Kagame opens Umushyikirano, delivers State of Nation address

President Paul Kagame today opened the 12th National Dialogue, best known locally as Umushyikirano, and delivered the 2014 State of Nation address. The Head of State said that the economy grew by 7.8 per cent in the third quarter of 2014, and largely attributed the growth to the strong performance of the service and agriculture sectors. Kagame praised farmers for increasing their production and urged them to embark on modern farming and irrigation. Key achievements registered in the recent past include refurbishment and expansion of Kigali International Airport, more Rwandans joining the formal financial sector, six million Rwandans getting land titles, among others. “Five million Rwandans have mobile money accounts, up from one million in 2011”, said Kagame. He pointed out that in the energy sector, there has been a 40 per cent increase in power generation in the second half of 2014, with projections indicating a similar trend next year. On the international scene, the President took note of Rwanda’s membership on the UN Security Council and said that country’s contribution of peacekeepers in several missions across the world had brought honour to the country. President Kagame said that Rwanda is on course towards reaching its goal of becoming a middle income economy, but to achieve that, he said, there is need for more efforts. Umushyikirano is the country’s largest annual forum where citizens of all walks of life meet to chart the way forward on national development. The two-day event, held at the Parliamentary buildings in Kimihurura, will see participants discuss major achievements in the last 20 years. This year’s forum is running under the theme, “Common Vision, New Momentum.” editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Kagame opens Umushyikirano, delivers State of Nation address