Dr Jean Paul Ndindamahina
United Kingdom
President Paul Kagame
Urugwiro Village
Rwanda
15th April, 2026
RE: A call for National Unity and inclusive remembrance in Rwanda
Your Excellency President Paul Kagame,
I write to you as a concerned citizen who recognizes your longstanding dedication to fostering inclusive education and driving Rwanda’s economic progress. Indeed, these achievements have positively impacted the lives of many and positioned Rwanda as a model for development on the continent. However, I am increasingly troubled by the escalating perception among Rwandans that our nation remains divided and that true national cohesion continues to elude us. This sentiment is felt across various communities, who voice concerns that the current approach to leadership and collective memory reinforces separation rather than unity. Against this backdrop, I respectfully urge you to consider both the root causes and enduring consequences of this division, in hopes of steering our nation toward a more united and inclusive future for all its people.
Moreover, the office you hold demands impartial responsibility to every Rwandan, including Hutus, Twa, and Tutsis, and requires persistent efforts to move beyond ethnic, regional, and partisan interests. Rwanda’s resilience has always been anchored in its longstanding record of cultural diversity, which has historically enabled citizens to navigate the country’s varied challenges. During the 1990 conflict, it became apparent that Hutu extremists attempted to manipulate ethnic tensions, yet many Hutus and Tutsis reached across these divides in pursuit of an inclusive government focused on collective wellbeing. Despite these moments of unity, ongoing state approaches to ethnic identity management and public leadership have struggled to fulfil the promise of equal representation for all groups. Thus, genuine progress requires re-examining not only policy but also rhetorical frameworks to ensure your leadership encompasses each citizen and honours Rwanda’s legacy of diversity.
Mr president, despite notable gains in reconstruction, a persistent perception of favouritism toward Tutsis has shaped the fabric of Rwandan society over the past 32 years, especially in connection with the annual Kwibuka commemoration and the rhetoric employed during events such as your speech at Kwibuka 32. The explicit focus on the suffering of Tutsis during the genocide, while essential for honoring those lost, has contributed to a political dynamic in which survivor identity—primarily associated with Tutsis—occupies the centre of state sympathy and policy attention. At the same time, post-1994 de-ethnicization strategies, including the erasure of ethnic categories from official documents and public discourse, have diminished space for the articulation of Hutu identity and experience, prompting allegations of cultural genocide, or ethnocide. This paradox, whereby ethnic identity is suppressed throughout the year yet powerfully reinforced during Kwibuka, generates confusion, exclusion, and social resentments. Consequently, Hutus who contest the official narrative are stigmatized, Tutsis who express dissent face similar consequences, and only those who conform to survivor-centric policies are publicly affirmed.
To advance the nation’s quest for unity, I respectfully urge Your Excellency
- To champion policies that extend equitable benefits and symbolic consideration to every Rwandan, regardless of ethnic background. Specifically, directing governmental resources through transparent and balanced distribution mechanisms would address longstanding disparities and foster trust.
- It is equally important to institutionalize merit-based appointments in public service, ensuring that qualifications, rather than ethnic affiliation, determine leadership opportunities.
- In terms of national commemorative practices, I propose transforming Kwibuka from a state-mandated event into one observed at community or ethnic levels, thereby allowing multiple narratives to coexist within a framework of mutual respect.
- Additionally, strengthening anti-genocide legislation to cover all Rwandan groups would reinforce a national stance against violence of any kind and signal an unambiguous commitment to inclusive justice.
While I acknowledge the achievements of your administration, I must candidly express my lack of confidence in the government’s present capacity to unite the nation in a manner that truly includes all Rwandans. The continued existence of Kwibuka as a national mandate exemplifies the persistence of survivor-centric narratives that risk affirming exclusion rather than healing societal fractures. Therefore, abolishing Kwibuka at the state level could represent a constructive, forward-looking legacy, one that disrupts cycles of resentment and allows for localized remembrance practices rooted in mutual respect and pluralism. Above all, the path toward enduring unity and equality calls for a renewed commitment to inclusive leadership and symbolic gestures that transcend one ethnic group interests. With gratitude for your service to Rwanda, I conclude this appeal with respect and the hope that you will consider these recommendations for the benefit of every citizen of Rwanda.
Respectfully
Jean Paul Ndindamahina
Add comment
Comments