What can Britain learn from Rwanda?

By Simon DANCZUK.

There’s often an assumption in Britain, particularly amongst those on the left of politics, that African states need to learn from how democracy is done in the West.

Yes, it’s an arrogant perspective but the ‘we know best’ attitude has permeated British ‘progressive’ politics for a considerable time. We saw it most recently during Keir Starmer’s condemnation of the Rwanda Plan – as though it was a country people couldn’t be sent to.

Let’s debunk this myth by explaining what Britain could learn from Rwanda.

First, there’s political leadership. Starmer would give anything for the admiration and support that Paul Kagame receives from the public. I’ve been in the BK Arena when Kagame is present, and the crowd erupts in applause. The same cannot be said when Starmer arrives anywhere.

Kagame also provides, and articulates, a vision for his country which the public get behind. Rwanda has published its 2050 Vision, and this strategy is what people are working towards.

In contrast, Starmer is famous for not providing any vision at all, he’s often described as an empty suit. Yes, he’s set out five missions, but they’ve fallen by the way side, he appears to have a relaunch or reset every couple of months, nobody knows what he stands for.

Britain could also learn from Rwanda’s patriotism. As a Rwandan who lives in London recently said to me: “Whilst Britain is losing its legacy, Rwanda is building a new legacy that it’s people are proud of.”

In Rwanda all public buildings fly the national flag. When you get married you swear on the Rwandan flag, at school you sing the national anthem everyday alongside the flag. Building pride in the country is a crucial aspect of building a positive society.

In contrast, flying the British flag has become something that’s denigrated by many on the left in politics. A greater emphasis is put on celebrating multiculturalism than on celebrating Britishness. We are losing our country’s identity.

Talking of pride, you only need to drive around Rwanda to see how proud its people are of the country they inhabit. It is kept exceptionally clean; people are tidying the place all the time.

Meanwhile, parts of Britain are filthy. Some local authorities just don’t prioritise cleaning the streets, and many people dump their rubbish wherever they like.

Comparing policing in Kigali and London is another learning point. In the former, one sees officers on every other street corner, in the latter you’ll be doing well to see one at all. There is no doubt that Rwanda is better policed than Britain, it’s much safer in Kigali than it is in London.

This leads through to defence and diplomacy. Rwanda is a small state in a tough East African neighbourhood. Consequently, the President has prioritised developing it military and defending its borders. Conversely, Britain has fallen behind with investment in the military and has instead relied upon the USA. Unsurprisingly, Donald Trump is now calling that out and Britain is having to re-build its defences.

Turning to diplomacy, the ‘Visit Rwanda’ campaign via sports clubs in the UK, France and US has been inspirational. For relatively little sponsorship this small East African state has become a major international brand. This combines with Kagame’s energy in operating on the global stage, as one former British diplomat explained to me, when Rwanda is at an international event they are the most professional and organised of any African country.

Yes, Britain is good at diplomacy, it has the British Council and the Foreign Office network, Starmer likes travelling abroad, but our country could still learn much from Rwanda’s enthusiasm and ability to get its diplomatic message across.

Finally, there’s infrastructure. In the three years I’ve been visiting Rwanda I’ve seen major construction projects undertaken and delivered.

The Amahoro Stadium has been transformed in just two years, the new international airport is well underway, I see new hotel and residential developments every time I visit, roads are built efficiently and to a high quality.

This contrasts with Britain where there’s budget overruns, delays in construction, and nothing seems to get done on time. HS2 is a typical example, so is the small Thrale railway footbridge, which took 10 years to complete and was £8 million over budget.

So, when some left leaning British politicians disparage Rwanda, just remember there’s a lot of lessons we can learn from this little East African state.

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