In her recent article titled “Food Insecurity in Rwanda” published on The Elephant, Ingabire Victoire paints a grim and distorted picture of Rwanda. She claims there is a “deepening issue of hunger and malnutrition” in the country. While it is true that Rwanda, like any other nation, faces challenges, Ingabire’s narrative is far from accurate.
Her assertions, cherry-picked data, and glaring omissions reveal a deliberate attempt to falsify the country’s realities for political gain.
Misrepresenting Food Security Statistics
Ingabire relies on generalized percentages and estimates, conveniently omitting critical context or specific examples of communities “facing hunger.” Her statistics are derived from sample-based estimates, which, while valid in academic contexts, are not reflective of the ground realities she pretends to address. Unlike Ingabire’s claims, real-life examples from Rwanda’s hills, trading centers, and homes, tell a very different story.
Let’s start with hard facts: Rwanda’s strategic food reserves are robust. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a credible institution, Rwanda produces more food than it consumes. For example, the country consumes about 130,000 tonnes of maize annually. Yet, as of the end of 2024, Rwanda’s strategic food reserve held 29,510 tonnes of maize and 7,281 tonnes of beans—quantities kept after domestic needs were met. These figures demonstrate that the nation is not only meeting its food requirements but also maintaining surplus reserves to cushion against potential shortages.
Rwanda has also extended its generosity to neighbors, delivering grains to nations in need. This reality is a stark contrast to the picture Ingabire tries to paint of a nation struggling to feed its people.
Food Prices and Agricultural Surpluses
Food prices in Rwanda have dropped significantly in recent months. Staples like Irish potatoes have fallen from RWF 1,500 to less than RWF 500 in many regions. Similarly, beans—another staple—are now available at half their previous price. If food scarcity were as rampant as Ingabire claims, how would these price reductions occur? Every morning, Rwandans carry foodstuffs to bustling markets across the country. Where would they get this surplus if they had nothing to eat?
Rice production offers another example. In Bugarama, a key rice-growing region in southwestern Rwanda, farmers found themselves with over 8,000 tonnes of rice they could not sell because the local market was saturated. Nationwide, the rice surplus reached over 26,000 tonnes, resulting in a scandal that saw two ministers dismissed for failing to address the issue. This is not the image of a country on the brink of hunger—it is evidence of a growing agricultural sector facing challenges of market absorption, not production shortages.
Tackling Malnutrition and Supporting Vulnerable Households
It is disingenuous for Ingabire to claim Rwanda ignores malnutrition. Programs like Girinka (One Cow per Family) have transformed lives, with 467,984 cows distributed to vulnerable households since its inception in 2006. In the 2023/2024 fiscal year alone, 16,372 cows were given to families, improving nutrition through milk consumption and creating income-generating opportunities.
Moreover, Rwanda has made significant strides in addressing nutrition through innovative initiatives like Shisha Kibondo, a partnership with Africa Improved Foods (AIF). This program provides fortified foods to over two million children, pregnant women, and new mothers at no cost. AIF sources raw materials from more than 24,000 smallholder farmers, mostly women, a program expected to generate over US$756 million in direct benefits for Rwandan farmers from 2016 to 2031. These are tangible efforts with measurable impacts—far removed from the caricature of despair Ingabire promotes.
The government has also increased spending on nutrition and social protection, allocating RWF 241.8 billion in 2023/2024 to support the poorest and most vulnerable households with direct cash transfers, healthcare, and food supplements. These initiatives demonstrate Rwanda’s proactive approach to addressing inequalities—not the neglect Ingabire suggests.
Why the Distorted Narrative?
Another aspect conveniently ignored by Ingabire is Rwanda’s commitment to transparency and accountability. Rwanda prosecutes corruption with vigor, recovering billions of Rwandan Francs from officials who betray public trust. From the grassroots level to the highest offices, this governance ethos ensures resources are allocated effectively.
It is no secret that Ingabire has a political agenda. Her misleading portrayal of Rwanda as a nation in crisis serves one purpose: to appeal to external financiers eager to hear stories of failure and dysfunction. This tactic is not new. It is a well-worn strategy among detractors seeking to undermine Rwanda’s progress for personal or political gain.
Ingabire’s narrative conveniently omits Rwanda’s achievements. Over the past three decades, Rwanda has transformed itself from a nation devastated by the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, to one of Africa’s fastest-growing economies. Bustling towns have emerged where none existed in 1994. Infrastructure, healthcare, and education have improved exponentially.
Rwanda’s recovery is not perfect—no country’s is—but it is noticeable by any measure. To ignore this progress is to insult the resilience and determination of the Rwandan people.
Ingabire Victoire’s claims about food insecurity in Rwanda are not just false; they are deliberately misleading. By distorting facts and ignoring context, she undermines the efforts of millions of Rwandans who have worked tirelessly to rebuild their nation. Rwanda’s challenges are real, but so are its achievements. Instead of celebrating the progress made and advocating for constructive solutions, Ingabire chooses to perpetuate a false narrative for political gain.
The Rwanda she describes does not exist. It is a figment of her imagination, tailored for an audience that prefers to see failure where there is progress. If Ingabire truly cares about Rwanda, she should embrace the facts and join hands with those working to make the country even better.
The truth, after all, is the foundation of genuine progress—and Rwanda’s truth is one of resilience, growth, and hope.
