The get together party took place at Kigali Convention Centre on 2nd July 2023, a
day before the liberation day.

Speaking about 1 st July Independence Day when Rwanda and other countries in
Africa was granted independence by colonialists and 4 th July, the liberation day,
the president said that there are certain things in common but there are also some
difference.
Speaking about the reason why the days are jointly celebrated regarding the meaning, he said: " 4th July to many people including myself is like a new year, It’s like the eve of the new year which we celebrate since 1994, right from 4th July is a remarkable day which changes a lot of things, in fact, social welfare and life to many started from there, those who didn’t survive till then, remembering them starts from there. “The life of Rwandans and Rwanda at large begins from there."

"Our country begins counting from there."

"Many countries have the so-called independence!"

President Kagame said on 1st July 1962 when Rwanda gained independence there are many things that should have changed but were not done.

"It was said that we were given independence but as days go by, we seem to have given it back to those who gave it to us, those who were supposed to have given us independence are taking it back, we are just left with the so-called independence, and true independence is with those who denied us independence."

President KAGAME further pointed out that this did not happen in Rwanda only
but also in other various countries.

The president said people should not go back to the reasons why the country
was liberated but rather keep their liberation.

He said" it’s a choice, you have to choose how to live, if you want to live miserably, you will live miserably, it’s very simple. Whoever wants to live miserably does not struggle, if you don’t struggle to achieve success you live miserably, If you don’t struggle to achieve success that itself makes you live miserably, what is difficult is living happily because living happily you have to work for it."

The youth have been asked to behave differently from those who shade blood.

President Kagame said that Rwanda’s history related to liberation has been written through blood due to the fact that people struggled for it.

He had this to say: "It is impossible to deny the history, the history written through
shading blood cannot be challenged, the history written through ink, do you
understand how it is different, if you want to live miserably let the history written
through blood be blotted ."

His Excellency Paul KAGAME said that there are some people who still want to blot
the history of Rwanda through media to the extent that there are certain things one
reads about Rwanda and wonders whether there are people living in that country.

He said "When you read what is written about Rwanda, you wonder whether it is
Rwanda, the country whose history we wrote through our blood, we have to show
those people that what they say is not true, when you want to show someone that
what they say is not true, you don’t fight with them, you start by showing that what
they say by tarnishing your image is not true."

"When you are always begging, you allow misunderstanding among ourselves,
you are jobless, that’s what they start saying that it’s what Rwandans look like."

Using a recent study published by the Ministry of Health on non-commutable diseases
including the fact that the number of people drinking alcohol is increasing, the
the president asked Rwandans to refrain from alcoholism and strive for something which
will make them recognized as gentlemen and avoid their history being blotted.

Story written by UWAJENEZA Donatha/translated by GAKUBA FELIX
ABDULJABAR