On Monday night, Rwandan President Paul Kagame agreed to be interviewed by CNN journalist Amanpour. You can download the entire interview on ITunes.
Among the broader public relations machine that is the Kagame presidency, I only have this comment. He appears very nervous and basically admits that he is losing control of the country. This is a man who has total disdain for peasant Rwandans (his policies benefit urban elites, not rural peasants) ; to now invoke them in the name of his oppressive tactics is disingenuous. The reason why no journalist, human rights activist or academic has been able to talk to ordinary people is because Kagame's regime makes it all but impossible. There is no freedom of action or thought at the moment.
This is very serious for all Rwandans -- urban, rural, elite, peasant alike. I hope that the international community will begin to encourage Kagame to allow the political opposition to register and campaign. There is no outlet for popular frustration and anger in the country and that is exceedingly worrying....
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"(his policies benefit urban elites, not rural peasants)"
ReplyDeleteSorry but this is nonsense. So much for the idea of balance in your blog.
peace and security, reduction in malaria and HIV, new roads, 9 years' free education (funded by taking money from top students), girinka - one cow per family, one phone per family, mutuelle de sante health insurance, school milk, zero tolerance of corruption - do these policies not benefit rural peasants?
Please how you give a cow to a survivor of the genocide if he/she doesn't have any place to sleep? 9 years free education what is behind this program? why peasants children will follow the 9 years and the children in Nyarutarama not? Could you pls tell me one family who receive a phone from government? regarding corruption did you read the report of the National Bank and the ombudsman? How much money disappear in the cashier of your government from 2006 until today? Etc, etc
ReplyDeleteWrites Mr. Anonymous,
ReplyDelete"peace and security, reduction in malaria and HIV, new roads, 9 years' free education (funded by taking money from top students), girinka - one cow per family, one phone per family, mutuelle de sante health insurance, school milk, zero tolerance of corruption - do these policies not benefit rural peasants?"
Sorry, but the image you evoke doesn't represent the Rwanda that I live in. The "one phone per family" thing is exceedingly laughable. So, assuming this were true, how would it benefit the peasants? who would pay for their airtime?
Nkunda
Please how you give a cow to a survivor of the genocide if he/she doesn't have any place to sleep? SO THIS SURVIVOR HAS BEEN HOMELESS FOR 16 YEARS? THERE ARE ORGANISATIONS WHO SUPPORT SURVIVORS AND GOVT FUNDS GIVEN TO SUPPORT THEM. THE FACT IS THAT THERE HAVE BEEN COWS TAKEN FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE MANY AND GIVEN TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE NONE. 9 years free education what is behind this program? IT ENABLES MANY PEOPLE WHO WOULD NORMALLY LEAVE EDUCATION AFTER P6 TO CONTINUE. IT IS NOT PERFECT BUT YOU HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE. why peasants children will follow the 9 years and the children in Nyarutarama not? YES THERE WILL BE PRIVATE SCHOOLS SINCE THE GOVT CANNOT PROVIDE ALL BUT GOVT SCHOOLS DO WELL IN EXAM RESULTS. Could you pls tell me one family who receive a phone from government? IT IS NOT ABOUT PROVIDING EVERYTHING FREE TO THE PEOPLE. THAT IS NOT SUSTAINABLE. PROGRAMMES FOR THINGS LIKE PHONES ARE ABOUT MAKING THEM AVAILABLE AT REASONABLE RATES ON MICROFINANCE. regarding corruption did you read the report of the National Bank and the ombudsman? YOU WILL NEVER ELIMINATE IT COMPLETELY BUT THEY ARE TRYING How much money disappear in the cashier of your government from 2006 until today? Etc, etc
ReplyDeleteSorry, but the image you evoke doesn't represent the Rwanda that I live in. The "one phone per family" thing is exceedingly laughable. So, assuming this were true, how would it benefit the peasants? who would pay for their airtime? WELL IT SEEMS CLEAR THAT MANY PEASANTS NOW HAVE PHONES. tHE COSTS HAS GONE DOWN. A SIM PLUS TIME USED TO BE 3,000 IT IS NOW 1,000. RECENTLY YOU COULD GET A BASIC PHONE FOR 8,000. IF YOU BEEP SOMEONE YOU DO NOT PAY FOR THE CALL. YOU CAN BE CONTACTED AS WELL.
