President Paul Kagame has said that the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) party will continue focusing on its mission of liberating Rwandans in all social, political and economical aspects of life, on which the party was formed.
The President was addressing thousands of Rwandans gathered at Amahoro National Stadium to celebrate 25 years since the RPF ruling party was formed.
The well attended event was also graced by the President of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, The Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn among other leaders from Africa and beyond.
In his address, Kagame reminded Rwandans of the history of the party and the reason of its formulation- and said they took arms to fight the prevailing government with intensions to liberate Rwandans from the former government that failed to negotiate on issue of restoring democracy, and instead denied citizens of their rights and instilled divisions and injustice.
“We are still the same people and we are capable of going back to those foxholes (Indaki), to fight for the truth, rights and our dignity. We are the same people, who cannot be hampered by lies and craftiness. We cannot be put down by lies- impossible,” said Kagame.
“This is why Rwanda, spearheaded by RPF-Inkotanyi, will continue to build a united nation, on our own grounds- so that, for our nation, even though this will take long but won’t get stuck to reach to the development we desire. Even with these hazards I have talked about; we will only be delayed but will not be stopped from heading to wherever we are going.”
The Head of State also noted that the current progress could have not been achieved if it was not for profound policies, taken by the RPF led government, to give equal opportunity to all- in education, health, labor, and women empowerment –of which they deserve, and the youth- to take their right place so as to become leaders of today, but especially the future.
He also pointed out the programs of promoting capacity of people living with disability and the promotion of the private sector and improvement of the investment climate in Rwanda, as a way of attaining development.
“It is evident that there is progress. Poverty is gradually reducing at a good rate, and the wealth of Rwandans has increased. Even in the hardest times, the RPF party didn’t give up, and won’t give up even in the future on its mission.
Instead the party continued collaborating with Rwandans to make its contribution, so that the suitable social welfare for all Rwandans should be sustained. Now that the RPF party has come of age, it will continue to putting national interests and capacity building at the forefront of everything else.”
He said that such attitude enables open debates, sharing ideas which will bring about the change needed and outcomes that every Rwandan agrees on. Kagame told Rwandans that the journey ahead is still a long one but there won’t be any giving up on the goals.
“The youth, who were born after the birth of RPF have now become old enough and had the opportunity to grow well unlike the party which begun running before crawling, because of the times in which the party was born.
The youth of today are for RPF-Inkotanyi and for the nation- they must take the nation to another level because the ground has been leveled and what remains is to build the nation because opportunities are at large.”
In order to speed the growth of Rwanda, Kagame said that RPF is ready to work with all political parties and other nations to work for the dignity of its people and the nation. He said that Africans have every resource and everything they need but have to strive to attain want they want.
“We have to struggle for the level by ourselves and no one will take us there, but us. This day should remind us where we are coming from and be a reminder of the struggle of dignity because the struggle for dignity and development for all Rwandans and other nations is still ongoing.”