Christopher Kayumba
On July 4 Rwanda will celebrate 20 years of
liberation while turning 53 as a politically independent state. Within
this period, the country has been referred to variously: From small,
poor and densely populated nation to the home of the fastest genocide
ever and a model in post-conflict reconstruction.
In predicting a nation’s development trajectory,
there are some who focus on economic indicators such as GDP while others
highlight political or security factors or a combination of these.
With the benefit of hindsight, I want to use two
recent events to argue that, to forecast where Rwanda might be in the
next 20 years, watch what the military and the police do.
The first was the announcement by the army
spokesperson on June 16 that Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) will build 500
health centres across the country, starting with 44 this Army Week. The
second was the theft of my mobile telephone.
At an event in Kigali, a pickpocket stole my
Samsung Galaxy S4 handset on June 6. I did not immediately report the
matter to the police because, growing up in Uganda in the 1980s, I
developed a very low opinion of the men in uniform because of their
contemptuous treatment of ordinary citizens, including stealing from
them.
I figured that reporting the theft would be a waste of time and energy.
After four days, however, a colleague asked why my
phone was off. I responded that my handset was stolen. He inquired what
I had done about it, to which I answered that I planned to replace it.
Immediately, he asked for the serial number of the
stolen phone and proceeded to register the case with the police. Within
two days, the phone had been recovered and returned to me without the
police asking for any “facilitation”!
For those familiar with routine police work, or
the ideal expectation from such institutions, this might be worth
noting. However, that the phone worth Rwf480,000 (more than $800) was
returned without any bribe requested or paid tells a bigger story
relating to the post-genocide development path.
It is possible to view the return of the phone as
reflecting the much talked-about low corruption and the construction of
health centres as generosity on the part of the military.
For me, however, the two deeds represent more than
low corruption or generosity. It’s a development path Rwanda is
fashioning, which is distinct from what most post-colonial governments
across Africa adopted or one pursued by then presidents Kayibanda and
Habyarimana. But how does a country bring about and secure sustained
development and security?
Remained neglected
Most post-colonial African governments emphasised
economic growth built on cash crop growing and export and infrastructure
development inherited from colonial governments. This was at the
expense of rounded development based on individual security, assured by a
well resourced, well-fed and disciplined security apparatus.
Yes, some funding went into security, but the
police and the military remained neglected and poorly resourced, with
the notable exception of presidential guards, who ensured regime
survival in many polities.
The result was — and is — that, in some countries,
police and the military not only wear lugabile (sandals made from worn
out tyres) and engage in petty theft but also demand “transport” or
“tea” and “ink” from citizens that come to them for services.
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