KIGALI – Rwanda’s continued progress will depend not only on government policies or institutions but on citizens willing to confront wrongdoing wherever they encounter it, President Paul Kagame said on Friday, arguing that accountability must become a personal responsibility rather than a duty left to the state.
Addressing an extended meeting of the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF-Inkotanyi) Bureau Politique, Kagame reflected on Rwanda’s journey, saying the country’s achievements have come from honestly confronting its past, learning from both successes and failures, and continuously striving to improve.
But he said preserving those gains demands a culture where people no longer ignore conduct they know is wrong.
“We know what is right and wrong. You should develop some impatience, some intolerance, about these bad things,” he said.
Kagame said too many people remain silent when friends, colleagues or associates engage in unethical behaviour, allowing problems to grow instead of addressing them early.
“Why do you see someone doing wrong and you just let it keep happening? Why don’t you tell your friend, your colleague, or whoever, and say, ‘No, you can’t do that. Why would you just walk away and turn your back on that?” he asked.
In his view, tolerated misconduct rarely remains an individual problem.
“If the country is not moving forward, if the wrong things being done keep happening, and you tolerate that, there’s no doubt it will come back to hit you as well. Above all, it’s going to affect millions of our people.”
Kagame said reflecting on past successes and failures remains valuable, but argued that Rwanda’s attention should now be fixed on the future.
“The main focus should be put on where we are today and where we want to be going forward.”
He said the country’s next stage of development will require citizens who not only identify problems but also make choices that strengthen institutions, reinforce national values and deepen collective responsibility.
Building the Capacity to Endure
President Paul Kagame addressing participants at the the closure of the an extended meeting of the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF-Inkotanyi) Bureau Politique on Friday.
Kagame also reflected on resilience, describing it as one of the qualities that has enabled Rwanda to overcome repeated challenges.
He acknowledged that hardship is unavoidable, but drew a distinction between difficulties imposed by circumstances and those created by poor choices.
While some pain cannot be avoided, he said, Rwandans should never create additional burdens for themselves through preventable mistakes.
“We should be able to build within ourselves the capacity to sustain any pain,” Kagame said, adding that Rwandans should “avoid self-inflicted pain” by making responsible choices and reducing mistakes within their control.
He described resilience not as accepting defeat but as developing the strength to persevere despite adversity, saying that determination has become one of Rwanda’s defining characteristics.
“Keep Trying”
Closing his remarks, Kagame returned to the theme of persistence, saying no country achieves lasting success without setbacks.
Rwanda’s own development, he said, has been built through repeated effort, learning from failure and refusing to abandon its ambitions.
“Things will not always be as we want them to be. There is one sure way of making a difference: keep trying. Keep trying, even when you fail, try again… Be stubborn about trying,” Kagame said.
He said Rwanda’s future would ultimately depend not only on ambitious plans or effective policies, but on citizens who reject wrongdoing, hold one another accountable and remain determined to keep moving forward, even when progress is difficult.
