President Paul Kagame has urged Rwandans to work harder toward economic development that they need to be self-reliant.

The Head of State made the call, yesterday, while interacting with thousands of residents in Rutsiro District, Western Province.

He is on a two-day tour of the province meeting and interacting with both ordinary citizens and opinion leaders.

"We were not created to be defined by poverty, disease, hopelessness or not knowing what tomorrow may bring,” Kagame told thousands of residents from the two districts who gathered at Mukebera Stadium in Rutsiro to receive him.

Addressing those who think the trip is about upcoming elections, Kagame clarified that he is less concerned about 2017 and more concerned about the progress made to date.

He added that the visit is an opportunity to evaluate together what has been achieved since his last visit in 2010, when he was elected into office for the second time.

Demand accountability

He encouraged citizens to work together with their leaders in communities to solve their own problems and demand accountability from their leaders.

"When citizens work hard, when they work together to achieve results, it is their right to demand results from the leaders you elected,” he said.

While in Rutsiro, the Head of State told residents that Rwandans cannot continue to live off aid and encouraged them to continue working towards economic prosperity.

"What we couldn’t afford yesterday, it doesn’t mean we can’t afford today or tomorrow. We are on a journey to restore dignity for every Rwandan to speak for themselves, be self-reliant and make their own choices,” he said.

With a combined population of more than 600,000, about 6 per cent of the total population in the country, Karongi and Rutsiro districts are some of the country’s regions whose main economic activities are agriculture and livestock farming.

And with access to electricity in the region picking up, at around 18 per cent, residents have been diversifying their economic activity and yesterday they had President Kagame to thank for that.

Claude Ntahomvukiye, a resident of Bugarura island in Rutsiro District, thanked the President for development, including electricity, a health centre, and both a primary and secondary school.

"I am now able to switch on light at my home right from my house’s wall; it’s amazing,” he told the President.

Odetta Dusabemariya, a coffee farmer, appreciated President Kagame’s advice to the farmers to work hard, explaining that she has reaped fruits from working hard, especially taking care of coffee plantations.

Electricity for all

Kagame promised the people of Rutsiro that his government will not leave any stone unturned in the quest for development, especially bringing electricity to power the economy.

"I want to promise you that we will work day and night to ensure that one day every Rwandan will have access to electricity. It may take long to get electricity but it won’t take forever because we will do everything in our capacity,” he said.

The President ended the first day of his visit with a meeting with 1,500 opinion leaders.

He called on the opinion leaders to stand up against corruption.

"We should not tolerate leaders who use resources that do not belong to them for their own benefit.Knowing our ambitions and the few resources we have, we cannot afford to tolerate corruption.We cannot survive it.”

"As leaders,we must ensure that those we lead have equal opportunity to fulfill their potential,” Kagame added.

Speaking on the paradox of Africa as the least developed continent despite having the most resources,President Kagame said: "The world comes to Africa, drains its resources and leaves us behind to run after them begging for their leftovers. We accept the status quo and go to church to beg God to help us when He has given us all we need".

"They tell us that resources are a curse. But I know of no greater curse than poverty combined and dependency.”

President Kagame ended the interactive session with the opinion leaders by urging them to play their part towards ensuring Rwanda is transformed into the nation it deserves to be.

On the second day of his visit, President Kagame will today meet citizens in Karongi District, where a number of projects underway are expected to create jobs and improve the people’s living standards in the district and the neighbouring regions, once they are complete.

The projects in Karongi District include KivuWatt project, which is expected to add 25 megawatts to the national grid of power generated by methane gas from Lake Kivu in July, the Rusizi-Nyamasheke-Karongi paved road which is under construction, a major cross border market in the area, Bwishyura slaughter house, Karongi Taxi Park, and Rugabano Tea Factory.

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