Kigali, 19 September 2018
President Kagame today officiated at the swearing-in of the newly elected Members of Parliament, Chamber of Deputies at Parliament buildings in Kimuhurura.
President Kagame stated that beyond ceremony, the occasion was about starting a new mandate and committing to working hard, after Rwandans had placed their trust in the new members of Parliament to serve them and work towards transforming Rwanda into what Rwandans want and deserve.
“We have new members of parliament and new parties. They are joining parliament to work together and collaborate towards transforming this country. You interacted with citizens when you were asking for their votes. Now that you have been elected, remain close to citizens, serve them and deliver on the promises you made. We expect you to hold government accountable for doing their job of serving citizens and delivering development.”
President Kagame pointed out that in Rwanda, things will change based on what Rwandans choose and not what they are told by others to choose.
“If we did not give clemency, how many people would still be in prison? We would still have hundreds of thousands in jail. But to build our country, we made the decision to rehabilitate our citizens and enable them to contribute to our country. In Rwanda, it is not pressure we respond to, it is our own thoughts. Where this country comes from has taught us that we must refuse to be a submissive people. We want cooperation. We want to work in harmony with others. We want thoughts and ideas that bring us forward. And we will not be afraid to tell you that we have no room for those that take us backwards.”
President Kagame asked the new members of Parliament to join other Rwandans in building and transforming Rwanda into a nation that is self-reliant.