‘Our own country denied us’: Kagame reflects on Rwanda’s refugee past

Cape Town – Rwandan President Paul Kagame has warned young people against alcohol abuse, describing it as a growing threat that could destroy their ambitions and undermine the country’s future, while urging them to embrace discipline and protect the gains made since Rwanda’s liberation.

Speaking during the #MeetThePresident engagement with the Indangamirwa 16th Cohort on Monday, Kagame appealed to the youth to prioritise their wellbeing and avoid what he described as the “religion of alcohol.”

“As young people, we need you. We love you. But first and foremost, take care of yourselves,” Kagame said.

“As young people, we need you. We love you. But first and foremost, take care of yourselves.

This religion of alcohol, I think people even recruit others into it. Alcohol is killing you. It’s killing young people. The older ones are already gone. It has killed so many older… pic.twitter.com/vAcpA9raZY

— Presidency | Rwanda (@UrugwiroVillage) July 28, 2026

“This religion of alcohol… Alcohol is killing you. It’s killing young people. I want to warn you and beg you… this thing will kill you before you realise your ambitions.”

The president said discipline remains one of the most important values for young people, arguing that it shapes decision-making, respect for others and the pursuit of knowledge.

“Discipline is important. It is what helps you decide what you want, how you go about achieving it, and why it matters,” he said.

According to Kagame, discipline enables people to remain focused on meaningful goals instead of being distracted by destructive behaviour.

He told participants that the Itorero civic education programme was designed to instil discipline and leadership, warning that failing to apply those lessons could limit their future success.

Reflecting on Rwanda’s history, Kagame recounted his own experience as a refugee, recalling how Rwandans living in exile were once told there was no space for them in their homeland.

“When we were living as refugees, we went to many places telling the international community that Rwanda was our home and that we wanted to return. Some people would come and raise the matter with the government that was in power here. The response they received was that Rwanda… pic.twitter.com/WOlOYgrGuM

— Presidency | Rwanda (@UrugwiroVillage) July 28, 2026

“When we were living as refugees, we went to many places telling the international community that Rwanda was our home and that we wanted to return,” he said.

“The response they received was that Rwanda was too small and that there was no place for us to go.”

Kagame said his grievance had never been with the countries that hosted Rwandan refugees, but with those who denied them their right to return to their own country.

“The people I had a grievance against were those who had the responsibility to guarantee my rights in my own country, but instead denied them. Those were the people we had to confront,” he said.

The president also urged the young generation to preserve Rwanda’s achievements, saying previous generations had made significant sacrifices to reunite the country and lay the foundations for development.

“We always ask ourselves: where are we leaving our children? What kind of people are we leaving behind? Are they continuing on the right path they were born into, the one their parents built and entrusted to them? Or will everything that has been achieved have been in vain? All… pic.twitter.com/rvAyFX7fPo

— Presidency | Rwanda (@UrugwiroVillage) July 28, 2026

“We always ask ourselves: where are we leaving our children? What kind of people are we leaving behind?” Kagame said.

He cautioned against allowing the country’s progress to be reversed, saying Rwanda had moved away from poverty and dependence through deliberate policies and national unity.

“People liberated this country… Are you going to let all of that be undone? Please, don’t. I ask you not to. Do not be the ones who bring about such a tragedy,” Kagame said.