TANZANIA: WHAT can the world and the nation gain from President Paul Kagame’s unprecedented triumph in the July 15, 2024 election, where he secured over 99 per cent of the votes from nine million registered voters?
How will President Kagame maintain the momentum of proving to the world that African Presidents, if elected by a majority, can lead their people to the promising land, as the Rwandan people’s confidence in him has grown throughout his fourth term?
Can the economy sustain his next move to lead the Rwandan people under the RPF? Even after pondering these questions, I still believe that President Paul Kagame’s leadership is the key to his victory.
I had the good fortune to read about his life history, career, challenges and the roles he has played in various sources.
This allowed me to appreciate the significant economic changes President Kagame has undeniably brought about for the Rwandan people.
I also witnessed firsthand how he unites his people following the 1994 human tragedy, demonstrating that he truly walks the talk.
The extent of his triumph in 2017, along with his 95 per cent win in 2003 and 93 per cent win in 2010 and now in 2024, with early results indicating he has won with 99 per cent, demonstrates the confidence and willingness of the Rwandan people in him.
However, there are some who believe such a victory may not represent true democracy. While Paul Kagame’s detractors may believe his victories do not represent democracy, it’s essential to remember that some African countries have only 15 per cent of their voters electing their leaders to office.
Years of observing how he leads and handles internal and local socioeconomic issues, including times when the Western media questions him, have led me to conclude that when he speaks as a leader, he is typically forthright and seldom minces words.
I understand that Paul Kagame is not a staunch critic of the West, but he also attempts to win over the West by occasionally exploiting the guilt of not being able to stop the 1994 genocide.
Given Rwanda’s history, previously marked by the battle between the Tutsi and Hutu ethnic groups, I admire the strategy Kagame uses to bring his people together.
He constantly urges Rwandans to identify with their national identity rather than a particular ethnic group. This perspective helps explain the situation.
However, Kagame had previously stated that he would train a successor capable of keeping the Rwandan people united for future generations.
The enormous crowds of supporters in the 2024 general election illustrate the Rwandans’ love and trust in him and their desire for him to remain their leader.
While his style and ambitions might lead some to view his victory differently, Kagame is likely to continue focusing on economic progress.
Statistics reflect this: Rwandan data shows significant improvements in literacy and other development indicators, alongside dramatic decreases in infant mortality and poverty levels in recent decades.
Additionally, extensive investment projects have been initiated to create jobs for youths, and new roads have been built. I believe Kagame has been granted an extra five years to address issues affecting Rwandans and work toward greater autonomy from outside influences.
Reflecting on my visit to Rwanda and comparing the election results, it’s clear that despite widespread dissatisfaction with unemployment and other socioeconomic issues affecting all countries, Kagame remains highly popular.
Despite its small size, Rwanda has achieved one of the highest rates of economic development in Africa and established a reputation for stability in a volatile region.
Despite nearly half of Rwandans surviving on less than US$2.15 per day, the GDP grew by an average of 7.2 per cent annually between 2012 and 2023 under Kagame’s leadership.
With 65 per cent of the population under 30 and Kagame being the only leader most Rwandans have known; his impact is significant.
The RPF will continue to be responsible for advancing the mission of constructing a new Rwanda.
Kagame’s strategic vision, demonstrated by the extensive Rwanda Vision 2020 initiative launched in 2000, has led to the achievement or surpassing of many of its long-term goals, including improvements in public health, gender equality, life expectancy, infant mortality, GDP growth and per capita income.
Under Kagame’s leadership, the RPF regime has also been instrumental in stabilising the economy and initiating structural reforms, leading to a transition of workers to more productive jobs.
Economically, since 2000, Rwanda has experienced an increase in the service sector’s contribution to GDP from 29 to 48 per cent, while the agricultural sector’s share has decreased from 49 to 23 per cent.
For instance, now making up about 11 per cent of the economy, tourism has become a significant growth engine in Rwanda.
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The government has made major investments, such as in the Visit Rwanda brand; one such cooperation is with Arsenal Football Club, a team in the UK Premier League. Using conservation programmes to promote sustainability and draw in foreign investment, this sectoral strategy alone relies on private sector initiatives.
Zoomed is primarily aimed at the MICE, i.e., meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions and luxury travel segments of the market that bring millions of foreign currencies into Rwanda.
For those who may not know, developing a knowledge-based economy and transforming rural areas served as the two guiding principles of the RPF economic policy that, in my view, continued to make Rwandese continue to build trust in Paul Kagame and his party.
These goals, seen as prerequisites for lowering poverty and heavy aid dependency, were achieved in Rwanda by enticing private investment and bolstering the private sector.
To do this, the Paul Kagame government implemented a few changes, including tax breaks, price restrictions, privatising state-owned businesses, adopting a new investment code, and creating a one-stop investment shop.
All these initiatives ranked Rwanda second in Africa for Ease of Doing Business 2020 by the World Bank, behind Mauritius, with a score of 76.5 out of 100. In conclusion, several factors tied to Paul Kagame’s leadership are driving Rwanda’s continued success and prominence in Africa.
Innovative, homegrown development projects, such as the Girinka programme—which provides rural families with a cow—the Mutuelles de Sante health insurance scheme, and Ubudehe, which fosters local entrepreneurship, highlight effective government initiatives.
The Kagame-led government has also invested in connectivity and digitalisation to foster growth and a knowledge-based economy.
Notable initiatives include the Connect Rwanda smartphone donation programme and the use of drones to transport medical supplies, such as blood plasma, to clinics.
Additionally, the Moving Rwanda pilot project, a collaboration between Volkswagen and Siemens, aims to establish car-sharing programmes, build charging stations, and develop infrastructure to explore the viability of electric vehicles in Africa.
The expansion of the FinTech industry has positioned Rwanda as a regional digital powerhouse, attracting businesses seeking to enter the African market with lower risk.
Rwanda’s success story, under Kagame’s reelection on July 15, 2024, is also marked by relatively low levels of corruption.
According to Transparency International’s 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index, Rwanda is one of the least corrupt countries in Africa, with the strongest anti-corruption views in East Africa.
