Kigali, 23 May 2013

President Kagame today received UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon and the President of the World Bank, Jim Yong Kim who are in Rwanda as part of a joint regional mission to Mozambique, DRC, Uganda and Ethiopia to support efforts to build peace, stability and development particularly in the Great Lakes Region.

UN Secretary General and the World Bank President visited and toured a project of the Rwanda Demobilisation and Reintegration Commission, laid wreaths at the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre and laid a foundation stone for a new Centre for Excellence to fight violence against girls and women in conflict situations at the headquarters of the Rwanda National Police.

At official talks held at Urugwiro Village, where they were joined by senior Rwandan Government officials, President Kagame thanked Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki Moon for creating the partnership that Rwanda fully supported and for creating the peace framework which forms the basis of renewed commitment and efforts toward stability and progress. He also thanked the World Bank President for being a partner in creating peace, security development saying that this joint visit meant a lot to Rwanda and the region.

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressed admiration for President Kagame’s leadership and strong commitment not only in the region but to development and prosperity in Rwanda, especially in meeting the Millennium Development Goals:

Kigali, 23 May 2013

President Kagame today received a group of students and instructors from Wharton Business School Students, who are part of the Rwanda Global Modular Courses, class of 2013. The students are in the country to find answers to several issues pertaining to Rwanda’s rapid transformation after suffering a brutal genocide in which nearly one million people were killed in a 3-months period.

Katherine J. Klein, an instructor at the school who is accompanying the students said:

London, 18 May 2013

Three thousand Rwandans and friends of Rwanda from across Europe, North America and Africa gathered in London to celebrate Rwanda Day themed “Agaciro: Delivering Prosperity.”

President Kagame greeted the cheering crowd of thousands by referring to both as “imfura” or dignified:

Referring to the challenges Rwanda has faced in the past year, President Kagame urged all present to remember the ability of Rwandans and Africans to find solutions within:

“It is when faced with challenges that a nation or a people prove their ability and their unity. Imfura do not run away from challenges and they do not change the integrity of imfura. Our history has taught us that we must be the solutions to our challenges and determine our destiny. What Africans should have in common is not the burden of dependency but the solution of self reliance.”

President Kagame stressed the importance of Agaciro that begins at home:

“We must begin by respecting ourselves. Dignity cannot be donated to us. We must give it to ourselves.

On the issue of aid, President Kagame warned those present against feeling entitled to charity:

“No one owes us anything. No one other than ourselves has the responsibility for our well being. We must work for it. Why should citizens of other nations be responsible for you?”

Oxford, 18 May 2013

This morning at Oxford University, President Kagame received the African Growth Award following his keynote speech at the 5^th Oxford Africa Business Conference.

Pointing out that Africa is the second fastest growing region in the world with nine out of the fifteen countries with the highest rate of economic growth, President Kagame emphasized that growth in Africa is driven by the determination of Africans and well thought out policies that will ensure sustainability:

“There is no shortage of skeptics where Africa is concerned who think this growth cannot last. Equally, there are many who are convinced by the evidence that it will. Among these are those Africans, who are driving it and are resolved to maintain the momentum. The current growth is driven by structural changes within African countries, which means it can and will last. ”

When asked about critics perceived lack of democracy in favor of economic growth in Rwanda, President Kagame explained that Rwanda's transformation was a result of democracy and not at its expense:

“Is providing education to over 90 percent of Rwandan children and healthcare to over 90% of population authoritarian? How can providing food security and empowering people to feed themselves be against democracy or human rights?”

Kampala, 17 May 2013

Under the theme, ‘Developmental Local Government: Putting Local Government at the Heart of Development,’ President Kagame’s keynote address at the three day Commonwealth Local Government Conference centred on local government units being engines of socio-economic transformation.

Sharing Rwanda's example, President Kagame said:

“In Rwanda we believe the principal role of any government – central or local – to be transformational, improving the well-being of citizens and empowering them to participate fully in their development.”

The President noted that the country allocates up to 15 per cent of its domestic revenues to local governments, besides additional resources for specific community projects. He further said that Rwanda had attained a degree of food security and reduced poverty by embracing an effective decentralisation system:

“Over a five year period, Rwanda has reduced poverty levels by about 13 per cent and raised one million people out of poverty, was proof about the effectiveness of local government as the base for both national and local levels.”