Rwanda was a buried seed that has germinated – Kagame on campaign trail

President Paul Kagame of Rwanda has likened the case of the country to a seed that was buried but germinated – a reference to its difficult past and how it survived a genocide.

The 59-year-old leader made the remarks when his campaign team stopped in the Bugesera District located in Rwanda’s Eastern Province. Bugesera is home to one of the main memorial sites of the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda.

“Bugesera, like the rest of Rwanda was a seed that was buried but germinated. Bugesera exemplifies many things.

“You cannot speak about Bugesera and not mention the historical context of this area. It exemplifies effects of bad leadership and what can be achieved with good leadership,’‘ he stressed.

He tasked people who thronged the rally grounds to go out and vote for continuity in order for the ruling party to consolidate gains they have chalked so far.

“Let every Rwandan play their part, and with that collaboration, no doubt our country will achieve the prosperity we need. Yes there was an issue of bad road that connected Bugesera to Kigali. But the basic right denied was one to live,” Kagame said.

Kagame is running on the ticket of the ruling RPF-Inkotanyi, in polls he is widely expected to win as he seeks to extend his over decade-and-half rule since helping oust the regime at the time.

RPF candidate PaulKagame has arrived at Gahanga site for his final rally of Day 6 of the Presidential campaign #RwandaDecides pic.twitter.com/4ZbZ2RMRz0

— The New Times (NewTimesRwanda) July 19, 2017

He will come up against two candidates – Independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana and the main opposition Green Party’s Frank Habineza. Winner of the August 4 polls will get a seven year term to steer affairs of the country seen as one of Africa’s rising economic powerhouses.

Bugesera saw some of the worst killings in the run-up to and during the Genocide, having also witnessed mass killings during what later came to be known as “pilot phase” of the Genocide before 1994. Hundreds of thousands were killed across the district, the state-owned New Times portal said.