Kigali, 30 July 2011

President Kagame and President Museveni today joined residents of Kanombe to build a school as part of Umuganda, a monthly community service activity carried out all over the country. Present also was the United Kingdom Secretary of State for International Development, Andrew Mitchell.

Addressing the residents of Kanombe, President Kagame thanked President Museveni for joining hands with Rwandans in the activity and pointed out that this is was not the first time that Mr. Museveni had joined hands with Rwandans. President Kagame explained that Umuganda is part of the African culture where people are united for their common good, where neighbor lends a hand to neighbor to help each other overcome hardships of life. President Kagame also thanked Project Umubano volunteers and Hon. Andrew Mitchell for participating in the activity.

President Museveni said: “It brings me joy to be here with my brother President Kagame and indeed the Rwandan people to carry out this noble activity. We often forget our culture but President Kagame has brought back our culture and made it modern”. President Museveni contributed US$300,000 towards the completion of the school.

Kigali, 29 July 2011

President Kagame, First Lady Kagame and First Lady Janet Museveni attended the fifteenth anniversary of an organization that has been instrumental in the promotion of gender equality in Rwanda- the Rwandan Women Parliamentary Forum. It is the members of this forum, ninety-two men and women, who are behind legislations that have transformed the lives of all Rwandan women.

Addressing the attendants, First Lady Janet Museveni expressed her admiration for the Rwandan women, adding “women can do it all…you should never give up who you are.” First Lady Janet Museveni stressed the need for all African women to work together inviting Rwandan women to join hands with Ugandan women.

Kigali, 29 July 2011

Today
marked the first day of President Museveni’s state visit to Rwanda. Accompanied
by First Lady Museveni, he was received at the Kigali International Airport by
President Kagame and First Lady Kagame. 
Awaited with, President Museveni and First Lady Janet Museveni received
a warm welcome from their hosts which Rwandan officials and members of the
diplomatic corps in Rwanda.

 

As
President Kagame, First Lady Jeannette Kagame and Janet Museveni continued on
to attend the 15th Anniversary Rwandan Women Parliamentary Forum,
President Museveni visited the Gisozi Genocide Memorial. Expressed his
disbelief at the ideology that led to the genocide, President Museveni said:
“the people who carried out the genocide suffered from ideological
bankruptcy…this was deliberate…people wanted to exterminate others.”

 

Characterized
by a sense of mutually beneficial partnership between both nations, the
remainder of the state visit will be marked by a briefing on the outcomes of
the Joint Permanent commistion and a day of community service where President
Museveni and First Lady Janet Museveni will take part in the monthly Umuganda.
President Museveni will also be the guest at the upcoming state banquet as well
as hold a joint press conference with President Kagame.

Kigali, 28 July 2011

President Kagame today received the outgoing UNICEF country representative, Dr. Joseph Foumbi, who is going into retirement after long service with the United Nations. Dr. Foumbi has stayed in Rwanda for four and a half years.

Speaking to the press after meeting President Kagame, Dr. Foumbi said: “I was so lucky to be here to witness one of the strongest leaderships in Africa. My stay here has made me to believe that it is possible to transform Africa. I have worked in many countries in Africa and there is nowhere I saw the commitment of leadership like it is the case in Rwanda.”