Kagame Urges Leaders to Embrace National Identity

Takudzwa Karowangoro

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has delivered a powerful message on identity, leadership and national sovereignty, urging citizens to remain true to themselves and reject pressures to imitate others, whether at a personal or national level.

Speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast, President Kagame emphasised that progress begins with self-understanding rather than comparison, warning against the temptation to become something one was never created to be.

“Do not make the mistake of thinking you should be someone other than who you are,” Kagame said. “You should be who you are. You should be as you were created.”

The President noted that while self-improvement is essential, it must be rooted in authenticity. He encouraged Rwandans to focus on becoming better versions of themselves rather than copying individuals or systems they admire.

“You cannot think of becoming the person who did what you admire. Instead, you learn from them so that you become better, true to yourself, in your own way,” he said.

Kagame extended this philosophy beyond individual development, applying it to families, societies and nations. He argued that just as people are created uniquely, countries too have distinct histories, realities and destinies that cannot simply be reshaped to fit external expectations.

Deputy Minister of Local Government Hon Mavunga at the Rwandan NATIONAL Prayer Breakfast 

“That is how a person is. That is how a family is. And that is how a country is,” he said.

Using Rwanda as a clear example, Kagame cautioned against attempts both internal and external to remodel the country into something it is not.

“This country of Rwanda cannot be turned into any other country. Do not even think of it, because it is neither natural nor viable,” he stated.

The President highlighted the diversity of nations across the world, noting that global balance exists precisely because countries differ in size, power, wealth and influence. Attempting to impose uniform models of governance or development, he warned, ignores this natural order.

“In the way the world is made, with small countries, medium ones, big ones, rich ones, powerful ones, you cannot take a country like Rwanda and change it however you want, because you did not create it,” Kagame said.

In a deeply personal moment, the President linked national sovereignty to individual dignity, asserting that leadership and identity cannot be externally manufactured.
“You also cannot take me and make me into whatever you want, because you did not create me,” he added.

Observers say the remarks reflect Rwanda’s long-standing position on self-determination, home-grown solutions and sovereignty, principles that have shaped the country’s post-genocide recovery and development path.

The National Prayer Breakfast, which brings together political leaders, faith groups and civil society, provided a reflective setting for Kagame’s address, blending spiritual reflection with national dialogue.

His message resonated as both a moral lesson and a political statement: that true progress whether personal or national comes from understanding one’s origins, respecting one’s uniqueness and improving from within rather than conforming to external pressures.