At Kabagari in Ngororero, it was a celebratory mood as Ntawukuriryayo arrived (Photos: Gaaki Kigambo)
He had just been at Ngororero in Ruhango town for his first rally in the day, which like the second had attracted people of all ages in their hundreds, where he stressed Rwanda and everything that is in it should be shared equitably by all Rwandans regardless of age, gender, class, education, or any other categorisation.
And as if that’s all, he added every Rwandan deserved a better and healthy life and him and his party vowed to make both happen if he is elected Rwanda’s president on August 9.
In full vote-seeking mood, as opposed to the inaugural meeting where he mostly laid out the party’s platform, Ntawukuriryayo asked Rwandans to vote him because his party was focused on improving the individual lives of Rwandans.
“If you elect me, I will deliver to you progress in our country and to every Rwandan so their life can be better…We will ensure that every Rwandan is satisfied,” he said in Kinyarwanda.
As for Kabagari in Ruhango, PSD seemed to bring as much excitement
Ntawukuriryayo reiterated his proposals to review the women’s quota in parliament, to share power down to the village level and to review the provisional detention policy. He, however, largely tailored his message to his audience and his list of promises was quite long.
He emphasised improving farming methods, providing necessary supplies such as improved seeds, fertilisers, introducing irrigation and water harvesting systems all in order to have better harvests enough to support households with excess to export in the region and the whole world.
“We need to start water harvesting and forget depending on whenever it rains. We need enough water to supply all our needs. We need to improve the value of our land; we need to plant trees, fight dryness. And to do this we will bring you the required supplies and tools,” he promised Rwandans amidst wild cheers.
He also promised to raise the number of people with access to electricity to 35 percent of the total population before his presidential term is out. Currently, only about five percent of Rwandans access electricity.
Being the medical person that he is, Ntawukuriryayo noted it was every Rwandan’s responsibility to improve their lives by preventing disease, maintaining cleanliness, and seeking the services of medical personnel in good time. He promised to improve the working conditions and equipment of health professionals.
Turning to the kids at both rallies, he stressed Rwanda’s progress will be affected if their lives are not secured, including the lives of those yet to be born as well as their mothers. “We will, all working together, put up birth control programmes for our country in the way we want them and ensure everyone understands them,” he noted in Kinyarwanda and asked people preparing to become parents to first seek counselling and understand clearly what they are getting into.
He spoke out against fear noting nobody was going to stop him and his party from sharing the ideas they have with all Rwandans, and how they had not coerced anybody to come out to the rallies.
He asked the people of these two communities, and Rwanda in general, to believe in themselves, in him as a candidate and his party stressing its commitment to democracy, his love for Rwanda and all its peoples. He castigated dishonesty and a lack of integrity and called on every Rwandan to join his party in fighting against these vices.
In Ngororero, everybody was out to show support for PSD