Passing laws is only part of a lawmaker’s job, President Paul Kagame said yesterday afternoon as two new members of Parliament took office, urging them to focus on the practical problems Rwandans face.
Leaders, he said, should identify what is holding people back and work together to remove those obstacles. Problems that can be solved should be addressed, while more complex challenges should remain on the agenda until solutions are found.
“It is not only about fulfilling the law. Leaders must have the right mindset and attitude to identify problems that need to be solved and work together to address them,” Kagame said.
He also urged public officials to make use of available resources and seek more when existing capacity is insufficient. The swearing-in, he said, was a reminder to all leaders of the responsibility that comes with serving the country.
Senator Wellars Gasamagera and youth representative MP Ben Niyonshuti took their oaths on Friday, October 2. Gasamagera was selected by the political parties’ forum to replace Donatille Mukabalisa, who died in July.
He previously served as a senator from 2003 to 2011 and held several public service roles, including head of the former Kigali Ngari Prefecture and Rwanda’s ambassador to Angola and São Tomé and Príncipe.
Niyonshuti was elected to represent young people in Parliament, replacing Venuste Icyitegetse, who resigned in June for personal reasons. Their swearing-in filled two vacancies in the legislature.
