President Paul Kagame urged local government leaders to closely follow up on citizens’ concerns and resolve them, warning that failure to do so should lead them to step down, as poor performance cannot move the country forward.
He made the remarks while closing a national leadership retreat held at the Gako Military Academy. The meeting brought together district leaders, ministers, and other senior officials.
Discussions at the retreat focused on persistent governance challenges, including poor performance, lack of coordination among leaders, and inadequate service delivery.
In his opening remarks, the Prime Minister noted that a report by the Rwanda Governance Board shows a decline in service delivery, dropping from 78.2% in 2023 to 75.8% in 2024, and further to 71.7% in 2025.
Before President Kagame spoke, leaders acknowledged their shortcomings and committed to improving their performance. He asked whether it was the first time they were hearing about the issues raised, the self-assessments conducted, and the conclusions drawn.
He said “Who here is hearing this for the first time? That would mean there is another problem beyond what has already been identified. You can keep analyzing and identifying all the problems and even decide on measures for change, but if what comes out of it is just repetition, then what is the issue? I want you to tell me whether this is what you analyzed.”
President Kagame criticized leaders who repeatedly make the same mistakes and then apologize, saying he does not understand how someone can commit the same error over and over.
He said that “Making the same mistake every time, apologizing for it, and then repeating it again is not how people normally make mistakes. It becomes a problem… These are mistakes repeatedly made by the same individuals, often those called leaders. If you are in a leadership position and you keep repeating the same mistake, then there is something you do not understand that must change.”
He added that it is unreasonable for one leader to make a mistake and then be replaced by another who repeats the same error.
“Is the problem within us as Rwandans? What exactly is our issue? All of you seated here understand your responsibilities and what should be done, perhaps even better than I do. But at this point, that is why I am asking such questions,” He asked.
President Kagame also pointed to weaknesses in planning and project implementation, noting that without proper planning or alignment between plans and actions, meaningful results cannot be achieved or may come at a high cost.
He said: “These things must go together. There is also the issue of not planning at all or planning poorly. Even if you plan well, if you fail to link those plans with the necessary actions, that is a serious problem […] You cannot achieve meaningful results without proper planning.”
He gave an example involving leaders from the Eastern Province, referring to a project intended to support irrigation while also providing water to residents. He questioned why only one aspect was implemented.
He said: “If you follow one part and neglect the other, how do you reach a result that gives you what you want?”
President Kagame concluded by stressing the need for urgent change, calling on leaders to stop repeating mistakes and merely apologizing, noting that some forget both their responsibilities and the colleagues they are supposed to work with.
