President Paul Kagame has attributed Rwanda’s cleanliness, particularly in Kigali, to a community-based approach in which individuals and communities take responsibility for maintaining their surroundings.
Kagame made the remarks on August 24, 2026, during a press conference in Kigali, after a Moroccan journalist asked about Rwanda’s approach to cleanliness and why it has attracted attention from visitors and people in other African countries.
The journalist said the level of cleanliness he observed in Rwanda had generated interest among his followers, including people in Morocco, who wanted to understand how the country had achieved it.
Kagame said Rwanda had chosen to make cleanliness a responsibility shared by individuals, households, communities and the wider country.
He argued that maintaining a clean home does not necessarily require outside assistance and said the same principle could be applied at the national level.
“For Rwanda, the answer was no, because Rwandans can keep themselves and their environment clean regardless of the country’s economic situation,” Kagame said.
He pointed to Umuganda, the monthly community work programme, as one of the mechanisms through which communities contribute to development and environmental protection.
Umuganda activities have included road maintenance, construction of classrooms, tree planting, soil conservation, construction of houses and sanitation facilities for vulnerable households, as well as community clean-up activities.
Kagame said the programme was not initially easy to implement, as some people questioned why they were expected to participate in community work.
He said participation gradually increased, including after national leaders took part in the activities.
According to Kagame, the experience helped reinforce the idea that maintaining clean surroundings is a shared responsibility and that communities can benefit directly from the environment they help maintain.
He also linked cleanliness to Rwanda’s broader efforts to strengthen its image internationally.
Kagame said Rwanda’s size and resources make it important for the country to focus on areas where it can demonstrate practical results.
He compared the issue of cleanliness with efforts to address corruption, saying both can influence how a country is perceived internationally.
He maintained that Rwanda’s ability to maintain clean surroundings is not determined only by financial resources, but also by public attitudes, community participation and the choices made by individuals and institutions.
