By David Himbara
At Rwanda’s National Leadership Retreat that began on February 26, 2018, the Rwandan dictator General Paul Kagame wasted no time in blaming his government’s failures on everyone else. Except himself. The terror he unleashed on his entire government was extraordinary even by Kagame’s standards. The visibly terrified leaders included Chief Justice, President of the Senate, Speaker of Parliament, cabinet ministers, and mayors. At one point in Kagame’s headmaster style lecture, the dictator threatened to lock up the mayors.
Here are some of the images showing Kagame’s victims.
What Kagame is fuming about include child malnutrition, child poverty, and hunger at large that are ravaging the country. Kagame is especially angered by the fact that Rwanda has some of the worst statistics in the world with regards to child health and well-being.
In blaming others, but not himself, the Rwandan dictator is conveniently ignoring several important factors:
- As is often stated, effective leaders pass the credit to others when things go right but take the blame when things go wrong. By passing credit onto subordinates, good leaders fully recognize that they are nothing without their teams. By threatening to lock mayors and humiliating the entire government, Kagame is illustrating that he is a horrible leader and dictator.
- Kagame is either ignorant or pretending not to know the geographic nutritional divide in Rwanda. The rural areas are the most affected by child malnutrition. The districts most affected by food insecure households are predominantly in the Western Province. Hundreds of Rwandans from these districts have been fleeing to Uganda during the past several years.
- Kagame does not seem to know that poverty, illiteracy, and insufficient land for farming are among the factors that cause food insecurity in Rwanda. These factors are, therefore, the root causes of child malnutrition — and required strong and collaborative effort led by no less than the president himself as the champion. But dictator Kagame is hardly ever in Rwanda. He is always overseas boasting how he has transformed Rwanda into the Singapore of Africa.
- Kagame seems to have forgotten his Vision 2020 to transform Rwanda from poverty into a middle-income country was a total failure. According to his latest big lie — Vision 2050, Rwanda will exit from low-income to middle-income in 2035.
Kagame, you are a total disaster and disgrace. The elephant in the room in which you are terrorizing the people you appointed is you. Look in the mirror.
