Kagame was addressing newly elected local government leaders during the closing ceremony of their one-week induction at Police Training School (PTS) in Gishari, Rwamagana district.

The President reminded the local leaders on important responsibilities that await them highlighting that they are not only for leaders at the central levels but also leaders at all levels from the top to the bottom of the country’s leadership.

He said that their duties should be exercised with vigilance to ensure whatever they do helps Rwanda to move forward in development and urged them to walk the talk.

“Our commitments cannot just be in words. Our aim is for our actions to always reflect our promises. Our goal should be to do what moves our country forward towards the Rwanda we want,” he advised.

The President stressed that the induction training was important for local leaders to reflect on the road ahead, discuss the lessons learnt from past mistakes, and re-commit to putting more efforts in solving the challenges that the country faces.

He further reminded leaders of attributes that should characterize them on duty.

“You are gathered here, not to represent your own interests as individuals, but because you represent the citizens who elected you. Leadership is not about us as individuals, it goes beyond that, it’s about the people we lead. You are entrusted with the important responsibility of representing and working to uplift the lives of those who elected you,” Kagame said.

“You will be doing things as an individual, but you should always bear in mind that you are doing it in the name of Rwandans who put their trust in you,” he added.

The Head of State said that leaders who think about themselves only are the reason some countries end up lagging behind on their development journey highlighting that ‘putting citizens first in everything you do makes a huge difference’.

“When leaders don’t talk to and complement each other, they cannot achieve anything. Leaders’ achievements reflect their way of working. When there are no results or limited results, it means that there were not enough efforts invested,” he said.

President Kagame has urged leaders to put citizens’ interests first.