Author: Théophile Niyitegeka

Kagame made the remarks during a press conference on August 24, 2026, while responding to concerns raised by a journalist about shortages and service challenges affecting some areas.

Rwanda has made significant progress in expanding access to basic services in recent years.

According to Rwanda’s Seventh Integrated Household Living Conditions Survey (EICV7), household electricity access increased from 34% in 2017 to 72% in 2024, with rural access rising sharply from 24% to 65%.

Access to improved drinking water also increased from 87% to 90% over the same period.

Kagame said Rwanda’s current situation is different from where the country started, but acknowledged that the demand for services continues to outpace available resources.

“You mentioned where we started from, and I think the situation we have today is different from what it was then. I think there are investments that need to be made. But as I said when answering another question, there are many things we want to do.”

Kagame said limited resources remain one of the constraints, particularly as the country seeks to expand access to essential services such as water and electricity.

“But the resources we have are not equal to all those needs. We are always looking for ways to increase those resources, whether it is for water or electricity.”

However, he said not every challenge can be attributed to a lack of resources, arguing that some improvements could be achieved through more efficient management of what is already available.

“As for some of the other things you mentioned, they do not necessarily require some completely different or extraordinary resources. They require us to efficiently use what we already have. There are also things that can be done by individuals or jointly with the government. They are within our capacity, but sometimes they are not done as they should be.”

The President called for stronger follow-up and accountability, saying the government should not use resource constraints as an explanation for failing to address problems that are within its existing capacity to solve.

“We cannot always have an excuse for not doing what we already have the capacity to do, because there are many things we are capable of doing but which are not being done.”

Kagame said the government should continue looking for resources to address areas where its existing capacity is insufficient, while also speeding up interventions where solutions are already possible.

“For the things we do not have the capacity to do, we should look for the resources. And where it is possible to move faster, that is what we want.”

He described water and electricity challenges as issues that require continuous attention, stressing the importance of having people responsible for delivering projects properly and on time.

“These are challenges that continue over the years, but we have to keep finding people who can do things properly and on time, using the resources available. And where resources are not available, there are ways of continuing to look for them.”

Kagame also linked the quality of public services to how citizens assess their leaders and the government, saying people ultimately have the right to demand answers when problems that could have been addressed remain unresolved.

“That is how Rwandans measure whether their leaders are serving them properly, or whether their government is serving them properly. When the time comes, we pay for it. And if there are things that could have been done better, citizens will ask us why we did not do enough when it was possible.”

He said citizens should also play a role in holding leaders accountable.

“They have their time as well. They also need to have a role in it and hold us accountable.”

Kagame made the remarks during a press conference on August 24, 2026, in response to a journalist’s question about the fate of factories that had been shut down and their employees as authorities intensified a nationwide campaign against alcoholic beverages that fail to meet required standards.

He said the debate should begin with evidence of the harm caused by the products rather than claims or perceptions surrounding the crackdown.

“On the issue of substandard alcoholic drinks, we should not base our conclusions only on what people say. People can say all kinds of things depending on their perceptions or what they want others to believe,” Kagame said.

“We should also look at what is happening in reality and at the evidence before us.”

Rwanda has stepped up enforcement against illicit and substandard alcoholic beverages in recent weeks.

In Kigali alone, authorities have closed over 30 factories and businesses found to be operating outside required standards, while thousands of litres of ethanol and large quantities of alcoholic beverages have been seized.

The crackdown has also resulted in the arrest of public officials suspected of facilitating the production or distribution of non-compliant drinks.

But Kagame said the government’s starting point should remain the impact of the products on people’s health.

“There are substandard drinks that have caused deaths. That is where we should begin our discussion,” he said.

“The question is simple: Do these drinks kill people? Have they killed people? If the answer is yes, then that is where we should start.”

Kagame said the scale of the deaths should not be underestimated, arguing that the problem goes beyond isolated cases.

