Many revolutionaries aspire and promise to change the political and social-economic welfare of their people only to turn their backs on them within the first few years of incumbency. Unfulfilled promises force other aspirants to start endless attempts at national liberation. For the Rwanda Patriotic Front, they hit the ground running and, 30 years later, their footprint at national development is still visible and growing. I will highlight just a few gestures of national liberation in the eyes of wanainchi because RPF’s bigger objectives like repatriation of Rwandan refugees, restoring national unity and reconciliation, rebuilding a shattered economy, and many others, speak for themselves. READ ALSO: RPF pledges to scale up RwandAir operations To Rwandans, July 4 brings back the memories of Paul Kagame’s RPA stopping the genocide against the Tutsi and swiftly embarking on an overwhelming task of rebuilding Rwanda. On July 1, as we drove past the newly refurbished and well-lit Amahoro Stadium and my little sister remarked that, “iyi stade tuzayitigisa umunsi wo kwibohora [we will make this stadium shake on Liberation Day]” - excitedly affirming how she couldn’t wait to celebrate July 4 from Amahoro Stadium. ALSO READ: FIFA’s Infantino congratulates Kagame as Amahoro Stadium officially opens As I imagined her little weight shaking the thousands of tons of concrete holding the new stadium, memories of 1994 images of vulnerable Tutsi seeking refuge at the same venue also crossed my mind. I want to shift my mind from the then smaller stadium that looked like a vandalized graveyard to a spectacular arena that will be dreaded by Amavubi’s opponents and other pro-people gestures of national liberation that we can attribute to RPF. Knowing that today, all Rwandans are primarily identified by their nationality – Ndi Umunyarwanda – rather than their ethnicity, is in itself a great milestone. Of course, the whole Amahoro Stadium area is steadily developing into a sports hub comprising BK Arena and many more sports complexes that host local and international events attended by celebrities and dignitaries alike. To celebrate Liberation Day from a refurbished Amahoro Stadium makes it more fulfilling because it emphasizes the rebirth of Rwanda. ALSO READ: Ndi Umunyarwanda is a pact that binds us all – First Lady One of the memorable RPF liberation songs is Gira Ubuntu – a universal call for sharing and cooperation. As I later found out, Ubuntu spirit is not only Rwandan but a Pan African value although it is easier said than implemented in many African societies. For RPF, though, true liberation could not be achieved without reviving Ubuntu and this is why Gira Inka (one cow per poor family programme) is a living gesture of liberation. To Rwandans, Gira Inka is much more than the monetary value of a cow. The cow is deeply embedded in the social-economic fabric of Rwandans. We swear by the cow, name after the cow, gift cows and pay dowry and fines in cows. To deny us cows is to deny us a life, and vice-versa. For the RPF led government, the Ubuntu spirit doesn’t end with cows. Where necessary, the government even puts the lives of its children on the line by sending Rwanda’s security forces on peace keeping missions outside Rwanda. The discipline and professionalism with which our security forces execute foreign missions can be testified by many. But the recent restoration of peace in the Central African Republic and northern Mozambique makes RDF our living heroes. Now, if this isn’t one brave gesture of Ubuntu or universal cooperation then I will be happy to sit and take lessons. Certainly, to live the liberation dream and see all RPF objectives come to reality we need good health and an extended life expectancy. To achieve this goal, the RPF led government embarked on establishing world-class health facilities like IRCAD Africa centre of excellence in Masaka District. This hospital is expected to catalyse surgical innovation, promote skills development, and improve patient outcomes across Sub-Saharan Africa. This is dreaming big! But, it’s not the only one. Butaro Level 2 Teaching Hospital with a national cancer center is serving Rwandans as well as foreigners. We can’t talk about Butaro hospital and not talk about its remote and yet deliberate choice of location in rural Burera District. If it wasn’t for our leaders dreaming big, who would have imagined that a rural resident somewhere in Africa can access very expensive and full cancer treatment through a community-based health insurance scheme (CBHI) commonly known as Mutuelle de Santé at only Rwf3,000, or about US$2.3. Ultimately, as Kwame Nkrumah and Mutara III Rudahigwa envisioned, liberation should lead people to make choices that align well with their desires, goals and values. With this borderless healthcare system, a visa on arrival policy, and RwandAir flying the dream of Africa, I see Africa slowly tearing down the borders created in 1885 by the Berlin Conference. Happy Liberation! The author is the General Counsel at RBA and author of The House Is Burning.
