Rwanda is often cited as a shining example of an African nation on the right path of development; politically, economically and socially. The ruling head of state Paul Kegame has during his reign achieved what could be the envy of many African states; citizens are becoming more literate, the economy is thriving, cases of corruption are declining and so are statistics of abject poverty. However this dream may not aptly apply to nations lacking the underlying frameworks present in Rwanda which include; the presence of a ruling party having firm undisputable control of national affairs coupled with a resolute and united leadership.
President Kegame ascended to power in 1994 and the nation was at that time far from what it is today, it was economically crippled, socially disunited and politically unstable. Having a military background Kegame firmly too control of state affairs and launched a developmental agenda to get the nation back on its feet. The government invested in key sectors such Agriculture, Infrastructure, Education and the result has been poverty alleviation, skilled human resource and improved life expectancy.
Though many successes have been recorded these do not come without criticism from opposition leaders and thinkers. The freedoms of expression and association have been downtrodden significantly to enhance the ruling party’s monopoly in state governance. Furthermore state investments are closely intertwined with resources of the ruling party meaning the ruling class enjoys greater economic benefits. The opposition has generally been the side to lament the status quo.
The Rwandan model attempted without the conditions present in Rwanda may well lead to chaos and corruption. The opposition in several countries is well established and therefore severely inflicting undue pressure from a ruling government may spark resistance, anarchy and economic meltdowns. Furthermore patrimonial politics have the disadvantage of encouraging sluggishness, corruption and poor service delivery, thus a resolute and unwavering leadership must exist to curb such tendencies. If employed without the needful apparatus at play the Rwandan model may breed more harm than good to any state embarking to implement it.
