When I first moved to Rwanda there were a lot of questions from friends and family as to the secret to the country’s success. Many had originally thought that we were relocating to an unsafe territory and were genuinely concerned. After listening to our excitement and attempts at dispelling fears, there were those who simply thought us crazy and others who decided to do their own research. The research opened a box of amazement and curiosity which led to my being consistently asked what accounted for Rwanda’s success. How could an African nation which had previously been at war not be struggling to stay afloat, not have naked children sitting all day swatting flies from their face? This was unheard of and hence came the curiosity at that initial stage. Fast-forward almost 3 years later and Rwanda signed a marketing deal with Arsenal. Again the floodgates of questions about Rwanda’s success resurfaced. Those who were not curious before, now had their interests peaked. Initially when asked why I thought Rwanda had managed to recover from the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, my answer would simply be, President Kagame and his team. After providing this same answer time and time again, I came to realize there was need for a more in-depth perspective on the issue. The study of Rwanda as a nation could easily be several PhD topics for those interested in academia. There are interesting areas of study dealing with Rwanda and governance; Rwanda and political systems; Rwanda as a new model for developing nations as well as topics around leadership and management. Often spoken about as a reason for Rwanda’s success is the leadership of Paul Kagame and his team. The impact of his leadership can be seen from his involvement in the liberation of the country to the current management system applied across the board to a clear vision for this once condemned nation. There are different factions with different feelings about the man himself but if one were to examine Rwanda’s trajectory since 1994 there is no doubt about the Kagame factor when considering the secret to this country’s success. Security is important to everyone. The Gallup 2017 Global Law and Order looked at how safe residents of different countries felt walking alone at night, look at Rwanda: Standard of living is also important to the people of a nation and is considered a good indicator of how well a country is doing. The table below outlines how Rwanda has done since 1994 in terms of its GDP per capita (measurement of standard of living): There is no doubt Rwanda has done well with a president who leads from the front and who has recruited stellar teams to support the nation’s vision. History, no matter who writes it, should be kind and honest and give credit where it is due. But, the discussion needs to be more if the model of success is to be replicated in other places and if it is to survive beyond the time when Kagame is in charge of the nation. As it stands most of the discussion on Rwanda is either for or against the president and what he stands for. If the conversation continues in this narrow manner then the true value of the reason for the country’s success will be lost in the frivolous debates about this country. Who is studying and recording the multi-faceted story of Rwanda and her journey? Is the recording doing more than measuring the perceived presumptuousness of a small landlocked nation or only lauding the greatness of an individual man? More is needed. The writer is owner and managing director of Forrest Jackson Properties, a full-service real estate company in Kigali, Rwanda Twitter: @NatsCR
