The history and national interest of Rwanda and the Rwandan people dictate our national orientation.

Aid leads to more aid and more aid and more aid and less independence of the people that are receiving aid.

Democracy holds little appeal for people who are struggling to survive.

Rwanda is rebuilding itself once again as one nation and that is the reason why we are making progress. Now many Rwandans are making their ends meet and others are able to do better than they have before.

I grew up in a refugee camp in Uganda, and I lived there for 30 years. That shapes one's character.

Rwanda is a very open and free country. Key to our recovery as a nation has a range of grassroots, citizen-centered polices we call "homegrown solutions." The idea that Rwanda is highly controlled from the center belies the reality, which is that citizens in every village have a powerful say in how things get done. We prize accountability and Rwandans are quickly adapting themselves to the possibilities of a digital economy.

It is the first time in the history of Rwanda that political change in the highest leadership of the country has taken place in peace and security.