In Summary: As the Rwandese Patriotic Front celebrates 20 years in power President Kagame is threatening to stay in office forever, it has been a long time that Paul Kagame forgot the eight point program of RPF. If Gen Fred Rwigema met Kagame today I believe Fred would not shake hands with him. President Kagame has driven the RPF from a political party to an employment agency, corrupt and managed by murderers.

Gen Rwigema

Twagiramungu Faustin former priminister of RPF with Col Alex Kanyarengwe and Agathe Uwilingiyimana

The Rwandese Patriotic Front turns twenty years in power but what do we recall about this long journey, the RPF  which was once a political party guided by the people and the senior cardres plus the leaders who once had a clue on reality, Died the day it fell in Kagame,s hands.

The President has been doing everything to convince people that the RPF is on the right path, but many people we spoke to disagreed. We congratulate the RPF members for the achievement of what we managed to get our hands on during the last couple of years, but disagree that we have been heading to the right direction, especially where our founders left us or those who first took over after our Messiah Gen Fred Rwigema passed on, one of the senior cardres argued.

Let’s take the readers to revisit the program RPF was born with in the first place, however we will first dictate that the President was very wrong While addressing the Press on Tuesday ahead of the country’s 20th Liberation celebrations on July 4, President Kagame, who also doubles as the RPF chairman, said that the party has evolved over the last two and a half decades, with some people dropping off along the way.

He downplayed fears that the RPF has been weakened by the fall out with some of the senior cadres and top officials including those who have gone on to form opposition parties abroad, pointing out that as is the case in other parts of the world, people disagree on many fronts but life has to continue.  I would be surprised, and I wouldn’t like it if the RPF of 20 years ago is the same RPF of today. I think there would be a problem. That would mean RPF is not evolving or developing or undergoing any transformation,” Kagame said.

The senior cadres we spoke stated that,’’I believe the President was only focussing on thinking quantitative, not qualitative, the president has betrayed the RPF to an extent that when asked what the government had done to support the widows and orphans of the RPA/RPF, he diverted the question to a flight idea, Here the president appeared embarrassed and not willing to engage in such a question’’. Our heroes are in prisons others were killed on President Kagame,s orders, and others in exile, we have orphans who do not access the necessities just because their parents died saving Rwandans and the president do not care.

In beginning, The RPF-INKOTANYI, was determined to commit itself to the resolution of Rwanda’s political, economic and social problems, decided to elaborate and implement a political programme aimed at building a nation that is free and fair to all Rwandans.

The RPF drew a programme comprising the following eight points:

1. Restoration of unity among Rwandans;

2. Defending the sovereignty of the country nd ensuring the security of people and property;

3. Establishment of democratic leadership;

4. promoting the economy based on the country’s natural resources;

5. Elimination of corruption, favouritism and embezzlement of national resources;

6. Promoting social welfare;

7. Eliminating all causes for fleeing the country and returning Rwandan refugees back into the country;

8. Promoting international relations based on mutual respect, cooperation and mutually beneficial economic exchange;

Most of the above points do not exist anymore as Rwandans continue to live in fear, false imprisonment, disappearances, with wars and threats around our neighbouring countries caused by the current President, plus orders to kill the opponents either from the President or his right hand men.

Looking at where our once beloved political party started and where we are today, yes we have achieved a lot in some areas but the reasons that triggered the war in the early 1990’s have doubled, our president is proud of diverting the RPF from its common values and even threatening to rule for life. This is what  he had to say yesterday on seeking a third term, President Paul Kagame has declined to say whether he will retire when his second elective term in office ends in 2017, saying personalising succession other than institutions devalues the debate on the future of democracy in Rwanda and Africa.

“The exercising of power seen as governance process, seen as tokens given by individual, is about what you do when you are there rather than leaving the scene,” Mr Kagame said. “It’s like when I go, I am likely to be rewarded for that, than for what I have done when I am there. Rights and processes should not be zeroed to an individual,” he added.

The Rwandan leader was addressing a pan African Youth conference in Kigali as part of the activities to commemorate the 20th anniversary for the Rwanda liberation.

Mr Kagame was responding, during an interactive session, to a question put to him by a youth from Uganda, Mr Victor Ochieng, whether he would be the African leader to emulate global icon Nelson Mandela and hand over power without difficulty. Mr Ochieng also wondered why elderly African leaders were afraid of the youth taking over from them.
The president asked the youth from 44 countries that the pre-occupation of Africans should be on creation of situations, systems and institutions where things happen and not a decision of one individual.

Mr Kagame dismissed the notion that there was a divide between the youth and the old in the body-politic of Africa. “It shouldn’t sound ‘it’s the young versus the old.’ If we don’t unite and there is a seamless relationship, then there is a problem”.
Earlier, Mr Kagame said democracy did not have a scientific formula applicable to all nations. He said each country must come up with a mechanism that works best for its citizens “even with trial and error.”

“This is what builds democracy and sustains peace. But if we lack in confidence, we will always fall back in the mountain, again and again,” he said as the youth applauded.
Mr Kagame said it was time for African countries to shake off the yoke of low expectations attached to Africans and their governments by the so called developed nations.

Citing Kigali, he said some Western and African visitors are usually surprised by the lawfulness, cleanliness and orderliness of the capital, Kigali, run down by genocide only 20 years ago.
He said the low expectations of the Africans had been exhibited even at the World Cup where all the four nations from the continent were eliminated.
“I watch the World Cup in my free time. But I feel like punching the screen. You have these African players… as individuals they are the best but as a team….,” he said, without completing a statement. “I wish I was their coach.”