President Kagame inspects a guard of honour mounted by the new cadets at Rwanda Military Academy-Gako.
Today, at Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, President Paul Kagame will solemnly swear to continue leading Rwanda for the next five years. This ceremony is more than a formal swearing-in; it symbolizes the resilience, transformation, and ongoing journey of a nation that Kagame has guided through some of its most defining moments.
The story of modern Rwanda, with Kagame at its center, is one of remarkable revolution and national transformation. It began in 1987 when a group of determined Rwandan exiles formed Rwanda Patriotic Front, with Kagame a key member, to embark on a revolutionary journey that would eventually reclaim their homeland. The agenda of national renewal and reconstruction truly took shape in 1994, following the genocide that claimed over a million lives.
In the midst of despair, Kagame and his comrades envisioned a Rwanda free from the ethnic divisions that had once torn it apart, and instead united by shared progress and peace. The very venue for today’s swearing-in, Amahoro Stadium, stands as a powerful symbol of this transformation.
Thirty years ago, during the height of the Genocide against the Tutsi, Amahoro Stadium was a place of refuge for those fleeing the horrors around them. Desolate and grim, it provided a glimmer of hope in a landscape of despair. Today, the stadium is a modern sports facility, representing not only Rwanda’s physical infrastructure development but also its journey from survival to revival.
As we prepare to witness this significant event, my family, I and Rwanda as a whole, reflect on the incredible changes that have taken place under Kagame’s leadership.
Our home in Kagarama, Kicukiro, overlooks Amahoro Stadium, and the grandeur of tomorrow’s event naturally found its way into our conversation this morning. Over breakfast, my youngest daughter, Samantha, playfully remarked on my advancing age, suggesting that I might not live to see the full extent of Rwanda’s future developments. She is 16, and at 41 years her senior, I couldn’t deny the truth in her observation.
President Kagame urged the senior judicial officials to put interests of the country first before self.
Her comment, while a sharp reminder of the passage of time, led me to consider the privilege I’ve had in witnessing Rwanda’s rebirth. I realized three things: first, that Samantha, her siblings, and their generation will inherit a prosperous Rwanda; second, that I like numerous others still living have played a humble role in contributing to this brighter future; and third, that I was present at the dawn of this revolution, experiencing its early stages firsthand.
The younger generation will enjoy the full bloom of Rwanda’s transformation, but we, the older generation, had the unique joy of seeing the seeds of this revolution being sown and nurtured. This thought prompted me to share with Samantha a story about the man who has played an unparalleled role in Rwanda’s resurgence—President Paul Kagame.
Paul Kagame
When I was just a boy, between five and seven years old in the early 1970s in a refugee camp called Nakivale, I had the chance to see a young Paul Kagame, then in his late teens. He stood out among his peers, the “ aba senior,” for his calm demeanor and quiet strength. Even then, there was something different about him—a depth of thought that set him apart.
Fast forward to July 1985, and I saw Kagame again, this time as an officer in the National Resistance Army (NRA) during the Ugandan Bush War towards its conclusion. I was a secondary school student in western Uganda, and Kagame, then a soldier, exuded a disciplined and determined energy as he moved through the crowd at a political rally in Fort Portal at a place known as Boma Grounds. The image of him on duty, alert and focused, has stayed with me over the years.
Kigali Convention Centre (KCC) is one of the projects which was financed through the initial Eurobond the Government of Rwanda issued.
By 1987, Kagame had risen to the rank of Major, marking the transition from rebel fighter to a key figure in the new Ugandan government. Meanwhile, in Rwanda, the seeds of genocide were being sown by the then-president, Juvenal Habyarimana—a tragic event that Kagame would later play a crucial role in ending.
President Paul Kagame and the First Lady Jeannette Kagame arrive at Kigali Convention Centre (KCC) for Umushyikirano 2023.
The years that followed saw Rwanda endure unimaginable suffering, but also its miraculous recovery and growth. Today, as Samantha and I live in these moments of new life and hope, I celebrate the fact that I was close to the history that made this possible.
Kigali Convention Centre one of the most important investments in Rwanda
Samantha, though she wasn’t present during the early days of this journey, shares in the pride and joy of our nation’s progress. When Rwanda reaches its full potential—wealthy, powerful, and great—she will have the privilege of experiencing it much longer after we, the older generation, have passed on.
But first, let us all look forward to today’s grand ceremony. President Paul Kagame will be sworn in at Amahoro Stadium, and it will be a testament to how far Rwanda has come under his leadership, and how much further it will go because of his vision and dedication.
