The above piece which appeared on the from page of Rwanda Today of East African (7-14/7/14) fell short of intellectual analysis one expects of informed journalist and boarders sentimentalism.

For one, the members of RPF mentioned in the above article joined RPF for a greater cause than mere positions as the writers wants readers to believe.

And so there were, and are RPF cadres which is their cardinal essence regardless of the positions they held.

They certainly made huge contributions to the RPF, and thus their country and still do so in the various private activities they are now engaged in.

Falling off from the limelight doesn’t arise for it would suggests that, they were entitled to specific life- long leadership positions, which is not the case.

In any party, like any other organization, leaders come, and leaders go. (This is not to fall from ‘limelight’, and I believe everyone who was in these positions (including this writer) is very aware that, there is time to go and do other private engagements that are beneficial to the country.

They are then replaced by other young and able leaders (cadres in case of RPF), and this is an organic cycle that happened everywhere. In the said article, the writers insinuates that, these cadres fell from “grace to grass” which is not the case.

And although there are cases in the list to do with accountability/efficiency on the part of mentioned individuals, majority of these happen to be doing pretty well in their private lives much more than perhaps they did in their public.

In any case, in RPF, cadres are appointed to any national responsibilities/positions without canvassing for the same. Such a process also means that, they can be changed/transferred/ or left to engage in private sector which is the case with most of the said leaders.

The notion that, when one leaves a national leadership job is a kin to being disgraced is simplistic and demeans the capabilities and capacities of other cadres who take over such responsibilities, and sometimes for better.

Every RPF cadre (and they over 4.5 millions in Rwanda as in Diaspora) has the same and equal chance of being appointed to a senior leadership position as any other.

That some came in earlier than others, does not make the latter less cadres or ‘iconic’ than the former. The cause for all remains the same: development of our country in every sense of the term…development.

Therefore, members mentioned in the article (except a few with serious accountability/efficiency issues) are as iconic as they have been, and are in the limelight as they should be as cadres, and not necessarily as leaders (which was bound to change anyway).

Such changes however, should not be construed to mean disgrace as the write insinuates.

The author Prof. Nshuti Manasseh.

An Economist and A financial Expert.

Email:[email protected]