Development begins with a change of mindset and hard work, President Paul Kagame told residents of Karongi, urging them to continuously to improve their lives.

The Head of State delivered the message yesterday in Western Province’s Karongi District as he ended a two-day tour of the area during which he met with local officials, entrepreneurs, and ordinary residents.

"Good actions are impossible without the right mentality,” he told thousands of residents who gathered at Karora playground in Mubuga Sector to receive him.

The President told them that there is a lot they have achieved but needed to work harder and smarter in order to achieve more development.

On Monday night, the President met opinion leaders of the Western Province at a gathering on the shores of Lake Kivu in Kibuye and called on the private sector present to contribute to Rwanda’s development by producing more goods locally and buying locally made goods.

He encouraged them to promote the Made-in-Rwanda campaign and help the government convince citizens that they don’t need to buy second-hand clothes to dress themselves or drink Nescafé instant coffee when Rwanda has one of the best, home-made coffee in the world.

"It is about ending the culture of accepting leftovers. Let us build industries that can supply our markets. What we are asking is not impossible. It is within our abilities. How can we produce computers and fail to produce clothes?” Kagame said.

"We should not be resigned to living in poverty. We should not accept being left behind as a way of life,” the President added.

His tour in Karongi entailed celebration as he launched a new 26-MW power plant powered by methane gas from Lake Kivu, which was built by American energy firm ContourGlobal.

Kagame reminded citizens to always cooperate in efforts to maintain security in the country and their neighbourhoods, explaining that security and stability are the foundation for the country’s development.

"We have built a lot and there is a lot more we want to build. We can’t afford to allow anyone to destroy what we have built,” he said, encouraging people to keep security.

The Mayor of Karongi, François Ndayisaba, thanked the President for many development projects that the government set up in the district, including the methane gas power plant and the Rusizi-Nyamasheke-Karongi paved road, among others.

"It’s a big opportunity for us. Our people got jobs and new businesses were created as a result of the projects,” he said.

While only 15.6 per cent of the households in Karongi District are connected to electricity, President Kagame said that efforts will be made to connect as many residents as possible to electricity.

About 331,000 people live in Karongi District, with 21 per cent of them still living in extreme poverty.

The President said that the government will continue to facilitate them with the infrastructure they need such as electricity and roads as well as fertilisers so they can increase their agricultural and industrial production.

Kagame’s interaction with residents of Karongi also served as an opportunity to address unresolved challenges.

The Head of State promptly tasked local officials to do everything to solve the issues, many of which touched on land and unpaid bills by private entrepreneurs.

Many residents in Karongi District said that the President’s trip is useful for advancing development in their area, which still yearns for more access to electricity, as well as skills and jobs for its predominantly young people.

"We expect advice from him. Every time he visits he leaves us with advice about how to fight poverty, which is encouraging in our work,” said Celestin Simarinka, a fisherman in Bwishyura Sector.

Donatilla Mukeshimana, a 20-year old resident of Mubuga Sector’s Nyagatovu Cell and a student, said access to electricity is what still lacks in her home village.

"We are very happy to receive the President. As young people we need him to keep encouraging us to fight for our rights. We also need him to help us get electricity since we have water and health centres,” she said.

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