows up on their implementation through action plans and monitoring. “The first thing we want to check is whether those recommendations are implemented within the agreed timeframe,” he said. “That is the first step in ensuring compliance with the law, because the law governing districts requires councils to implement recommendations from the Auditor General.” The district presentation shows that financial statement audit opinions improved from “Except for” in 2020/21 and 2021/22 to “Clean” from 2022/23 through 2024/25. Value-for-money audit results also improved from “Adverse” in 2020/21 to “Clean” in 2024/25. However, Dusabirane said financial and procurement compliance still required attention. He cited a recent case in which some schools awarded tenders contrary to procurement requirements and failed to deduct required taxes, prompting instructions from the Rwanda Revenue Authority.
