Kigali, 7 December 2013
President Kagame today concluded the 11th National Dialogue Council, Umushyikirano, attended by senior government officials, youth representatives from around the country, Rwandans from the Diaspora, diplomats and the civil society.
In his closing remarks, President Kagame said:
“I would like to thank you all, especially the youth from around the country who participated and contributed ideas aimed at boosting national development. What we have discussed during this dialogue must go beyond words, implementation must begin today.”
President Kagame noted that the indicators released by various institutions ranking Rwanda on various aspects, some of which are good and some not quite impressive should serve to remind Rwandans that there are possibilities and also that there is a long way to go.
“There may be some people, for their own reasons, try to portray our country in bad light, but our accomplishments to date speak for themselves and show the truth to those who doubt our progress. You cannot force someone to put on your cloths because they will not fit. Rwandans are not a people that accepts left overs, we are a people that know what fits us and determined to achieve it. We will not accept left overs that don’t even fit our context…Rwandans deserve more than leftovers.”
Resident Kagame asked leaders to look themselves in the mirror and improve their outlook, in relation to service delivery and good governance in general. He asked Rwandans not to be onlookers when acts of corruption are being committed because that way they will be accomplices to destruction of what has been achieved by Rwandans.
President Kagame also asked Rwandans to embrace Agaciro and Ndumunyarwanda program so as to consolidate the country’s achievements. President Kagame wished all Rwandans a Merry Christmas and a happy new year.
The interactive session saw participants who included members of the Diaspora at the venue and outside, youth from the Districts of Ngoma and Huye who were participating through teleconferencing as well as through social media exchange ideas, ask questions and give suggestions. Resolutions were derived from the two-day discussions which will be implemented by the relevant institutions.