We value your privacy

We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience, serve personalized ads or content, and analyze our traffic. By clicking "Accept All", you consent to our use of cookies. Cookie Policy

Customize Consent Preferences

We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions. You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below.

The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site. ... 

Always Active

Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site, such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data.

No cookies to display.

Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collecting feedback, and other third-party features.

No cookies to display.

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

No cookies to display.

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

No cookies to display.

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns.

No cookies to display.

ADVERTISEMENT
Africanian
  • News
  • News 24/7
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Travel
  • World
    • US
    • Russia
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • America
  • Events
No Result
View All Result
Africanian
No Result
View All Result
Home Politics

President Paul Kagame marks 20 years at the helm of Rwanda.

It's no coincidence that the first "Made in Africa" smartphone comes from Rwanda: The Mara Phone is manufactured in an industrial area in the capital Kigali, just down the road from a Volkswagen plant.

in Politics
Reading Time: 4 mins read
1 0
0
President Paul Kagame marks 20 years at the helm of Rwanda.
0
SHARES
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare via Whatsapp

The German carmaker is one of many investors in the small East African country, where VW offers an e-mobility service and bolts cars together for the African market.

The economic recovery of Rwanda after the 1994 genocide that killed more than a million ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus has gone into the history books as a success story — and it’s inextricably linked to Paul Kagame, who officially took power in 2000.

Read more: 25 years on, Rwandan genocide still reverberates throughout the region

While many Rwandans revere their president for the progress their country has made during his 20 years in office, others criticize Kagame for suppressing dissenting views.

Across Rwanda, Kagame is seen as a benevolent dictator, who pursues unselfish goals for the development of the country.

More

Gabon: The government denies the resignation of Oligui Nguema

Central African Republic: Youth in Bangui call for Touadera’s re-election

African Union: For the first time, Angola leads, prioritizing peace and security

One of his toughest policies — that of Umuganda — forces Rwandans to commit a few hours of their time to community service on every last Saturday of the month.

Effectively in control since 1994

“Paul Kagame is a dictator who rules Rwanda with an iron first,” said dissident David Himbara, “not since 2000 but actually since 1994.”

In 1994, after the genocide and the civil war, Pasteur Bizimungu officially became President of Rwanda. However, Bizimungu was commonly seen as a placeholder for Kagame, who at the time assumed the joint titles of vice president and minister of defense.

“In fact, however, [Kagame] had unlimited power in Rwanda from the start,” Himbara told DW.

Himbara is not simply a dissident; he’s a former insider who was once a senior aide and economic adviser to Kagame before falling out with the president, like many other former close confidants of Kagame. Himbara then fled to Canada, where he had grown up.

‘Aggressive, uncontrolled, violent’

Kagame previously commanded the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a Ugandan-based Tutsi militia, which ended the Hutu slaughter of Tutsis by defeating the authorities responsible for the killing campaign. Although the RPF is regarded by the majority of Rwandans as saviors, they are also accused of massacring Hutus.

Read more: ICTR: A tribunal that failed Rwandan genocide victims and survivors

Himbara believes that Kagame’s military past is still visible today: “Kagame became socialized in the war. He is a very aggressive person, uncontrolled and violent.”

Rights organizations have also made serious allegations against Kagame. Human Rights Watch, for instance, claims that since Kagame took office, people have been prosecuted for doubting the official government’s explanation about the genocide. The rights body lists a long series of murders, disappearances, politically motivated arrests and illegal arrests of critics, opposition members and journalists.

Kagame himself has, at times, unashamedly commented on such allegations, as in the case of former secret service chief and dissident Patrick Karageya, who was strangled to death at a hotel room in South Africa: “Rwanda did not kill this person. But I wish Rwanda had done it,” Kagame said.

A shining light for all of Africa?

Kagame advisor Jean-Paul Kimonyo, on the other hand, sees President Kagame as “a shining lights for Rwanda, Africa and the whole world.”

Kagame is the master of reinvention, believes Kimonyo, who is also author of the book “Transforming Rwanda: Challenges on the Road to Reconstruction.”