THIS IS NOT GOVT THAT JUST GIVES YOU THINGS LIKE YOU ARE A BABY. BUT THE ORIGINAL POINT WAS ABOUT POLICY AND WHETHER GOVT POLICY SHOWS DISDAIN FOR PEASANTS. IT DOES NOT.
And the govt also does not give to ministers. They buy their own houses and cars and maintain them.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised to learn that Rwandans are more than 11 million! A BIG LIE.
ReplyDeleteBut, you are lying and that is to much. Can u convince me that there isn't no body dying in USA or in these Developped countries (due to lack of shelter, something to eat or no access to medical care? I guess yes. Rwanda improved a lot. Currently 70% of the population has access to clean water (compared to 4% in DRC, 10% has access to electricity from 4% in previous years; and there signs indicating that would increase soon (a Tunisian company was hired to do the job "expanding ectricity in rural areas").
ReplyDeleteMwananawe
In Rwanda different foreign organizations are showing positif achievements, contradicting what you are saying. An example: Child mortality rate fell from 86 per 1,000 live births in 2005 to 62 per 1,000 in 2008.
ReplyDeleteMaternal mortality dropped from more than 1,071 deaths per 100,000 live births between 1995 and 2000 to 600 in 2008. (DFID figures)
Life expectancy is 50 (2008 statistics by World Bank).
Are these figures or achievements only be beneficial to people living in towns? Stop your propaganda.
Chris Woods
Only a foolish person can not be able to see how policies like (peace and security, reduction in malaria and HIV, new roads, 9 years' free education, one cow per family, one phone per family, mutuelle de sante health insurance, school milk, zero tolerance of corruption) can positively affect all rwandans (in rural, urbans and those in Diaspora)
ReplyDeleteGwiza
There are also statistics showing that (taking the case of Education development)the net enrolment rate in primary schools is now at 96%. A 9 YBE (free) program has been put in place since 2009 to allow school droppers to live school at least with secondary level knowledge. The Number of higher learning institutions has increased from 1 to 20 (private ones included) and University graduates increased from 2,160 in 1994 to 44,000 in 2009.
ReplyDeleteAre this case not benefiting the rural area?
Therence
Your comments regarding genocide survivor allegdly without no place to live, is this factual? I think that this is purely a mere propaganda. I am also a genocide survival and in my knowledge i don't know any survival who sleep outside. Some (mine) are yet to get their own houses (in order to stop renting or being accomodated by friends), and the one dollar campaign was installed for that purpose. Are you advising Rwanda to stop the one cow per family till all survivals get there own houses or what? Are u prefering the former 6 years of primary education, to that of (adding 3 more secondary years)9 years. Concerning free phones issue, can you up date yourself or else as people from Nyaruguru District? Finally, i guess you don't want Rwanda to become like some countries like Kenya (where officials disagree on how to combat corruption). Rwanda has a direction and many cases of corrupt officials are in courts. And the institutions you are stating (ombudsman and Auditor General, who made those reports ur saying)were put in place by the current regime to deal with it.
ReplyDeleteI was in Rwanda in 2008 when the ID project concluded registering Rwandans in the 30 districts and some of those who are in diaspora (even though it still registering some from the diaspora and those who were young at that time in the country) their statistics showed that the Rwandan population was above 10 millions. Then given its high birth rate and the uncounted population (up to now) it is not surprising that in two years, estimates can lead to 11millions.
ReplyDeleteKwizera