President Paul Kagame on Sunday, January 15, tasked leaders to carry the burden of responsibility while leading people.

He was addressing government officials, private sector leaders, diplomats, and senior religious leaders, among others, at the 28th annual National Prayer Breakfast held at Kigali Convention Centre.

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The prayer breakfast, an annual event that seeks to instill Godly values in leadership, was held under the theme: "Patriotism, a cornerstone for sustainable development.”

The Head of State reminded leaders that all people are equal regardless of whichever positions they hold. Emphasising the importance of humility, he said they are just a "small element on a small planet within a vast universe."

He spoke at length about humility and equality saying that in the world we live in today, no one should claim superiority over the other.

He gave an example of how vast the universe is and asked leaders to picture themselves in the universe saying that, if all people are equal no one should impose anything on the other on grounds of superiority.

"Prayer is not an end in itself. There is a certain mindset, cultural and moral values that should characterize us,” he said, while stressing that leaders' actions should align with their words.

Drawing from the sermon delivered by Pastor Yves Castanou, Kagame called on leaders to carry the burden of responsibility in leading people towards an objective.

"It is actually everybody’s responsibility, in your own will and at your own level, to try to be a leader moving from a certain point to another point that serves the purpose.”

He told them that it is a burden of constantly trying to answer questions of what value they are adding towards achieving the common goal.

While delivering the Word of God, Pastor Castanou used an example of Nehemiah in the Bible to demonstrate that patriotism, according to God, begins with a burden for the country and its people.

"A patriotic person prays for people and also works diligently and excellently for the development of the country. The Spirit of patriotism is seen through the faith that people have in their country and humility that one exudes in different positions,” he added.

Organized by Rwanda Leaders Fellowship (RLF), a not-for-profit organization, the annual prayer meeting brings together leaders in top positions for fellowship, to celebrate the country’s achievements in the past year, and reflect and pray over national goals in the year ahead.