Amendent Of The Rwandan Constitution And The Future Of The Country

Residents of Busasamana march with placards calling for Article 101’s amendment at Nyanza Stadium

The ultimate goal of any living person is happiness but above all is freedom. For many years Africans have lived in situations that not only undermine their freedom but threaten their safety. To some extent Africans have been responsible for their unfortunate fate for decades. Dictatorships, political manipulations, severe and unfair treatment of regimes to their own people have been common stories for a number of decades. Because of such situations, African economic development has been on the fall and peoples’ welfare has deteriorated significantly.

However, the role of foreign influence in the political dynamics in Africa cannot be ignored. The colonial era still holds a lot in what transpires in our countries. Yes,Africans did not decide to be traded as slaves across the oceans neither did they invite Europeans to colonize them.The bottom line is about people’s role in making their own decisions. The severe implication of this is the denial of a people to determine their own destiny. A destiny of a people is no one else’s responsibility but owner’s responsibility. It is not a political discourse but a matter of life for any community.

For quite some time, citizens have been debating on the amendment of the Rwandan constitution with a particular emphasis on article 101 of the Rwandan constitution to allow President Paul Kagame a third term. It has been a hotcake but I have my take on this issue. I am personally impressed that Rwandans have no chance to neglect the reality of their past and the focus on their future any more. Yes, people have been informed by what befall them that still rotates in their mind and no one else can tell a better story. This remains the launch pad of the Rwandans’ actions when it comes to their national issues

A recently frustrated and hopeless community is reviving with great hope to achieve. There must be who, why and how of the story. Who do Rwandans see as their messiah, who did it, who else knows the story than the principal beneficiaries and who should decide otherwise. This is the time that Rwandans should demonstrate their determination to ensure full ownership of their destiny. In history, countries, societies, communities or people have had unique personality in their history who exceptionally shaped and changed their lives and who remain strongly entrenched in their mind across generations. Ask Americans who is George Washington, ask Indians who is Ghandi or South Africans who is Mandela, they will tell their own story.

President Kagame in his early thirties became responsible for his own people, sacrificed his time and life for the good of the country. He has served and demonstrated unique capability that the country and its people enjoy today. The foundation of hope he has shortly laid down is a commodity that Rwandans should not accept to slide back. The democracy concept should be viewed in a real and particular context. The most important and inviolable value is the quest of the people as per their destiny. Rwandans need is no one else’sneed,criticisms, manipulations, distortions of any nature should be classified irrelevant in the face of Rwandan’s own role in shaping their future.

Rwandan people voted their constitution in 2003 and subsequently President Kagame was elected. People had heard of a person called Kagame, he had successfully led a liberation struggle as a commander of ground forces and had never been a head of state to demonstrate his capability to move a country from despair to prosperity as Rwanda looks today. His years in leadership of the country have demanded his people to need him in the position for extra period.

To me Rwandan people have the reason to strengthen their position in defense of retaining the exceptionalleader the country has had in their history. Based on the dark history the country registered as well as the hopeful future witnessed today, Rwandans should be left alone to determine their future.

It should be recalled that the Rwandan constitution shall always de amended as long as people need to develop and change their country. Stagnancy and permanence in a dynamic environment cannot serve a people and is basically against natural laws. Let come referendum and people voice their wish.