Uwizeyimana said the Head of State had encouraged Rwandans living abroad to return and contribute to national development, particularly those who had acquired knowledge and financial resources that could benefit the country.

He was speaking to Rwandans living in Canada during the Rwanda Convention Canada on Saturday, October 10, 2026.

The senator called on Rwandans abroad to contribute to their country's development through their knowledge, professional skills, investments and networks, regardless of where they live.

"Contributing to Rwanda's development does not require you to be in Rwanda every day. You can be in Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, yet Rwanda can benefit from your knowledge, your profession, your relationships with others, your investments, your ideas and the way you speak about your country," he said.

Some Rwandans living abroad have been accused of spreading false information and speaking ill about the country, often in pursuit of their own selfish interests.

Uwizeyimana was asked what could be done to encourage more Rwandans living abroad to reconsider their criticism of the country and adopt a more constructive approach.

He traced his decision to return to a speech Kagame delivered during Rwanda Day in Toronto in 2013, when the President encouraged Rwandans who had acquired knowledge and wealth abroad to use those resources to support the country's development.

"During Rwanda Day in Toronto in 2013, the President called on all Rwandans to contribute to the journey we have been on for 32 years. He said there were people who had acquired knowledge and others who had acquired money. He said we needed both groups and invited them to come and work with us," Uwizeyimana recalled.

He said Kagame also addressed those who had acquired what he described as bad habits abroad, telling them to keep those habits rather than bring them back to Rwanda.

"To be honest, I did not have money, but I had knowledge, and I believed in it. I brought that knowledge to Kigali. I contributed what little I could alongside others. I had criticised the government, and I told the President so. I told him, 'But I believe in you.' As a compassionate leader, he gave me an opportunity to contribute," he said.

Uwizeyimana said he had initially gone to Canada to study and was a refugee at the time.

After returning to Rwanda, he held various positions, including at the Ministry of Justice and the Rwanda Law Reform Commission. He is currently serving his second term in the Senate.

The senator said returning to Rwanda could open up opportunities for people to contribute in different ways, although not everyone would necessarily take up public office.

"I believe these are opportunities that anyone could have. I am not telling everyone here that they will return and become ministers or senators, but everyone has something they can bring to that country. There are also people we cannot tell to abandon what they are doing here and come to sit in Kigali.

Building Rwanda does not require you to be physically present there," he said.

Uwizeyimana urged Rwandans to respond to criticism and false claims about the country by sharing accurate information rather than engaging in insults.

"If someone speaks ill about Rwanda, do not start insulting them. But if they are lying, put accurate information out there and remain silent. Anyone seeking information about Rwanda will then find your side as well and compare the two," he said.