Swearing-in ceremony: Lessons from Rwanda

Tomorrow is such a big day in Rwanda. If you do not believe me, then you have probably not been to the city. Kigali with its fair share of hills, is at it’s sparkling best. The buildings in and outside the city got a new coat of paint. The roads have been fixed, washed and repainted. However, the city is not usually so different from what it looks like already. Normally, with a little rain the streets in Kigali are always sparkling after being washed by God! Some sections of the city have been decorated with flowers, traditional pots and crafts. A friend well versed with this system told me that it is called Gutaka, done when one expects important visitors. It has been reported, that about a dozen African leaders have confirmed that will attend the swearing-in ceremony of President Paul Kagame, who won the August elections with an astounding 93%. Their desire to witness this historical moment, cements the fact that many Africans are pleased with what Pres. Kagame has done to transform a near failed state, into one of the most talked- about nations when positive themes on Africa are being discussed. A gathering like the one we shall see tomorrow, with all the attention focused on Rwanda, is not worthy if lessons are not learned. And which lessons are we talking about anyway? I have chosen just three major lessons for our visitors and anyone interested in learning. The visitors, especially those who will be here for the first time, will certainly be in awe of the state of the country’s roads. Rwanda has some of the best maintained roads in the region and the continent. The vital lesson here is that infrastructure more than anything sets a country on a development path. Rwanda’s success story, is established on the government’s commitment to set up vital infrastructure and maintaining it. However much one may hate President Kagame or his government there is no doubt that the efforts directed at road construction and ICT development, have to be credited as very strategic and crucial steps for the revival and progress of the country. The second lesson to pick from Rwanda is that development that is not spiced with a spirited fight against corruption is simply a waste of time and energy. Corruption exists everywhere in the world because any man without hindrance is bound to do evil. I think that is why Christianity teaches that the default setting of mankind is ‘sinner’. Rwanda’s fight against corruption is well documented and shocks many who come from societies where the vice has eaten into all levels of civility. Corruption which in most African language simply translates to theft is a big impediment to development, as resources and development in general, are diverted to just a few evil people at the expense of the majority. The third lesson pertains to image. The Western world with its unchallenged media dominance has systematically branded Africa as a dark continent. It is considered a fragile block of land with people ready to kill each other at the slightest provocation, where the leaders are beasts and the people are diseased. Take a look at South Africa. When it bid to host the FIFA World Cup, the critics said it could not manage to host such an event oblivious of the fact that it had already hosted the Cricket and Rugby World Cups before. When it won the bid, they said it would not manage to build the stadiums. When the stadiums were completed, they said the violence would spoil the tournament. When the show piece ended without violence, they said there would be xenophobic attacks! It is just an obsession for them to look out for negative aspects and falsehoods and not a single positive thing. In 1994, Rwanda was engulfed in Genocide and from that time was added to the ‘Brand Africa’ category that already had Liberia, Sierra Leone and all countries that are often referred to as Sub Saharan. However, with a new leadership under Pres. Kagame and the Rwanda Patriotic Front, the country embarked on a concerted revival and development that has left a foul taste in the mouths of its critics. Interestingly, Pres. Kagame has remained steadfast in telling off the country’s critics and also ignoring their venom. The lesson here is that such criticism and disbelief in the potential of African countries and their people, will always be there and all we have to do, is not to let it pull us away from our goals. If all our visitors can return to their countries with these lessons, then Africa will outgrow the negative image bestowed on it for years and develop. Congratulations President Paul Kagame. ssenyonga@gmail.com