Rwandan President Paul Kagame has highlighted that the ultimate purpose of parenting is to raise children who are responsible, decent, and able to make meaningful contributions to society.
Speaking to journalists on Thursday, 27 November, the President responded to a question about the challenges he has encountered as a father and grandfather, the joy he derives from spending time with his grandchildren, and how he hopes they will understand Rwanda’s progress.
Kagame said he fully enjoys family life, joking that his only difficulty is “running around with children so they don’t break their legs or fingers,” but that the joy remains “100 per cent.”
Parenting Beyond Protection
The Head of State emphasised that raising children is not only about keeping them safe but also about instilling values, responsibility and accountability.
“You want your own children, or those from them as they grow up, to just be decent people… decent meaning the core part being what is expected of them in society, but also making their own mistakes, owning up, and growing with the purpose that they can live and lead in society,” he explained.
Kagame shared that family conversations frequently revolve around life lessons, personal journeys, and learning from both success and failure.
“I have time to tell them my experience… what my family, my wife and I, have had to go through to make sure we survive and they survive,” he said, adding that while he can teach them much, it is ultimately up to them to apply those lessons.
Children Should Not Be Defined by Their Father’s Position
Importantly, Kagame stressed that his children and grandchildren should not grow up feeling confined or defined by being related to a Head of State.
“We try to remove that from the conversation as much as we can. They just have to grow up as decent human beings. If they become presidents themselves, or whatever they want, or nothing at all, that’s up to them,” he noted.
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