“First he became a soldier, then transformed himself into a statesman and a reformer, and finally gained international recognition,” he told DW.

Rwanda, one of the smallest countries on the African continent, is known beyond the borders for its stringent and effective policies. In Western countries, Rwanda is mainly associated with three political projects: equality of women, promotion of new technologies and environmental protection measures.

Kagame also prides himself as a gender equality pioneer. About 60% of the country’s lawmakers are women.

Kagame’s business policy is also repeatedly praised in the West. In the World Bank’s ‘Doing Business’ report 2019, which describes how economically friendly the 190 countries in the world are, Rwanda ranks 29th – the second-best African nation after Mauritius.

Progress or propaganda?

“Rwanda is one of the countries in Africa with the best and cheapest internet infrastructure,” Kimonyo told DW. Many government services are online, making it easy, for example, for entrepreneurs to set up a company on a smartphone.

Read more: Coronavirus: Rwanda imposes Africa’s first lockdown

Kimonyo believes that Kagame has also achieved much in terms of environmental protection.

As for Kagame critic Himbara, he calls this “hymns of praises and mere propaganda.” Kagame might have banned plastic bags, but he points out that Kigali doesn’t even have “a sewage system and all the rubbish washes into the rivers.”

A central sewage system in the capital is currently under construction; the government plans to connect all households to it by 2024.

In power for a lifetime?

From a legal point of view, nothing stands in the way of Kagame staying in power for many more years to come.

In a 2015 constitutional referendum, Rwandans voted overwhelmingly to allow Kagame to stand again for office beyond the end of his second mandate, which ended in 2017.

Kagame won the 2017 elections, with nearly 99% of the vote. In theory, he could run twice again, keeping him in power until 2034 — although his current term ends in 2024.

Dissident Himbara believes Kagame wants to stay in power “preferably until death.”

President’s advisor Kimonyo denies this, but points out how popular the president is.

“Here in Rwanda, a possible extension of our President’s term of office is currently not an issue,” Kimonyo said in an interview. “We want more prosperity and we need strong leadership for this. And Rwandans are currently very satisfied with their leadership.”

Source: dw.com
africanian

africanian

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Rwanda combines youth innovation and circular economy to build a resilient nation

Rwanda combines youth innovation and circular economy to build a resilient nation

July 3, 2025
Weather in South Africa: Climate and Seasons

Weather in South Africa: Climate and Seasons

August 25, 2020
Weather in Kenya: Climate, Seasons, and Average Temperature

Weather in Kenya: Climate, Seasons and Average Temperature

August 26, 2020
In Tanzania, the Kibuka community has improved their household economy by more than 50%.

In Tanzania, the Kibuka community has improved their household economy by more than 50%.

July 11, 2025
Lesotho increases blood collection by 70% between 2017 and 2024

Lesotho increases blood collection by 70% between 2017 and 2024

July 8, 2025
Nigeria accelerates economic transformation with key reforms and signs of recovery

Nigeria accelerates economic transformation with key reforms and signs of recovery

July 7, 2025
Twitter Instagram Youtube Facebook
No Result
View All Result

Africanian News

Is a dedicated project aimed at amplifying the voices of the African Ecosystem and Diaspora. We actively collaborate with initiatives to improve access to education and digital inclusion, both in traditional schools and through digital platforms, for African children.

It’s crucial to emphasize that none of the articles or images featured on our platform are intended for copyright infringement, neither now nor in the future. If you believe that any information, text, image, etc., may be subject to copyright and should be removed, please notify us by sending an email to info@africanian.com

Your dreams matter; your stories matter.

Feel free to explore collaboration opportunities with us. Share your articles, thoughts, interviews, experiments, or no-comment videos by reaching out to info@africanian.com. You can also subscribe to our mailing list to receive the latest updates from Africanian News.

© 2024 Africanian News: From Africa, by Africans, for Africa, and friends of Africa.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Tech
  • Travel
  • World

© 2024 Africanian News: From Africa, by Africans, for Africa, and friends of Africa.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Log In

Sign In

Forgot password?

Don't have an account? Register

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Back to Login

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Accept

Add to Collection

  • Public collection title

  • Private collection title

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.