Democracy needs economic development to flourish

Charles Onyango-Obbo wrote an in-depth series on Rwanda in the recent weeks, it was mostly correct and often complimentary but it said the Kagame thinks “Rwanda can live on bread alone.” In Rwanda, poverty and ignorance were the root causes of the Genocide which killed almost 1,000,000 people. We cannot have real democracy until we have economic development that is ingrained in our minds and is unstoppable in momentum. If we look at all the most stable democracies in the world, they are also the top economic powers. In Rwanda we have a saying “when you have nothing to share, you fight and call each other greedy.” As long as Rwandans are poor, we are open to manipulation by evil tribalist politicians.


Paul Kagame admires Julius Nyerere above other leaders, I saw the impact that Nyerere had when I recently visited Tanzania. His shadow looms large over the nation even 11 years after his death. He gave a deeply fragmented nation a common identity, he gave them a sense of collective cultural pride, and although his economic policies largely failed, he gave his people a sense of contentment. Kagame wants to replicate those aspects but with economic development as well because the population and demographic pressures of Rwanda make it more urgent. Nyerere, who resigned in 1985 still dominated Tanzanian politics even with the humble title of “Mwalimu” and was seen a man above politics and an arbiter or referee.


When people criticise Rwanda for not having a viable opposition, one must also ask why South Africa, Tanzania, Mozambique, and many other countries also have parties which take an overwhelming share of the vote. There are often similarities in that they had leaders who were ideologues, leaders who created a new national identity and ethos. Mandela in South Africa, Samora Machel in Mozambique, and Nyerere in Tanzania, all these men still dominate their national politics. Another factor is that they had movements that were “broad churches” and able to accommodate different wings and ideological backgrounds. The final factor is their movements were based on objectives above all else and ideology was a means to an end.


This explains the dominance of the ANC, RPF, Frelimo and CCM, one can claim it is due to political interference but one cannot deny the popularity of the party on the ground. The weakness of the opposition in Rwanda is due to their political inexperience, RPF has had to learn the hard way – how new policies have to be devised, revised and funding allocated. So when an opposition party promises free healthcare for all, without saying where the money will come from, it betrays political naivety. So the only shortcut left must be appeal to tribal sentiments, Victoire Ingabire has been doing this and want to nation to revert to the past by revising what happened in 1994. We cannot have a new identity and keep the old ones, that is the sacrifice we will have to make in exchange for economic development, one cannot wear two hats on one head.