President Paul Kagame has warned against politics built on lies, false claims and exaggerated achievements, saying such an approach only compounds problems instead of solving them.
Speaking at the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF-Inkotanyi) Political Bureau meeting in Rusororo, Kagame said politics should be defined by its ability to address challenges and deliver practical solutions for citizens.
“For the RPF, politics is about confronting problems and finding solutions,” Kagame said. “Politics based on lies, fabrication and deception does not provide solutions. It only creates more problems.”
The meeting brought together more than 2,000 party members and invited guests, including representatives of political parties, diplomats, government officials, private sector leaders and youth representatives.
Opening the meeting, RPF Secretary General Christophe Bazivamo commended party members for their contribution to Rwanda’s development over the 32 years since the country’s liberation.
Kagame said achieving Rwanda’s development goals requires leaders and citizens alike to focus on measurable outcomes rather than rhetoric. He urged officials to regularly assess their performance and address shortcomings instead of masking them with inflated claims.
“If children are not in school, they are not in school. You cannot claim to have achieved your objectives when the reality is different,” Kagame said. “If people do not have access to quality healthcare, you cannot pretend they do. What we say must be reflected in what people actually experience.”
He likened governance to treating an illness, arguing that problems cannot be solved unless they are first acknowledged.
“If you fail to recognize that you are sick, the illness will eventually overcome you because you never sought treatment,” he said. “These meetings are an opportunity to examine ourselves, identify weaknesses and find solutions.”
Kagame also extended the message to international relations, saying productive partnerships between countries require each side to contribute rather than rely solely on the other.
“When working with others, you should first understand what you bring to the table so that both sides benefit from the partnership,” he said.
The president said Africa continues to face historical challenges in its engagement with the rest of the world, arguing that many countries on the continent are too often viewed as recipients of aid rather than equal partners.
He called on African countries to strengthen their own economic capabilities and make better use of their resources, saying the continent should pursue partnerships based on mutual benefit instead of dependency.
According to Kagame, countries that fail to build on their own strengths risk remaining dependent on external support while seeing even their limited resources exploited by others.
