Unity key to devolution, says Kagame

Rwandan President Paul Kagame Monday advised Kenyan leaders to take ownership of the development agenda if the country is to progress.

Speaking at the Governors’ Forum, sponsored by the Nation Media Group, President Kagame told leaders to take charge and rally people to their cause.

“You must feel what you’re doing is your own and contribute to it,” the President said.

In a three-hour interaction with county bosses, Mr Kagame spoke on the need for leaders to involve their people in decision-making as a way of gaining their confidence.

“There is no magic or miracle that will get us where we want to be. If you’re communicating, soul-searching and working together, you have a bigger chance to achieve sustainable development,” he told the forum that ends Tuesday.

OVERCAME CRISIS

Governors were eager to hear from the President of Rwanda how he managed to pull the country through the worst human crisis in the world 20 years ago to become a model of development in the region.

He said the country learnt lessons from the 1994 genocide, which has given them the drive to progress.

Rwandans, he noted, realised that their biggest problem was divisive politics, which had to be brought to an end once they realised that they could turn their difference to catalysts of development.

“Diversity has two sides — a positive and negative one. You must, as a country, choose what you want and use diversity to create strength to develop,” he added.

He also attributed Rwanda’s progress to the promotion of accountability in leadership in the country.

“A leader must be accountable, you have to have a vision and leadership for the nation to forge ahead,” he advised.

Mr Kagame noted that effective devolution requires the county to be given both autonomy and capacity to deliver their mandate, but also for the devolved units to seek support from national government, civil society and private sector.

Citing the Rwanda experience, President Kagame encouraged the national and county governments to engage in frank dialogue to resolve rising issues.

“Sustained frank dialogue combined with working together is the only way national growth can be achieved,” Mr Kagame noted.

Nation Media Group chairman Wilfred Kiboro praised President Kagame for steering Rwanda to a fast-growing economy.

Mr Kiboro urged the media to be responsible in reporting and stop portraying some leaders as opposed to devolution. 

“All leaders have the interests of this country at heart. We should desist from painting them as opposing each other but say they have a difference of opinion on what direction they should take,” he said.