Editor, 

REFERENCE IS made to Prof. Manasseh Nshuti’s article, "Accountable governance: taking stock of 11th Leadership Retreat”, published in The New Times issue of March 20. 

I would like to thank Prof. Nshuti for sharing thoughts on the work that awaits our leaders following the 11th National Leadership Retreat. I agree with him that we owe our achievements to President Paul Kagame’s excellent leadership of high accountability. 

Setting Rwanda’s GDP growth rate at 11.5 per cent by 2017 is indeed quite high, but haven’t we as a country achieved miracles in our recent history? The Government of Rwanda has initiated many programmes such as Girinka, universal healthcare (Mutuelle de Santé), education for all, and different others all aimed at bettering the wellbeing of the people. 

I am sure that with President Kagame’s visionary leadership, we shall achieve that goal by 2017, but one question remains: what happens after 2017?

This is where the professor’s "change with stability” series come in handy.

James Kamande, Rwanda

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I want to thank Prof. Nshuti for this analysis of Rwanda’s growth goals (of attaining a GDP growth rate of 11.5 per cent by 2017). Given all the miracles Rwanda has achieved in the recent years, I have no doubt that the country will get there.

I recently watched a documentary about Rwanda on Citizen TV with amazement and enthusiasm. I think that our own (Kenyan) politicians will one time pay a visit to Rwanda and learn from the National Leadership Retreat.

No wonder President Kagame is highly regarded in Kenya; he is a true CEO of Rwanda Inc., and a self-less leader who resurrected Rwanda and set it on a promising path. In him, we have an exemplary and successful African statesman, not the usual politicians littering Africa’s political scene.

Wanja wa Kinyanjui, Nairobi, Kenya