Campaigning in the country’s northwestern region, President Paul Kagame said Wednesday that Rwandans are strong enough to overcome any threat.

The RPF-Inkotanyi presidential candidate was speaking at Mudende in Rubavu District during his third and final rally of the day in the ongoing presidential campaigns.

"With our unity, with our energy and commitment, we cannot fail to achieve anything we have set out to achieve,” Kagame told a cheerful crowd that surpassed the 200,000 mark.

"We cannot lose the battle to develop our country,” he said.

"On August 4, vote for the RPF candidate, you’ll be voting for development, unity and security,” said the RPF-Inkotanyi’s presidential flag-bearer.

He invited every Rwandan to join him and the RPF-Inkotanyi together with other parties that are backing his candidacy, in the continued struggle to eradicate poverty and promote prosperity for all.

"Let us start with every individual, every household and district,” he said.

Kagame added: "We want to provide quality education to all of our children, continue to promote universal health care, extend electricity to every household, as well as clean water, among others.”

He said he will continue to create an enabling environment that allows agriculture and businesses to thrive.

Jullienne Uwacu, the sports and culture minister, who hails from Rubavu, commended the Kagame-led government which she said has turned her home district into one of the most prosperous parts of the country.

"There was no electricity, no roads or health facilities,” she said.

Figures indicate that Rubavu is home to 403,662 residents.

Earlier in the day, Kagame addressed another equally large gathering in Musanze District of Northern Province.

Here, he promised to extend electricity to more residents in the district and to continue promoting pro-poor growth interventions.

Shortly before his address, Kagame invited former Prime Minister Pierre Damien Habumuremyi, who hails from the district, to address the crowd.

Habumuremyi, who is an RPF commissioner, urged Musanze residents to turn up in large numbers on August 4 to vote for the RPF’s candidate.

Voters speak out

Odette Mukamanzi, a medical worker in Nyabihu who lives in Musanze, said President Kagame should in the next seven years focus on promoting tea and pyrethrum growing which she said will boost the economy of the region.

"Kagame should be President again. He has empowered women and rebuilt the country through prioritising unity and reconciliation. We are safe with him and we believe we will double our achievements under his leadership,” she said.

Bertrand Kayezu, 35, a primary school teacher in Rubavu, commended Kagame’s leadership for fostering "inclusive development” through social protection programmes like Girinka and ensuring that Genocide survivors regain dignity.

"We have peace in this area, teachers are not complaining at all and as a genocide survivor, I have been able to rebuild my life in the last 23 years. This is all possible because of Kagame’s visionary leadership. We want him back,” Kayezu said.

President Kagame is today expected to campaign in Karongi and Rutsiro districts of Western Province.

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