The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
The room was fully packed. One young man stood up. He said: My dad was a soldier. I was told he was involved in the genocide but now he is dead. When I saw that scene I recognised him on that truck kicking and beating that victim. I wish he was alive today and I ask him why he did this. I wish I was born before him and I teach him how not to do these things. If you see my dad in me you are wrong. I condemn everything he stood for… ndi’omunyarwanda.”
The entire hall was silent. Then another student stood up. He called back to the state the other student who had spoken. He said: You have touched my life. The man being kicked in that video was actually my dad. I grew up as an orphan among many other orphans. I was the only one fortunate to go to school. My life’s goal was to go to school, be influential and revenge my parents who were killed during genocide. Holding the other boy’s hand, he continued.
I did not know your dad was among those who killed my dad, he said. But today my life has changed after listening to you. I will live as omunyarwanda and not as a Tutsi survivor. I want to make a commitment. I know many like me who plan to revenge but now I know I am a munyarwanda and will mobilise them to see themselves as Banyarwanda. Turning to the other boy he said: You are now my brother. You are not responsible for what your dad did. People were stunned. The room was silent that you could have heard a pin drop.
These stories came back to my mind last week as I sat watching the Rwanda Patriotic Front nominate Paul Kagame as its flag bearer in the presidential elections scheduled for August. At the convention, leaders of all other major political parties in Rwanda also pledged their support for Kagame as well. For many, this was a farce. If I had not gotten deeply involved in the affairs of Rwanda and learnt them at close quarters, I would also have felt the same way.
Rwanda is going through a process of reconciliation and healing. The leadership of Rwanda is asking ordinary Rwandans, like in the two examples above, to live together, work together and eat together even when one’s family killed the other’s family. But how can leaders encourage people to do this while at the top they are involved in adversarial politics of quarrels and recriminations?
The best leadership is by example. At the RPF convention, Rwandan leaders were setting an example: that they may have policy, political and ideological differences, but they will work together as Banyarwanda to rebuild the country and reconcile the people. Watching leaders of other political parties stand up one by one to declare their support for Kagame, I understood what was happening.
Leaders in Rwanda are setting the example of what they are asking and expecting of their citizens: that even killers and victims should work together, live together and eat together. Foreigners, armed with abstract notions of democracy, may look at this show of solidarity with suspicion. But it is this solidarity that has made Rwanda stable and produced the results in many fields that we see today.
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amwenda@independent.co.ug
Thanks Andrew for the article. Leaders have to live by example. This will be a turning point in the process of reconciliation. May God bless Rwanda. Nd’omunyarwanda at heart
as Rwandans we Thank you Andrew Mwenda for this Good article where you explain this program of ndi umunyarwanda, this ndumunyarwanda helped Rwandan young people (those who Came from Killer’s families and those from killed families ) in real reconciliation
when i hear foreigners trying to poke their noses in the politics of my country Rwanda, i pity them cz had it not been Paul Kagame, Rwanda would be a failed state, thank u Andrew
I like Mwends’s style of writing! This story defines who we’re and our Destiny. Made Simple to understand.
This story has touched me indeed. I wish all Africans we could recognise each other as brothers and sisters. These deep rooted tribal divisions, leading to civil wars and conflicts account greatly to the slow development of Africa. The only thing I find interesting in Mwenda’s article is that “leaders of other parties were declaring support for President Kagame”. If that’s true, then one wonders why have political parties that will endorse the inccumbent? Isn’t Rwanda better off under one party system of governance?
The process of reconciliation is tough and Rwanda has done a lot of creative stuff to move towards it. However there is a massive bug in what on the surface seems like a good solution. The promotion of nationalism(ndimunyarwanda) is tainted by these public apologies children are made to say on behalf of their parents or antecedents.The big problem is that they are pushed more by government policy than personal volition. First in the process of reconciliation you must always ensure that you don’t make people who were not perpetrators apologize to people who were not victims. If you fail , you have started a social process of generational transfer of guilt and victim hood. …..and actually the foundation for the repeat of the very thing you were trying to avoid.
But Maceni, that is the best Rwanda could do for the present. And since reconciliation is a process so continuous it might take forever, this is where your contribution and advise as a sincere and well-meaning person should come in. It is like a burning house where one applies first-aid (sand) while waiting for the fire engines to come.
Poor MACHENI, as usual you seem to hurt every time something good happens in Rwanda! Have you been told by the pain stricken young men and women that they were coerced by the state to say what they said and do as they did? A good hearted person can discern spontaneity in their actions, while evil minded genocidaire apologists and detractors see the state hand at work. You may be predicting your evil wish, but rest assured that Rwanda’s young generation, is on the move on the right path, in the right direction in hurry to get there, and they will, Inshah Allah. I hope Kakyama takes note.
Joe, you sound like someone who could be advised so I will try. Only light,no matter how dim, can counter darkness…..like water does to fire. Maceni likewise must be approached from an angle of amity and tenderness, not counter-attack.
Hopefully he might see light and his animosity neutralised. People like Maceni,kakyama,Adhola etc… normally have a harsh(not poor) and/or advantaged up-bringing which tends to give them skewed vision (outer and inner) of issues. So their approach in Sociology requires tact. Please don’t blame them whenever they view genocide as a result of the arrogance of the killed which provoked the killers to anger……anger which lasted 100 days. People such as they are so right in their own eyes and so sure in their own twisted ways that no civilised inferential debate can convince them otherwise. we have experimented for 20 years and we came back to where we started from. Imagine a person shooting own mother dead allegedly because they are of different ethnic tribe!!!!!! It is no fiction.
Unless you believe that the current solution is perfect , you should have no problem in one pointing out its flaws. I want reconciliation to succeed in Rwanda ( under their own terms and not under the not very well thought out prescriptions of the west) . Instead of knee jerk reactions to put me in various boxes (harsh/advantaged upbringing, genocide sympathizer etc ) because I dared to have an opinion , please point out the flaw in my thinking , educate me , make a well thought out argument why I am wrong — it would serve both us and the larger cause better. There was a time in this blog most of the contributors were more preoccupied with impersonal well thought arguments and not name calling matches — lets make this blog great again!
1.Its true that the people of Rwanda love Kagame alot coz the genocide terrified them he is a sort of a god to the people of Rwanda remember the sombre mood that engulfed Ug when Kaweesi was killed now just imagine the impact of a genocide!The people of Rwanda dont take Kagame for granted let them enjoy his rule while it still lasts they takig day at a time.
3.Why is Kagame going thru all the political rituals of holding delegates conference to nominate him?Dont they have provison in the consitution for declaring one as unpposed?
@ Rajab must still be celebrating IDD in Butambala Rwanda is his favourate topic but he has made no comment are you aware that Kabaka is soon making a police statement on land issues?Are you aware that land that is under lease is a risky collectual for a loan
Rajab might not even be muslim; judging from the way he openly shows hostility to Kagame and sympathy to genocide perpetrators Winnie so his being in IDD celebrations don’t arise.
He has gone underground because there was no audience for his obsolete text-book copied ideas that ceased to be applicable in the last century…..or with the present-day hardships, you may find he has no access to internet. You know Winnie how life is tough and tougher when you are a (……) like Kakyama.
Stop wishing, I am as sparky as ever. I was observing the Holy month of Ramadan and the six days of Sitat. I kept a cool head but a very watchful eye. Its good to hear from Maceni. I will respond in good time. Internet is a social good. One only has to live in a 21st Century Country.