I saw the light in Rwanda – a leadership question for African political leaders

In April 2019, I published an article titled There is a Light in Rwanda, exploring the achievement of President Paul Kagame in rebuilding the country after the genocide. I continued to monitor the progress of the Rwandans and their attempts to prove that the problems of most African countries are partially genetic. Africans can do the right things. It is not always about corruption, political rivalry, perpetuation of power, killings, and fighting that we are known for.

Africans can also create enabling environments, respect the rule of law, and develop institutions and countries that, given lesser inference from the Western world, intend to compete for relevance and steal our natural resources.

I visited Kigali on a working visit to coach some directors and senior officers of one of our leading clients at Mentoras Leadership Coaching and Consulting. What I saw and experienced in Kigali confirms consistent improvements in governance and people willing to rewrite the story of Africans. I wonder why the Western media have done enough coverage of the light in Rwanda, the heart of Africa.

 “How Rwanda moved from a destroyed and divided country into the heart of Africa is a leadership question for other African leaders who had retrogressed their people and countries despite having opportunities to do better.”

From the Kigali International Airport, it was evident that I was alive in an African dream, not a delusional nightmare. Within five minutes of landing, we were ushered into the terminal. There was light everywhere. There were not only visible lights but also collaborative lights. Without a visa, I was in Rwanda. I was expecting to pay for the visa on arrival, but I paid no fee for visiting Kigali. My passport was stamped once my mission in Kigali was confirmed. The immigration officials do their work diligently. I didn’t see blatant begging or body language requesting tips from their officials. Waiting to collect my luggage, my mentality was proved wrong, and it looked like I was in Europe. My bags arrived without waiting for hours; everyone appeared to know what they were doing. I see trust and respect for everyone. No one checks my luggage tags to know if I have taken another man’s bag. Everything went as if I was watching a motivational movie about Africa. Please don’t blame me; I can only compare my experience to where I was coming from, where the culture of begging, though on the decline, is a significant embarrassment at our airports.

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There is always something to fight for among humans. Rwanda went through a deadly genocide in 1994 when two ethnic groups with the same religion killed over six hundred citizens, including children. There were claims of rape of women and atrocities against humanity. How Rwanda moved from a destroyed and divided country into the heart of Africa is a leadership question for other African leaders who had retrogressed their people and countries despite having opportunities to do better.

There is always something to fight for. They had the same religion, yet they disagreed based on ethnicity. In Sudan, it was a fight for religion and resources. In the family setting, society, and nation, people will also have something to fight for. However, the rebirth of Rwanda under the leadership of Paul Kagame is evidence of a practical reconciliation and development after fighting for ethnic dominance. While fighting to the extent of killing over six hundred thousand is senseless and should be avoided, Rwanda has shown Africans the possibility of resilience and coming back from significant obstacles at the national level, which is worthy of emulation.

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How did the two major ethnic groups forgive and forget the past? How was the economy revamped and developed within two decades? How Rwanda became a country of pride among countries despite the massacre is a leadership question requiring answers from our political leaders, especially in countries where the poverty level is nearly a time bomb stage.

Among notable strides in Rwanda is Kigali, Africa’s cleanest and safest city. The Rwanda tax to GDP was 17 percent in 2021, which was in the upper ninety percent. A free mandatory primary and secondary school education with almost one hundred enrolment rates exists. All children are to be given a computer tablet. The most important milestone of Rwanda is her organisation. Citizens willingly comply with the laws and are so friendly to visitors that Rwanda is creating a new tourism destination for everyone everywhere.

Rwanda is a story of possibilities. The citizen of Kigali is a hope for an average African person whose government and political leaders have impoverished through selfish enrichment of their cronies and corruption. Rwanda is a democratic state, but with a modified democracy that suits its situation. Whether the democracy in other African countries is working or not, a study of the democracy in Rwanda shows that what is lacking in other countries is leaders with the intention to provide commonwealth for their people.

For other African countries and their people, it is time to question your democracy, especially the leadership selection process that has produced self-centred people who have retrogressed countries and impoverished their people.

Though Kagame’s leadership and Rwanda’s story are a source of pride for all Africans, they are also a leadership question for all other African leaders to answer and a reflection on followership for all citizens of the continent.

Babs Olugbemi FCCA, the Chief Vision Officer at Mentoras Leadership Limited and Founder of Positive Growth Africa. He can be reached on [email protected] or 07064176953 or on Twitter @Successbabs.