President Paul Kagame has challenged central and local government leaders to prioritise citizens’ needs, warning against a growing culture of repeated mistakes, poor planning, and weak accountability in public service.
Speaking at the close of a consultative meeting of government leaders in Gako, Bugesera District, Kagame said leadership must be defined by responsibility, results, and responsiveness, not personal interests or empty commitments.
He acknowledged leaders’ efforts but questioned why the same challenges persist despite years of discussion.
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"If what we are discussing today has been discussed before—once, twice, or even three times, then there is a deeper problem we must address,” he said.
Kagame noted that while mistakes are inevitable, repeatedly making the same errors without change signals a more serious issue.
"In daily life, people make mistakes and apologise—that is understandable. But when someone repeats the same mistake again and again, it stops being a mistake. It becomes a habit, even a culture,” he said.
He urged leaders to reflect on whether the problem lies with individuals or within the system itself, noting that similar failures persist even as personnel change.
"We are different people, with different ways of thinking, yet the same mistakes keep happening. So where is the problem?” he asked.
Poor planning, weak coordination
The President identified poor planning and lack of coordination as major drivers of inefficiency in government projects. He said some initiatives fail not due to a lack of resources, but because planning is not aligned with implementation.
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"You cannot plan without linking it to the activities required to implement that plan. Without that connection, you either achieve nothing or incur unnecessary costs,” he said.
He cautioned against both inadequate planning and the absence of planning altogether.
Kagame cited the Muvumba project, designed to support both irrigation and water distribution, but implemented with focus on only one component.
"How do you follow up on one part of a project and forget the other, yet both are essential to achieving the intended results?” he asked.
Eastern Province Governor Prudence Rubingisa acknowledged that emphasis had been placed on irrigation, while water distribution was overlooked due to poor planning.
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Kagame questioned how such a critical component, providing water to citizens could be neglected, saying it reflects deeper systemic weaknesses.
"Even if the project had only one component, how do you forget something that directly affects citizens?” he asked, urging better coordination and follow-up.
‘Bad habits’ in leadership
The President also criticised what he described as "bad habits” among some leaders, including negligence and arrogance, warning that such attitudes undermine national development.
He said leadership is a responsibility, and those unable or unwilling to deliver should step aside.
"If you cannot fulfil your responsibilities, go and do something else. You cannot hold a leadership position and fail to act,” he said.
Poor service delivery
Kagame highlighted the consequences of poor service delivery, citing a case in Karongi District where a woman reportedly died after being denied medical care due to issues with her community-based health insurance (Mutuelle de Santé).
According to the President, the woman, in urgent need of care, was turned away because her insurance details were unclear in the system. Despite her condition and pleas, she was sent home, where she later died.
"That is criminal,” Kagame said, stressing that no administrative issue should override the urgency of saving a life.
Call for accountability
Kagame urged leaders to strengthen implementation and accountability mechanisms, emphasising that leadership must deliver tangible results for citizens, not repeated excuses.