KIGALI - President Paul Kagame has been awarded the 2010 Rwanda Convention Association (RCA) Award of Excellence in recognition of his role in steering Rwanda towards a knowledge-based economy and promotion of the private sector.

In a statement announcing the winners, Kagame was also recognized for overseeing Rwanda’s economic growth of 7-8%, annually, over the past decade.

In an interview with The New Times, the RCA’s head of protocol and planning, Carol Rugege, said that President Kagame had greatly improved education by making primary education free, as well as creating the Presidential Scholars Program that gives students the opportunity to pursue higher education in the U.S, U.K, South Africa, and Asia.

"16 years after the Genocide, the country has made a turnaround to achieve development that is acclaimed worldwide. This is attributed to the good leadership of President Kagame,” Rugege said.

"It’s important that we recognize his good leadership, which has laid a foundation for great achievements in all sectors of Rwanda”.

Other winners include, Michael Fairbanks, Chairman of the OTF Group, a strategy-consulting firm based in Boston, who was awarded RCA Investor of the year.

Denny Snyder, the Managing Director of Medical Missions for Children (MMFC), was awarded the humanitarian award. According to Rugege, Snyder was honored for "the impact MMFC has had on Rwandan youth.”

Alexander Dauge-Roth, the founder of the Friends of Tubeho Association, scooped the Friend of Rwanda Award, while Rwandan musician and songwriter, Jean-Paul Samputu, won the 2010 RCA Artist Award.

Samputu was recognized as the founder of the Mizero Children of Rwanda, a non-profit public charity with branches in Nyanza, USA and Canada.

All the five winners were selected based on online polls.
The award giving ceremony is slated for May 29, during the 2010 Rwanda convention that will take place in Boston, MA, from May 28-29.

Rwanda Convention Association is a private initiative that started in 2004 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to contributing to the development of Rwanda’s education, private sector, technology, and the media.

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