President Paul Kagame has called on Rwandans to make the most of lessons picked in 2020 such as the importance of discipline and unity in trying times. The President was speaking during a New Year’s address relayed on various channels including the national television and social media. Keeping his message brief, the Head of State urged Rwandans to remain vigilant and continue to take care of themselves as the country awaits the arrival of Covid-19 vaccines. “The lesson from the past year taught us that when we remain disciplined and united, we stay safe. We all must remain vigilant in the months ahead before the vaccines arrive,” he said. Rwanda is set to acquire the coronavirus vaccine in the first quarter of 2021 and has already submitted all the necessary requirements to the Covax framework, a global initiative that aims to speedily and affordably secure doses of the Covid-19 vaccine for member countries, once the vaccine is available. The country has applied for two types of vaccines, namely; AstraZeneca and Moderna with about 20 per cent expected to receive vaccines in the first phase. The President said that 2021 will be a better year in comparison to the previous one driven by the hard work, commitment and dedication of citizens. “Because of your commitment, dedication and love for the country that we all share, this coming year will be better than the one we just had. So let’s take good care of ourselves and each other,” he said. Kagame said that considering that the country managed to make significant progress despite the pandemic, there is confidence that much more can be achieved post-pandemic. For instance, Rwanda registered 172 investment projects in 2020, valued at $1.2 billion despite the Covid-19, which slowed business activity.