“People are dying, and in significant numbers,” he said. “If you follow the news, you will know that it is not simply a matter of two people dying today and another person dying tomorrow.”

“People die in groups of 20, 30, 50, and sometimes as many as 100 in a single day. When you add up the number of people who die over a year, you begin to understand the scale of the problem.”

The President rejected arguments that the crackdown should be weighed primarily against the factories and jobs involved in the alcoholic beverage industry.

“Before we talk about factories and the workers employed in them, we must first address the health and lives of these people,” he said.

“Do we want workers who will ultimately be killed by the products made in those factories?”

Instead, he said, the objective should be to have businesses that operate safely and workers who can return home without being exposed to products that harm consumers.

Kagame also pointed to the fact that not all harmful alcoholic beverages consumed in Rwanda are necessarily produced domestically.

“The harmful drinks that are killing people are not necessarily all manufactured here or originating here. Some come from outside the country. They are brought in without meeting quality standards, and they end up killing people,” he said.

He added that the effects of unsafe products can vary, with some causing immediate harm while others may contribute to health problems that emerge much later.

“Some kill people the same day or within the same week. Others may cause harm that becomes apparent after a year. They can slowly damage a person’s health until the person eventually dies,” Kagame said.

The President also questioned how protecting businesses could be used to justify practices that expose consumers to potentially fatal products.

“I do not understand how anyone could support such practices while arguing that they are thinking about factories and the people working in them, while ignoring those who are being killed day after day, as we see and as we know,” he said.

He said the government’s responsibility extends beyond individual producers to the institutions charged with regulating businesses and enforcing quality standards.

“But beyond the individual who produces something that kills people, we must also ask how the country is governed. Can a country simply watch its people die? What kind of society would that be?” Kagame said.

“That is why there are institutions and officials responsible for quality standards and enforcement. They are there to ensure that activities and products do not harm people, but instead contribute to improving people’s lives.”

His comments come amid ongoing crackdown that has also targeted alleged regulatory failures, with Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) presenting 18 public servants on August 13, including Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority (Rwanda FDA) Director General Prof. Emile Bienvenu and 10 employees, alongside officials from the Rwanda Standards Board and local government.

RIB said 104 people had been arrested since July 20, with 97 case files submitted to prosecutors.

Investigations include alleged improper licensing and certification, while five local officials are accused of helping factory operators evade inspections.

More than 150 factories have since been closed, with Kigali authorities seizing over 470,000 litres of ethanol and nearly four million bottles of substandard alcoholic beverages.

Health authorities say more than 500 people have been treated, over 50 have died and more than 100 have reportedly suffered vision loss.

Kagame said such allegations should be investigated and those responsible given an opportunity to explain themselves.

“Those involved will have an opportunity to explain themselves when they are investigated and held accountable. They will have to provide the answers,” he said.

He also acknowledged that the conduct of enforcement agencies should itself be subject to scrutiny where necessary.

“If there are concerns about how these processes are carried out, how people are arrested or how they are investigated, those concerns can also be examined. If there is a problem, it may need to be addressed,” he said.

However, he cautioned against allowing such concerns to overshadow the wider public health problem.

“If some institutions are not doing their work as they should, they must be held accountable and corrected. But that should not distract us from confronting the bigger problem that is harming and killing people.”

Kagame further linked the alcohol crackdown to a broader responsibility to confront substances that pose risks to public health, saying Rwanda had also been discussing the growing use and promotion of other harmful substances.

“A country cannot simply watch its people die and say that no one should ask questions. Someone must ask why people are dying,” he said.

He maintained that consumers have a right to access products they need, but businesses and individuals must comply with the law and ensure that what they produce or bring into the country does not put lives at risk.

“As a leader of this country, I have to look at what is best for the country and its people and work with them so that they understand what serves their interests and what does not,” Kagame said.

“Those who want to break the law simply because they want to do things their own way and put their personal interests first will have to face the authorities responsible for enforcing the law.”