Today, President Paul Kagame, will officially be sworn in as the Head of State, kicking-off his second term in office, after his landslide victory in the elections last month.

Over the last seven years, the country has registered remarkable progress under the leadership of the RPF led government. There is no doubt that the Rwandan people, overwhelmingly, voted Mr. Kagame back into office on the basis of the remarkable achievements, over the last seven years.

As the second term commences, the country will proceed on its journey to achieving Vision 2020. A lot has been achieved, but there should be no complacency. Looking at the recent history of this country, few would have believed that Rwanda would be where it is today.  The increase in food production, registering economic growth despite the economic downturn and ensuring health insurance coverage for over 90 percent of the population are just some of the examples.

Today, we shall be celebrating this historical event. Once this is done, we should all get back to work, join hands with the government and build on what has been achieved. The bar has been raised, but with determination and dedication, the people of this country have proved that they measure up to the challenge.

There are detractors who continuously seek to undermine the country’s progress and want to take us back to the dark days. However, it is our responsibility to lay a foundation that cannot be shaken.

Africa has unfortunately been known for all the negative reasons, but this is the time for the various countries to shine given the progress the continent is rapidly achieving.

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