Paul Kagame, the RPF-Inkotanyi Chairman and flagbearer in in this month’s presidential elections, told supporters in Gakenke District that reflecting on history should inform their choice to achieve more development.
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This was as RPF and its allied political parties, on July 11, campaigned in Gakenke and Burera districts. Thousands of supporters gathered at Nemba site.
In the presidential and parliamentary elections set for July 14-16, Kagame is competing with former lawmaker Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, and Philippe Mpayimana, an independent candidate.
Sharing her testimony of empowerment and being solution-oriented, Marie Rose Mukamerika, a resident in Gakenke District, recounted how, together with her husband, her family managed to rise from poverty and living in a high-risk zone.
From savings they made, she said, the couple built its own house in a planned settlement. She thanked RPF for initiatives such as the school feeding programme, the Early Childhood Development programme, and others, that are helping people to lead a dignified life.
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Mukamerika emphasized that it is thanks to the self-reliance mindset instilled by Kagame that she rose to become a team leader in her village and a teacher in an ECD while her husband became a community health worker and contribute to the development of their country.
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In his address, Kagame said despite the troublesome history of what Rwanda went through, people draw lessons from it and should be able to move forward to achieving greater development, as a continuation of what has been gained in the last 30 years.
"The reason being the increased capacity, knowledge, and population,” he said, noting that the more than nine million people eligible to vote signifies a population that has learnt some lessons from history and made a choice to rebuild the nation from the destruction caused by bad leadership.
"You have developed yourself and turned into capable leaders at different levels. We must use that to achieve even more.”
He added that heading to polls means the people are powerful and ready to make the right choices and commit to actions that lead to development.
"The RPF politics we will be voting for is the unity of Rwanda so that no one will be left behind in development.”
The incumbent President noted that the unity of Rwandans and the development achieved need to be protected, and the people, especially the youth, play a great role in ensuring that security.
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Over the past seven years, Gakenke District witnessed the construction of 40 kilometers of tarmac roads. Homes with access to electricity increased from 16,888 to 84,207, and there was construction of 414.52 kilometer water pipes, and at least new 736 classrooms.