President Kagame urged leaders to always do what is expected of them, as a way of paying back for the opportunity to serve they were given. Photos/Urugwiro Village.
President Paul Kagame has called on leaders in their respective domains to play a proactive role in addressing the challenge of deteriorating values in society, starting by leading by example and doing what is expected of them.
The Head of State made the call on Sunday at a National Prayer Breakfast organised by Rwanda Leader’s Fellowship (RFL), to thank God for the achievements of the past year and dedicate the new one to the Almighty.
President Kagame, who was accompanied by the First Lady, Jeannette Kagame, said that in recent years, he has been taking note of a trend which shows that certain values in the Rwandan society are on a decline, which leaves leaders, parents, guardians with an urgent responsibility to act.
Among other things, President Kagame reminded leaders to always enshrine good deeds and correct wrongs for others to learn from them, and at the same time, strive to pay back on the opportunity they have to serve.
“I want to emphasize what I have always said. Indeed, as humans, in our actions and responsibilities, there are certain things that we need to repeat every day, every time, without getting tired,”
“As humans, things will not always go as planned and it end there. What I am saying might even involve making mistakes -people make mistakes and you try to correct them and move on onto other things and sometimes the same mistakes are repeated,” President Kagame said.
He pointed out that while matters concerning God and creation remain difficult to understand, the most important factor is that people exist and should do what is required of them.
President Kagame said he has been taking note of deteriorating values from the daily reports he receives.
Reflecting on the theme, which was “Bridging the Knowing and Doing Gap in Leadership”, President Kagame said people must serve their purpose on earth and strive to do the best when they are given an opportunity.
“As humans, we exist and we must continue to live and do what we are supposed to do, even before we get to understand everything about why we exist as humans and our purpose,” he said, adding that even amidst celebrating achievements, people must always ask themselves questions.
“We come here to express gratitude because we received something or we were given something, but at what point do we give back? Do you just receive and it ends there? You also must give back something, otherwise there would be a problem. If you only receive and not give, then there is a problem,” President Kagame said.
He pointed out that sometimes people are given opportunities but they don’t return in equal measure, pointing out that in some cases, mistakes are made, corrected, and repeated again, which shouldn’t be the case.
An example he cited are leaders who gain a sense of self-importance or feeling that they above everyone else, emphasizing that the discrepancy between what people do and what is expected of them is huge, and must be avoided.
“It is a battle we must fight every day, putting into action what we know or have. Your actions speak for themselves. You can’t hide them. You can’t claim to have achievements which are not visible. People will hold you accountable. This is a daily battle we must fight,” President Kagame said.
He said that as leaders, they must feel indebted to the people who gave them what they have, citing his own example that while people came together to celebrate successful elections, for him it marks the beginning of doing what he promised the citizens.
Another example he cited is when they plan as a government to do something and even avail the resources but the people in charge fail to deliver to expectations or deliver below expectations.
“When you inquire, they immediately start by apologizing, giving reasons as to why they did not do what they were supposed to do. Then you ask another one and they convince you they did their work,”
“When you try to find out, you realise they did something other than what you agreed on. You ask questions and probe and the next thing they are also apologizing,” he said.
The Head of State said that while it is not an issue to acknowledge failure, if it happens once or twice and it is the same person, it ceases to become a mistake but rather a wrong done repeatedly.
“Failures should not become a habit; instead, they must be opportunities for reflection and growth to avoid complacency and stagnation,”
“Let us reject the tendency to shift responsibility to superpowers or external forces as an escape. Sustainable solutions require taking ownership and confronting challenges directly,” he said.
President Kagame, who spoke only about leadership values, said that sometimes people pray for miracles when God has already given them what they want, but they do not realise.
The Head of State took time to speak about deteriorating values and behaviours in the country, pointing out that every day he receive many reports on the state of the country, from security organs and other institutions, where he takes note of many events, including accidents, crime, murders, drugs, family breakdown, GBV, and many others which he attributed to declining values.
He pointed out that as leaders, they have a duty to use the resources at their disposal to stop the wrongs that are causing all these issues which he said can be contained, asking parents and guardians to play their role.
The Head of State and the First Lady follow the days sermon.
“When I receive these reports, showing young couples breaking up, divorcing, I believe there is something we are not doing right. We wish to see families that functioning well,”
“I see all these things, on social media, people posting their nakedness. To me, they are not just exposing their nakedness; they are also exposing their brains,” President Kagame said, reflecting on recent incidents on social media.
He however said that these events also leave behind many questions, particularly in regard to the kind of education and nurturing parents and guardians are giving children.
Among other things, he said alcoholism, drug abuse, conflicts, violence and other bad behaviours are increasing in the society and must be dealt with.
Moses Ndahiro, from Rwanda Leaders Fellowship (RFL), which organises the National Prayer Breakfast said the ceremony is a way of thanking God for the achievements of the past year and dedicate the new year.
Ndahiro said the regular presence of President Kagame and the First Lady is important in the sense that they join Rwandans in this noble cause to thank God, pray and dedicate the country, and also bring together leaders to instill godly values in them.
The National Prayer Breakfast was attended by international guests from Gabon, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Russia, South Sudan, Uganda, the U.S, and Zimbabwe.
RFL regularly organises the prayer breakfast, bringing together leaders to pray and instil godly values in them,
Prof. Nathan Chirama, from Africa College of Theology, delivered the sermon of the day, explaining how knowing and doing things are biblical gifts
Liliiane Uwababyeyi, a young poet, recited a poem ‘U Rwanda rwambaye Imana’, reflecting on how far the country has come and the blessing of good leadership, spearheaded by President Kagame.
