The 17th edition of the National Umushyikirano Council kicked off at Kigali Convention Centre Thursday, with thousands of other participants following the event live from large screens mounted at five remote sites across the country. From youth to senior citizens, from politicians, experts and businesses to ordinary people, views streamed in from all corners of the country, as well as through social networking sites.
The New Times looks at some of the names and contributions that characterised discussions on Day I of the two-day event.
Eric Rutayisire
Eric Rutayisire is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Charis UAS, a drone company that provide solutions for agriculture and environment.
Rutayisire attracted applause when he told a story of how he first heard of Vision 2020 when he was still a child and only thought it was a dream.
Eric Rutayisire.
Today, he is listed among Africa’s top 30 entrepreneurs by Forbes Magazine.
"Our company uses drones in agriculture precision, we are extending our services to the health, electricity, mining sectors. The sky is not the limit anymore for us; we are a drone company and are in the skies after all,” he said.
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Keza Nyiramajyambere
The moment Rwanda Development Board (RDB) Chief Executive officer, Clare Akamanzi introduced her, most Umushyikirano participants were hooked and Nyiramajyambere has since become an unexpected mascot for the proceedings.
According to Akamanzi, every day, at least 10 children are born at the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (CHUK). One of the children born today (yesterday) could be Keza Nyiramajyambere, who will be 30 years old in 2050, she said.
"She will be working in a country whose economy is knowledge-based. In 30 years, Keza will have options so she could be into IT business. She will be running a business that is worth $1 billion and will be employing at least 50,000 people. That is the kind of girl we are looking at for the future,” she said.
From then onwards almost every discussant made reference to Keza Nyiramajyambere.
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Willy Maurice Mukiza
When Mukiza took the microphone as the first speaker to contribute to the 2019 Umushyikirano, via video link from Intare Conference Arena at Rusororo, no one expected how surprising his next words would be.
"I am the second child of Genl Pacifique Ntawunguka’s three children. My father is in a terrorist organisation based in the jungles of the Democratic Republic of Congo and continues to work towards destabilising the security of Rwanda,” he said.
Willy Maurice Mukiza.
Ntawunguka replaced Gen Sylvestre Mudacumura, who was killed by the Congolese armed forces (FARDC) in September this year.
Mukiza went on to say that, even though his father is a rebel against Rwanda, he and his two siblings have never been harassed or treated any different from the other citizens.
To emphasise this, Mukiza said that his older brother had attained his university education on a government scholarship and is currently in China where he is pursuing his Master’s Degree. His sister is currently in Ghana where she is pursuing university studies in Pharmacy.
Mukiza has just concluded education at the University of Rwanda College of Science and Technology.
Amid applause, Mukiza called on the youth to avoid giving time and attention to people who may be interested in derailing them from using the opportunities that the country continues to offer.
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Régis Mugiraneza
Several years ago, Mugiraneza went to his university auditorium to listen to President Kagame speak and he left the public lecture a changed man.
"You told us that, in whatever we do, we should make sure that we aim at positively changing our society. I was challenged and I decided that I was going to focus on sweet potatoes, process and add value to them as one of the ways to boost nutrition,” he said.
Mugiraneza said that nine out of ten households in the countryside grow sweet potatoes and this had made him begin thinking of creative ways of making these potatoes enjoyed by the same farmers not just in its traditional boiled form, but also in the form of bread, biscuits among others.
"YouthConnekt gave us seed capital, BDF (Business Development Fund) trusted us and gave us a loan and RBS (Rwanda Bureau of Standards) put their seal of approval with a certificate. As of today, we are manufacturing bread out of sweet potatoes and will soon be making biscuits,” he said.
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Eugène Mukeshimana
Mukeshimana studied electronics communication and, together with two others, joined the agriculture sector to use technology to improve the quantity and quality of produce.
Their venture kicked off in June last year and in February this year, their first harvest was ready. Their peak harvest is somewhere between one and a half tonnes and two tonnes of pepper a week.
Eugène Mukeshimana.
In July, the trio started processing and in August they were lucky to get a client in Europe who was interested in their product.
However, Mukeshimana, who hails from Bugesera District, told participants that despite their efforts, they were still facing challenges regarding high prices of seedlings and lack of storage facilities.
Seedlings cost them between Rwf900,000 and Rwf3.5 million.
He highlighted the issue of lack of storage facilities which, in August, cost the start-up Rwf800, 000 after their product got spoilt before it got to its destination.
In the end, President Kagame ordered the Ministry of Agriculture to compensate the company.
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Generoza Mukankindo
Generoza Mukankindo.
"Look at me and how old I am. I have never seen a leader like you. All the leaders I have seen, from Mutara Rudahigwa, no one has been able to fit in your shoes. No one knew us people with disabilities but you have taken care of us. You have cared about the old, the young, brought VUP, brought us Gir’inka. I am here to thank you,” an elderly woman said from the Nyamagabe remote site via video link. She was referring to President Paul Kagame’s leadership.