I’ve been accused, quite a few times, of being “a propagandist for Kagame”; or that I’ve “abandoned journalistic principles to become a praise singer for Kagame,” and such. Thinking about it after some time, I said: OK then, “praise singer” of President Paul Kagame I am! If saying and writing good things about the president is the default definition of being a propagandist - and in this, I am one of a very many other people - then so be it. But here is my dilemma: if the requirement for me to be a good journalist is to write scathing criticisms of a leader, a government or a ruling party, and expose wrong-doing, and by doing that fulfill the traditional “watchdog” role of the media, what am I to do if the leadership turns out to be the best possible one we can have? I am not saying this is a government of perfect people, because if one wanted that, then they possibly can look for it in heaven. But back on earth? Context matters. I prefer not to drag a very good system in the mud, for negligible “offences”. (Which in fact is what those that insist our journalism should consist mainly of criticising power want). On the other hand, if the central ethic of journalism is to report facts and truth, what am I to do if Kagame and his administration have been performing in such ways that I indeed end up sounding like a “propagandist” simply by reporting truth and facts? To write for instance that no leader in our history has brought about even a fraction of the national transformation Kagame has; taking Rwanda from a very backward, largely rural, parochial, and tribalist society, to a vibrant, modernising, forward-looking country that’s turning into the envy of Africa, is simply stating reality. So, it cannot be propaganda. We saw, first off, the effort to liberate this country from a tribalist clique of rulers whose central political ideology was that Rwanda belongs only to some. No mean feat in itself. Then the new government did away with the deep-rooted parochialism, by opening Rwanda to the outside world; welcoming in people and ideas from the region and beyond. (In the process exposing the general Rwandan public and opening its eyes to the understanding the world doesn’t rotate around Hutu and Tutsi differences). To have done all that, even as no small number of negative factors – including armed forces of which many were, and still are just across some of our borders, eager to destabilise Rwanda, as well as coalitions of organisations, paid writers or media operatives, name it – fighting to derail what Rwanda was trying to achieve? I will very happily sing praises of such a leader. Moreover happily, because I won’t be lying to anyone. The thing is, us Rwandans have been spoilt; we won the lottery with this leadership. It has, among several other things has absolutely elevated the quality of life, generally, in ways that would’ve been unimaginable just two decades back. It’s done wonders for our national pride with the great public infrastructural projects too many to list here. All which has been achieved side by side with complex, complicated other duties. Maintaining the safety and security of every Rwandan and visitor to Rwanda. Lifting millions especially in the rural areas out of absolute poverty. Connecting all regions to the national electricity grid. Name it. Now, if the opposite happened, I would be in a tough situation (as a journalist). If either President Kagame, or his cabinet, or all leaders at all levels of government, down to the district mayors for instance were in the habit of lining their pockets, with the proceeds of corruption and all sorts of abuse of office. If they did all that while everyone else suffered, with all services unraveling... To then turn around and report that the president is doing a great job? Then I would be an out and out propagandist. However, people aren’t perfect, and even in the Rwandan government cabinet ministers, governors, mayors and sundry others have been caught engaging in acts of corruption, soliciting bribes, kickbacks, and similar law-breaking. So here is where one, playing a gotcha game, would insist: you see? a journalist you can criticize the corruption in the administration! I guess they have a point. But then, no one in Kagame’s government abuses office, and embezzles, and steals, and deprives the poorest Rwandans of the public resources allocated to them, with impunity. The law will deal with them, the moment they are caught, unfailingly. The record is there for all to see. The system has an excellent record of self-correction that only gets better with time. And that’s just one more thing to applaud.
