KAGAME: Focus on development

President Kagame pushes for delivery on development targets at leadership retreat

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Rwandan President Paul Kagame’s key message at the opening of the country’s 15th National Leadership retreat (Umwiherero) at Gabiro in Gatsibo district was a call to leaders to deliver on the country’s development vision.

The president said the retreat was part of Rwanda’s culture of self-assessment aimed at ensuring that what leaders do helps them deliver the government’s vision.

“It is our culture to change what needs to be changed,” President Kagame said, “To evaluate what hasn’t been going on well and for what is going on well to be even better for us to continue moving forward.”

He also explained that the retreat helps leaders to understand whether the vision they set is clear to them and everyone.

The President also called on the leaders to put in practice what is discussed at the annual retreats if things are to change.

“As this retreat goes on,” he said, “We will find that there are things that we know we are not doing well yet they are not changing. This means there is a problem.”

Specifically, the President said there are things that have been discussed for the last 15 times in the last 15 years but they keep coming up.

“This retreat therefore is meant for us to assess ourselves as leaders because we have to provide leadership to the people we lead, the people that have entrusted us and are counting on us.”

He said Rwanda’s high rankings in different indices mean that the country has potential to do better if the leaders coordinate and use available resources efficiently.

The 15th edition of the annual National Leadership Retreat focused on the country’s development targets, prerequisites for transformational growth and improving quality of health services.

Over 300 senior leaders from the central and local government, state authorities and the private sector attended the event.

During the four day retreat from Feb 26 to March 1, education for a knowledge based economy and how to position Rwanda better was also on the agenda.

Auditor General Obadiah Biraro, said that in terms of cooperate governance, the retreat is like an annual general meeting of shareholders of the Republic of Rwanda.

During his presentation, Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente said that Rwanda implemented at least 82 per cent of resolutions of the 14th National Leadership Retreat.

At last year’s retreat, 26 resolutions were adopted. Ngirente said 15 per cent of the resolutions were at an average rate of 50 to 74 per cent. Up to 26 resolutions were adopted at last year’s National Leadership Retreat.

Some of these included strategies to fast track Vision 2020, the country’s blueprint for development and improved coordination between institutions of the central government.

The Prime Minister also told the gathering that a total of Rwf720million which is 58 per cent of embezzled funds had been recovered in the period between April 2017 and January 2018.

“There is an improvement in the drafting and management of contracts between the Government and private operators, and the government has stepped efforts to hold those responsible for causing losses to Government accountable, and finalising recovery of embezzled funds from those who were found guilty and prosecuting apprehended suspects,” Ngirente told the leaders

He also called upon the leaders to maintain high levels of integrity so as to fast track the country’s development agenda. Ngirente said low levels of self-evaluation, deceitful reporting on the number of citizen-oriented policies and activities have bogged down the path towards development.

Anastase Shyaka, the Chief Executive Officer of Rwanda Governance Board (RGB), said the country is looking for a new momentum on the transformational agenda.

“The leadership retreat is a time for new momentum in delivery, coordination and focusing on things that are transformational,” the official noted, “We might not necessarily be succeeding in the things we take as resolutions but the most important thing is that we are sure this arrangement has an impact on our level of delivery and advancement of government programmes”.

The leadership retreat is a tradition in Rwandan culture where leaders convene to reflect on issues affecting their communities. The event has become a model of accountability for Rwandan leaders.

In addition, it is a way for the leaders to take stock of achievements and more importantly to identify strategies of accelerating implementation of national policies.