As any other Rwandan, I feel the singular honor of joining our senior writers who are currently embedded in a very hot and interesting debate about Rwanda’s destiny come 2017, when President Kagame concludes his second and last term as clearly required by law (article 101 of constitution).

This debate originated from the RPF senior cadres’ meeting held on 8th February, where President Paul Kagame posed a critical and challenging question to all delegates, on how Rwanda will ensure and maintain its stability and continuity on one hand while honoring and respecting the people’s constitution of June 2003 by sowing the seeds of a real democracy through political transition (Change) as enshrined in the article. 101

While these prominent and respected Rwandans have extensively shared with the public, their wise and enriching schools of thought on this eminent and crucial assignment meant for Rwandans, key notable ones being Joseph Rwagatare an author , vibrant and youthful Arthur Asimwe, Professor Nshuti Manasseh and our Elder Prof. Geoffrey Rugege among others.

Allow me add my voice to this famous third term debate which hinges on three core variables; change, continuity and stability. Personally, I want to emphasize stability and continuity, which I can rephrase as security and poverty reduction (Economic development).

Stability (Security)

The primary ingredient and assurance of Rwandan people to survive, excel and prosper solely depend on the current and future stability of this country, and hence stability/security of Rwandans should be a priority when looking at Rwanda’s future beyond 2017.

Rwanda is still recovering from genocide and wanton brutality with its transgressions, all ugly sorts of divisionism and hatred, with genocide perpetrators still at large, recruiting, re-grouping and on standby mission to come and swallow our social order.

So precisely any rational and sober minded Rwandan, should envisage this factor as the most dominant when drafting strategies of a brighter future for our country.

President Paul Kagame’s resolve in ensuring and maintaining unaltered peace and security for Rwanda at this challenging stage shouldn’t be underestimated and comparable in any single measurable proportion.

So looking beyond 2017, Rwandans should magnify their analytical lenses, when forging a new chapter for this country, with an ideal and rational decision to keep the status quo for the goodness of this stable yet fragile country, or risk losing and destroying the so much achieved, especially with the much awaited, pressure, emotions, malicious and irrelevant assertions and guidance on Rwandan future, by the so called “Lecturers of Democracy” whose mission is neo-colonialism, anarchy and imperialism.

In his words philosopher Frantz Fanon, once said, “Imperialism leaves behind germs of rot which we must clinically detect and remove from our land but from our minds as well”, this therefore should be the guiding principle for Rwandans when deciding their destiny and future road map, by clinically detecting all these unwarranted rhetoric s from the west.

The west only agitates for a weak and unrealistic agenda for our country, by looking at change, as the ultimate priority for our country, without considering Rwanda’s own desired future, and the mandate of Rwandans to craft and implement relevant decisions at a particular time of need and importance as they did in 2003, when a people-led constitution was made.

I believe the future of Rwanda should be in the hands of Rwandans, with much wisdom to know what is best for them- The vision to see where they can find it and the strength to go get it. If this constitutes a small portion of our DNA, Rwandans will have collectively avoided a tragic case of political suicide by undermining the simplistic talk of mere change of guards at the very un imaginable price that Rwandans will have to pay in case of any eventuality.

Avoiding this, will exhibit an unequalled level of resilience and sustainable stability built with strong firm institutions, hence president Kagame’s sagacity to consolidate his achievements will be given ample time to yield the much needed fruits that every Rwandan crave for, and this will lead to equally important variable like continuity (poverty reduction/Socio-economic Development) to be realized.

With all this in place, then we shall in long run agitate for the change, “they need” making the current impossible trinity, very possible and complimentary than a mutually exclusive one at hand!!!!

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