Paul Kagame has strongly criticized government officials for negligence, warning that repeatedly failing in their duties and apologizing by claiming forgetfulness reflects arrogance and poor leadership.
He made the remarks on Monday, March 23, 2026, at Gako Military Academy, during the closing of a meeting that brought together senior central and local government leaders.
Kagame questioned why leaders continue to repeat the same mistakes despite regular self-evaluations and resolutions aimed at improving performance.
“Is this the first time you’ve evaluated yourselves, identified weaknesses, and made resolutions? If it keeps happening again and again, then there is another underlying problem we must address,” he said.
The President emphasized that while making mistakes is human, repeatedly committing the same errors after acknowledging them is unacceptable. He criticized officials who frequently apologize without making meaningful changes.
Kagame also pointed to poor planning in key development projects, citing the Muvumba Dam Project as an example. The project, valued at €121.5 million, aims to support irrigation, provide clean water, and generate electricity, but has faced delays due to planning oversights.
According to Pudence Rubingisa, the initial plan focused on irrigation while neglecting water supply components an issue Kagame described as unacceptable.
He warned that such habits of poor planning, forgetfulness, and lack of accountability could undermine national progress, urging leaders who feel incapable of fulfilling their responsibilities to step down rather than hinder the country’s development.
