President Kagame has chaired the 17th edition of the National Umushyikirano Council, bringing together leaders from the central and local government, members of parliament, representatives of Rwandans living abroad, civil society, among others, to reflect on the nation’s achievements in the vision 2020 and the development journey ahead.
In his opening remarks, President Kagame stated that Rwanda’s State of the Nation is “stronger than ever”.
The Head of State also challenged participants to shun old mindset and to take responsibility.
“Do not let our old mindset become yours, do not go back to bad habits, of not taking responsibility, of being afraid of speaking up to your superiors. Reject the mindset of accepting to be led wrong, do not be dragged down to a lower level. Do not look for a reason not to do something, look for a reason to get it done. If you believe it should be done, do not be afraid of what people will think of you. This Umushyikirano should go beyond government evaluating our achievements, everyone here should evaluate themselves. Ask yourself as someone who contributes to this country, where am I coming from and where am I going, how can I do more so that our collective results and benefits can increase” President Kagame said.
Umushyikirano is a forum for national dialogue provided for by the Constitution where Rwandans gather to assess issues related to the state of the nation, the functioning of the decentralized structures, and national unity.
The discussions at this year’s Umushyikirano focused on continued efforts to sustain gains and foster inclusive growth, with an emphasis on economic growth and opportunities to improve competitiveness, as well as advance social development through strengthened and resilient communities.
During the Day 1 panel discussion titled “Driving Double-Digit Growth”, leaders from line institutions and participants reflected on choices, principles and values that have been central for economic progress (average 8% annual growth) over the past two decades. This year alone, Rwanda registered 12% growth in the 2nd quarter, and 11.9% in the 3rd quarter.
It was therefore an opportunity to discuss existing challenges and the strategies to achieve and sustain a double-digit growth to achieve the country’s vision 2050.
Resilient community
On the second day, participants at Umushyikirano discussed ways to engage Rwandan families for community resilience. This session took stock of achievements made to address vulnerabilities, specifically in health and education, through national and locally driven solutions. It also reaffirmed the critical importance of the Rwandan family, as a central unit of the Rwandan society, engaged in solving problems within communities and nurturing community resilience.
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