Rwanda has just concluded the Genocide Week, in commemoration of the almost one million Rwandans who lost their lives in the macabre genocide of 1994.
For those who know and understand the situation in Rwanda at the time, a lot has changed in the last 22 years since the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) came to power. Naturally, there are voices of dissent against the type of governance President Paul Kagame exercises, a healthy development in its own right, but these voices should not cloud the achievements made so far, under not-so-friendly circumstances.
It is imperative to note that the country charted a path of where it wants to be and how it intends to get there. Not many governments in Africa pursue such dreams with the nostalgia Rwanda does.
For instance, corruption, one of the biggest impediments to social development in Africa, has been dealt a death blow and woe betide those whose penchant it is to dip their fingers in the national coffers. Several have faced this anti-corruption rigour machine, the most recent being Dr Rose Mukankomeje, the Director General of the Rwanda Environment Management Agency (REMA). She is answering to charges.
Needless to mention therefore, the money saved from the minimization of pilfer, has gone a long in ensuring that the requisite services are provided in a timely and justifiable manner.
Another landmark worth of mention is the infrastructural transformation that includes among others the Rwanda capital Kigali, a city that has undergone one of the fastest development changes in any post-conflict African country and today it is known as the cleanest city on the continent.
And, when it comes to doing business the World Bank ranks Rwanda, commonly dubbed ‘the land of a thousand hills’ as being among the top three destinations that can be attractive to investors seeking business opportunities in Africa.
Well, the small East African country has a huge story to tell, little wonder then that when pragmatic Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli decided it was time to move out of the country for his first official engagement, he chose Rwanda as his first destination.
