President Paul Kagame on Wednesday, August 14, told new members of the Chamber of Deputies to prioritize citizen issues as they fulfill their responsibilities collaboratively.

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The new 80 members of the Chamber of Deputies took oath of office, on Wednesday, before voting Gertrude Kazarwa as Speaker of the fifth Chamber of Deputies, with Mussa Fazil Harerimana and Beline Uwineza voted in as Deputy Speakers.

Kagame also presided over the swearing-in of the Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente who was reappointed to office on August 13.

In his address, the President said the ceremonial duties are over and the next step should be getting to do the actual work of delivering on what the members of parliament were elected or appointed for.

While everything cannot be perfect, he noted, there is no room for complacency, and leaders need to duly aim at improvement in all fields of work.

"In the governance and politics of our country, it is often repeated and agreed on that we should change the bad history of our livelihoods as Rwandans, changing the leadership for the better. Electing or lawfully appointing you is not done for you to occupy positions with the intention of serving self-interests,” Kagame said.

He pointed out that priority should be about serving Rwandans.

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Furthermore, he emphasized that the mindset of regarding oneself as a ‘VIP’ that seems to have become a norm should be gotten rid of.

When it comes to the actual work, Kagame said that lawmakers and other leaders should shun the culture of knowing an issue that falls within their areas of responsibility and remain silent without addressing it.

"We must work together and remind each other of our respective responsibilities...even if it’s not in your responsibilities, you shouldn’t remain silent on destructive things that happen around you which destroy the country,” he noted, pointing at issues such as corruption, favouritism, and nepotism.

Fighting these wrongs, he said, is what all leaders should do.

"This is the continuous fight we engage in. It is what we have been fighting for, for 30 years, and we are going to add five more years.”

Kagame said that it is problem when the leaders fail to implement what was agreed on and such behaviour should come with consequences.