President Paul Kagame has congratulated residents of Musanze District for peace and development they have achieved, urging them to maintain the momentum through hard work and cooperation with other Rwandans.
President Paul Kagame has congratulated residents of Musanze District for peace and development they have achieved, urging them to maintain the momentum through hard work and cooperation with other Rwandans.Kagame made the call, yesterday, while meeting thousands of the residents at Ubworoherane Stadium, the district’s main ground, as he wrapped up a two-day visit in the area.While Musanze and most of Northern Province used to experience insecurity because of fighting between the Interahamwe militia and the government in the late 1990s, it has since become a symbol of peace and development as residents reap from booming agriculture and mountain gorillas tourism."Entrepreneurship has become a habit and we are all benefiting,” the President told the residents who had also outlined different business activities that they are engaged in and how they are benefiting.Some started from scratch and ended up with business empires in activities that range from growing Irish potatoes and fruits, dairy farming, building hospitality infrastructure such as hostels, to procurement and guiding tourists.The residents praised Kagame for his exemplary leadership, saying he prioritises the wellbeing of the ordinary citizen, leading to security and development.Judith Mukamusoni, a high school student who recited a poem for the President, urged support for Kagame, saying it would boost businesses and better livelihood. Security challengesKagame encouraged the residents in Musanze and other parts of Northern Province to keep working hard and ensuring that they maintain the good security situation in their area and work alongside other Rwandans because unity and security is vital for continuity of their development.He assured that security threats from the likes of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda can never succeed in destabilising the country if everyone works with others to maintain security and for economic development."We have to live together, we need to work together to achieve our goal,” the President told the cheering crowd, emphasising that unity is the only way to overcome challenges of insecurity and poverty.The President’s interaction with residents was about solving problems as the residents told him cases of conflicts and injustice which were mostly related to land as well as needs of infrastructure such as roads and electricity in certain areas.He promised quick solutions for most of the concerns and encouraged the leaders to ensure that the people get appropriate solutions. He said access to electricity must cease being a dream, but reality.Kagame pledged to expand on the road network so that the residents can achieve the productivity targets expected of them. District officials said they intend to exceed the average national economic growth target of 11.5 per cent in the next five years.President Kagame, on a regular basis, embarks on countrywide tours where he reaches out to the citizens and interacts with them on various issues of concern.