PRESIDENT’S NEW YEAR MESSAGE - President Paul Kagame has encouraged Rwandans to embark on appropriate technology to ensure their participation in the development programmes that the government has introduced. The President said this in his New Year’s message to Rwandans. "Our country has taken a tremendous step towards development and many investors both local and foreign have invested in the country in different fields…in order to make use of these ventures, Rwandans need to undergo appropriate vocational trainings,” the President told the nation.

He urged Rwandans to take advantage of the different economic blocs to which the country is a member saying that they would only reap from those blocs if they have what to provide to the diversified market.

Last year, Rwanda became a member of the East African Community (EAC), which now brings together five regional countries. Rwanda is also a member of Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (Comesa) and CEPGL, an economic grouping that has Burundi and DRC as the other member nations.

Kagame reminded Rwandans that the development of the country and the improvement of their welfare primarily lie in their hands.

"And we have the capacity to achieve this if we put in the required effort,” the President said.

He highlighted some of the major achievements the country has attained including the Gacaca courts which he said have efficiently executed their work.

"However, (winding up of Gacaca activities) will not solve all the problems left to us by the Genocide…mechanisms should be put in place such that Rwandans can draw lessons from Gacaca to solve other problems left by the Genocide,” he said.

The Gacaca courts were meant to have wound up their activities by the end of last year but requested for more time to finish the few cases that remain.

Kagame said that a lot has been achieved in empowering grassroot authorities through decentralisation, which he said is the core of the transformation the country is currently undergoing.

He said that generally much of what Rwandans had been asked for at the beginning of last year was achieved.
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