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Dignity cannot be donated |
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London, 18 May 2013
Three thousand Rwandans and friends of Rwanda from across Europe, North America and Africa gathered in London to celebrate Rwanda Day themed “Agaciro: Delivering Prosperity.”
President Kagame greeted the cheering crowd of thousands by referring to both as “imfura” or dignified:
Referring to the challenges Rwanda has faced in the past year, President Kagame urged all present to remember the ability of Rwandans and Africans to find solutions within:
“It is when faced with challenges that a nation or a people prove their ability and their unity. Imfura do not run away from challenges and they do not change the integrity of imfura. Our history has taught us that we must be the solutions to our challenges and determine our destiny. What Africans should have in common is not the burden of dependency but the solution of self reliance.”
President Kagame stressed the importance of Agaciro that begins at home:
“We must begin by respecting ourselves. Dignity cannot be donated to us. We must give it to ourselves.
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Empowering people cannot happen without democracy |
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Oxford, 18 May 2013
This morning at Oxford University, President Kagame received the African Growth Award following his keynote speech at the 5th Oxford Africa Business Conference.
Pointing out that Africa is the second fastest growing region in the world with nine out of the fifteen countries with the highest rate of economic growth, President Kagame emphasized that growth in Africa is driven by the determination of Africans and well thought out policies that will ensure sustainability:
“There is no shortage of skeptics where Africa is concerned who think this growth cannot last. Equally, there are many who are convinced by the evidence that it will. Among these are those Africans, who are driving it and are resolved to maintain the momentum. The current growth is driven by structural changes within African countries, which means it can and will last. ”
When asked about critics perceived lack of democracy in favor of economic growth in Rwanda, President Kagame explained that Rwanda's transformation was a result of democracy and not at its expense:
“Is providing education to over 90 percent of Rwandan children and healthcare to over 90% of population authoritarian? How can providing food security and empowering people to feed themselves be against democracy or human rights?”
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When citizens take responsibility for their development processes, a lot can be achieved in a relatively short time |
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Kampala, 17 May 2013
Under the theme, ‘Developmental Local Government: Putting Local Government at the Heart of Development,’ President Kagame’s keynote address at the three day Commonwealth Local Government Conference centred on local government units being engines of socio-economic transformation.
Sharing Rwanda's example, President Kagame said:
“In Rwanda we believe the principal role of any government – central or local – to be transformational, improving the well-being of citizens and empowering them to participate fully in their development.”
The President noted that the country allocates up to 15 per cent of its domestic revenues to local governments, besides additional resources for specific community projects. He further said that Rwanda had attained a degree of food security and reduced poverty by embracing an effective decentralisation system:
“Over a five year period, Rwanda has reduced poverty levels by about 13 per cent and raised one million people out of poverty, was proof about the effectiveness of local government as the base for both national and local levels.”
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Commonwealth Local Government Conference 2013 |
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Kampala, 16 May 2013
Honourable Chairperson of the Commonwealth Local Governments Forum (CGLF), Mr. Lawrence Yule;
Mr. Adolf Mwesige, Vice Chairperson, and Mr. Carl Wright, Secretary General of the CLGF;
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen;
I thank you for inviting me to participate in a discussion that seeks to reaffirm the purpose of local government and democracy as drivers of change.
In Rwanda we believe the principal role of any government – central or local – to be transformational, improving the well-being of citizens and empowering them to participate fully in their development.
This view is informed by experience and evidence that the benefits of good governance and the development that it unleashes have the greatest impact at the local level, as policies and programmes are customised to community needs, with citizens participating actively, and entrenching democracy.
Clearly, local democracy practices are not always the same and transferrable, because they are context-specific. However, aspiration to a better life is universal and therefore the path taken in some of our countries to realise this may be worth sharing. Let me now present some of Rwanda’s experiences in local government that have produced the kind of progress witnessed over the last decade and half.
Rwanda’s path to effective local government has been through decentralisation that we have steered for more than a decade now. Decentralisation ensured that Rwandans are empowered to fully participate in planning, implementing and managing their own development processes.
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President Kagame receives DRC Senate President |
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Kigali, 7 May 2013
President Kagame today received visiting Democratic Republic of Congo Senate President, Leon Kengo wa Dondo, who is leading a delegation of Congolese Senators who are in the country in the framework of parliamentary diplomacy whereby Parliaments complement Government’s action in addressing different issues related to foreign relations.
Speaking to the press after meeting President Kagame, Kengo wa Dondo pointed out that there is need to increase cooperation between Rwanda and Congo:
“It is time for us to open our border for the free circulation of people, goods and investments. The Rwandan people have the expertise in agriculture, farming and in the service sector and we can all learn from each other.”
On the ongoing crisis in the East of his country, the Senate President said:
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