Rwanda proves that size doesn’t matter

Since 1994, Rwanda has made tremendous recovery. The genocide tore up the country but also instilled a sense of community in the tiny East African country; the Rwandese know that it’s their responsibility to rebuild and develop the country.

It is now considered a blessing that the youthful Paul Kagame took over as president; he embraced technology and promised to deliver development. He is doing exactly that.

Kagame, who is a former head of intelligence in the Ugandan government, invited investors in the technology industry to set up shop in Rwanda. He gave incentives to businesspeople and declared that East Africans do not require a work permit to work in Rwanda.

In promising development through ICT, Kagame set out to woo the big boys in technology. For instance, he had a meeting with Larry Page of Google Inc. in California. He invited Starbucks to buy coffee directly from the farmers, eliminating the cartel of coffee middlemen and sharks that have stifled the industry and impoverished farmers.

Four years ago, Kagame said that all ministers in his government must have e-mail accounts, and official communication should be done via e-mail in order to reduce costs and provide effective communication.

Other governments within the East African Community, such as Kenya, thought that the requirement was odd, given that Kenyan technocrats are frozen in time and think that the best way to communicate is the way they did during colonial days.

When Kagame said he would implement the electronic ID, it sounded even more preposterous, given that the whole country does not have the required machines. But he has proved that, gradually, Rwanda will overtake the regional economies such as Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Burundi.

Yes, Kagame has his shortcomings, but his positive dictatorship seems to be steering the country in the right direction, and technology has occupied a central place. Of what use is it to have a hands-off president like Mwai Kibaki who can not force the technocrats to communicate via e-mail? Forget about the ministers.

Of what use is a government whose ministers are now preoccupied with the succession agenda, yet they have not even delivered on a single promise made last year during the election campaigns? They are now focused on 2012 election.

Kagame needs to come to Kenya during cabinet meetings and talk to the ministers about running a country.

Better still, he will prove that the size of his country doesn’t matter by overtaking regional economies, because technology takes a central role in his government.