President Paul Kagame on Sunday, March 28 urged leaders from different sectors to ‘do more and better’ as part of the efforts to make up for the time Rwanda lost due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Kagame delivered the message while speaking at the 26th edition of the annual National Prayer Breakfast that was virtually held and aired on the national broadcaster.

Reminding leaders about Covid-19 restrictions that have affected the country for the past year, Kagame said that there is a lot to be thankful for.

"I am glad that the prayer breakfast took place despite the pandemic restrictions. We are especially grateful that Rwandans working hand in hand with leaders managed to avoid the worst consequences of this pandemic.”

He added, "We are thankful for the vaccines that allow us to look forward to a future without Covid-19 and to rebuilding our economy.”

Rwanda has so far administered the vaccine on over 348,000 most exposed people in the country, with majority taking the first shot and awaiting the second and final one in the coming days.

The Head of State told leaders that the prayer breakfast is an opportune moment to recommit to their respective missions while seeking more strength and wisdom to serve Rwandans.

"There is no doubt that Rwandans have been seriously affected by this pandemic especially the most vulnerable among us.”

"We must go about our duties with a heart to those who we serve. I hope that today’s prayer event will inspire all of us to raise our collective ambitions for our country.”

Kagame added that it will challenge them to do more and better and make up for some of the time lost as the country fought the worst pandemic for decades.

Organised by Rwanda Leaders Fellowship (RLF), a not-for-profit organisation, the annual prayer meeting brings together leaders in top positions for fellowship, to celebrate the country’s achievements in the past year and reflect on future milestones.

This year’s edition was celebrated under the theme ‘transformative leadership in times of distress.”

Ordinarily, the ceremony attracts participants from other countries.

The Chairperson of Rwanda Leaders Fellowship, Eric Munyemana, commended the leaders for taking their time to virtually participate despite unusual celebrations.

"Even though 2020 was challenging for Rwandans and the rest of the world, there are reasons to be thankful and pay homage to the divine power for enabling our leaders to play stewards.”

One of the keynote speakers at the virtual event, Kevine Kagirimpundu, CEO and founder of Uzuri K&Y thanked God for the country’s progress despite the pandemic effects.

She thanked God for Rwanda’s progress in the healthcare sector most notably for the construction of the Covid-19 treatment facility among others.

In his sermon, Pastor Antoine Rutayisire of the Anglican Church preached about the power of transformative leadership in troubled times.

Rutayisire explained that a leader should be characterized by what he called Six Cs while dealing with challenging times he named these as; compensation, communication, confidence, calmness, collaboration as well as community.

"As Rwandans, we have the right to proclaim the goodness of God. Our leadership has played a crucial role in all the country’s achievements. But there is a lot to do going forward.

"But if our work consists of all these six things, we will have a prosperous community. Therefore, brethren, I pray that we have trust in the leadership God has entrusted us with as our country looks to recover from this pandemic,” Rutayisire said.