President Paul Kagame has vowed to take Rwanda to another level of progress by fighting poverty and securing extra independence of the citizens.
“It’s not correct to live on generosity of others. It is demeaning. Our struggle is to improve the lives of Rwandans, get rid of poverty, to be more independent. And we want it fast,” Kagame told the 9th leadership Retreat.
Kagame explained that Leaders are supposed to guide citizens out of poverty and dependence, “Fighting poverty starts in the mind. It is even more pathetic when this attitude is prevalent among the intellectual class that feels they have arrived”.
“Donors want Africans to imitate them and stay in poverty. Good debates that change people’s lives must be emphasized. Debates are important but endless debates about development are useless,” he said.
“We know exactly what our challenges are. They are malnutrition, insufficient electricity etc. No more seminars are required,” Kagame noted.
He added Rwandans need electricity and not stories and seminars about electricity. They need electricity now, not in 30 years.”
“What lessons do you still have to learn from others that we haven’t learned from losing one million people?”
He added that fighting poverty is a real fight, not of weapons, but of ideas and changing minds to improve lives. It’s not about how many seminars we attend but using our knowledge and resources efficiently, “I am going to do whatever it takes to make this happen.”
Hinting on Aid dependence, President Kagame said, “We shouldn’t be living off other taxpayers but pay our own taxes. We cannot have endless debates about our predicament -that is why Africa is where it is. We need tangible results,” he said.
The president noted, “Africa’s political class is selfish. They are de-touched from the people they lead.”
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