How Can President Kagame Be Held Responsible For Rusesabagina’s Gullibility?

Paul Rusesabagina lived large from proceeds of his conmanship. He loved the VIP suites. Globe trotting was an addiction.

When the invite came through from the Burundian Pastor, in which a private jet had been lined up, Rusesabagina didn’t blink. Rusesabagina was going to meet his troops on the ground, so he thought.

The wine, the VIP hostesses on board, were the perfect recipe.

And then boom; the famed “Hotel Rwanda” schemer, who had throughout his journey from Texas believed he had outsmarted the Rwandan authorities by coming into their backyard, walked out of that jet into handcuffs.

Rusesabagina brought himself to Kigali.

It is a situation of when a house owner lets the rat walk up to the trap with the allure of that piece.

Rusesabagina was gullible. He has nobody to blame, but himself.

President Paul Kagame cannot be held responsible for the mess that people like Rusesabagina get themselves into. He has a job to do, a difficult one to say the least, and that is to deliver service to his electorate.

There are 1.5m most vulnerable Rwandans including those living with disabilities, the elderly – who need a monthly stipend and roof a over their heads. Due to the nature of their vulnerability, the state takes care of all their needs through a unique welfare state system.

The stipend cannot be postponed. Government must find it.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has destabilized the economy. Struggling firms need to continue benefiting from the Economic Recovery Fund to stay afloat. The desperately needed support cannot be postponed. President Kagame and his team must find the resources to keep the fund operational.

So far, more than 2m adult Rwandans have received their COVID-19 jab. At least 70 percent of the population need it urgently, to be able to have herd immunity and fully reopen the economy.

President Kagame must stay awake to get these vaccines, navigating a world where the West is hoarding millions of vaccines.

While Rwanda’s neighborhood gets more volatile by the day, inside Rwanda the peace and stability reigns supreme. The annual Global Peace Index (GPI) has documented the evidence.

President Kagame is busy holding late night meetings to strategise on how best to continue keeping Rwanda safe.

These, and an endless list of others, are priorities the people of Rwanda have assigned President Kagame. The evidence shows that so far, he has performed far beyond expectations.

The Economist’s version of what it wants us to believe about Kagame’s priorities, is a continuation of that white supremacist notion that Africans are lesser humans.

President Kagame has demonstrated that he delivers. He has spent his entire adult life doing exactly that. He promised a liberated Rwanda, it came. He promised a transformed Rwanda, its on the path to just that.

The rest, as The Economist attempts to claim, is a diversion.