The  government needs to chart a new development plan, dubbed ‘Vision 2050’, that would deliver the country to more economic growth and self-reliance in the future.

The idea is one of thirteen resolutions that were drawn from the thirteenth edition of the National Dialogue Council (Umushyikirano), which was concluded in Kigali yesterday.

At the end of the dialogue, President Paul Kagame, who chaired it, promised that the country’s leaders will do more to sustain achievements made in different sectors and improve on areas that are considered still lagging behind.

The Head of State said the country has achieved a lot over the last 21 years, including in areas of efficiency of government, ease of doing business, human development and safety and security of people, as well as the promotion of information and  communication technology (ICT), among others.

"These are all good things that Rwanda has achieved and we wanted to promise that we want to do more. We promise that we will do more of this but also do more in terms of overcoming challenges in areas where we may not have done well or where we have been criticised so much,” Kagame told participants at the end of the dialogue.

More than 1,000 participants attended the meeting, including members of the civil society, government officials, police and army officers, members of the private sector, members of the diplomatic corps, and Rwandans living in the Diaspora.

Some youths and other Rwandans also gathered at different locations in the country and participated in the dialogue via video-link, from Petit Stade in Kigali, Bugesera in Eastern Province, Burera in Northern Province, and Gisagara in Southern Province.

Most of the citizens’ interventions focused on lauding the government’s policies such as the one-cow-per-poor family, access to healthcare and education, as well as water and electricity.

But they also tasked the government to do more to address certain issues such as new cases of malaria, the construction of feeder roads, teaching Kinyarwanda to the country’s youth in schools, and delayed disbursement of bursary for university students under government support.

Among other resolutions made at the dialogue include ensuring more protection for the history of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, promotion of the Ndi Umunyarwanda campaign for unity among Rwandans, and improving resolution of citizens’ problems through their own involvement.

It was also agreed that the country will do more to boost trade with other countries, especially in Africa, invest more in manufacturing, and construct a road to Kabaya Health Centre in Ngororero District as well as Cyanika-Musanze-Ngororero and Ngoma-Bugesera-Nyanza roads.

Telling stories of Rwanda

The dialogue also called for more efforts to tell real stories about what is happening in Rwanda, teach the country’s vernacular language (Kinyarwanda) at all levels of school, sensitise Rwandans to save for their retirement, increase efforts to fight malaria, and fast-track payments for students’ bursaries.

President Kagame promised that the country’s leaders will move faster to implement the recommendations from the dialogue and somehow pledged that some of the issues raised will have been resolved by the end of next year.

"You will see more progress and you will see less of what we have been criticised for if it is fair and true. Building on what this Umushyikirano has put together for us in terms of ideas and other things I think the next one will see a better Rwanda,” he said.

There aren’t yet details about Vision 2050 that was already being touted by officials during the dialogue but President Kagame said in a news conference shortly after the meeting yesterday that the envisaged blueprint will be about building on what has been achieved to aim for more.

"What we have achieved is a sign of what is possible. We have done a lot towards Vision 2020, so Vision 2050 is also possible given what we have achieved,” he said.

The country is currently guided by Vision 2020, which aims to turn Rwanda into a middle income economy.

Provided for by the Constitution and taking place every year, Umushyikirano is a Rwandan homegrown initiative which offers a forum where the President, along with other national leaders as well as ordinary citizens, debate issues relating to the state of the nation, the state of local government and national unity.