President Paul Kagame said that leaders should give back to the people in terms of action when they express gratitude for having received, noting that he has duties to fulfill from the appreciation he gets.
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He was addressing government officials, private sector leaders, diplomats, and senior religious leaders at the 30th annual National Prayer Breakfast at Kigali Serena Hotel, on January 19.
The prayer breakfast, an annual event organised by Rwanda Leaders Fellowship that seeks to instill Godly values in leadership, was held under the theme: "Bridging the Knowing and Doing Gap in Leadership.”
The event serves as an opportunity to thank God for peace and achievements in the last year and pray for the nation’s progress in the coming years.
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"As people we always speak about the good things that we should be doing, which is what leads to thanksgiving. Expressing gratitude means you have received something. So, when do you also give back?” Kagame said that this calls for self-assessment among leaders.
He said that the knowing and doing gap referred to in the theme is very wide and shouldn’t be overlooked when people hide in prayers or appreciations and become sluggish in what they do. He added that if one wants to seem greater than others, it should be demonstrated in actions and how they benefited others.
"Let us reject the tendency to shift responsibility to superpowers or external forces as an escape. Sustainable solutions require taking ownership of and confronting challenges directly.”
The Head of State said that people should stop praying for things, yet the ability to do them is available, adding that it is a journey of continuous evolution to reach greater heights.
"It is similar to being at war of balancing the things we know that we should be doing, the knowledge that empowers us, and the works we should be doing.”
Nathan Chiroma, Principal of Africa College of Theology, referred to a Bible verse in James 1:20-25 and said that leaders are entrusted with the responsibility of leading others not just with words but actions. He quoted the Bible that "to him who knows what to do but does not do it, sins.”
Chiroma said that the way to bridge the action gap is by commitment to continuous leadership without pride of knowledge that limits one from being teachable, leading by example because knowing the right thing is important but doing the right thing is what brings transformation, as well as creating a culture of accountability.
"As we commit ourselves to both knowing and doing, we honour God by the way we model, live our lives, and lead others,” he said.
The Rwanda Leaders Fellowship holds monthly fellowships targeting different sectors to pray and reflect on better ways to deliver good governance to the people they serve.