He said Rwanda people had learnt its lesson well, where, after burying their dead and seeking justice for the victims by pursuing the killers, the Rwandans are now building their nation, disavowed ethnic division and promised good government.
President Kenyatta described Rwanda as a phoenix and home to millions of unsung heroes including members of the Rwanda Patriotic Front who liberated the country from the killers under the gallant leadership of President Paul Kagame.
“I salute the Rwandans who endured and survived. I applaud those who reached out to save their neighbours. I thank the Rwanda Patriotic Front for doing what so many others were unable or unwilling to do. I join hands with your President, H.E. Paul Kagame, in working toward a region that is prosperous, brotherly and safe for all our people”, said President Kenyatta.
He said Kenyans have learnt from Rwanda’s outstanding example of resisting the politics of ethnic division adding that Kenyans had also suffered from the violence that arises from not putting colonial divide-and-rule narratives to rest.
“We must guard against those who sought to dominate and exploit us all those years ago, and who even today pursue their economic and geopolitical interests with scant regard for our independence and sovereignty”, added the president.
The Head of State also hailed the Gacaca Justice Resolution Mechanism of deploying home-grown solutions.
President Kenyatta said the dreadful media of Kangura and Radio RTLM must be remembered for people in the region to reject hateful and inflammatory speech that seeks to turn people against one another on the basis of ethnicity or religion.
He described the new Rwanda as an important partner to Kenya. “You are no longer just a nearby country; you are a first-line partner in our transformative political and economic enterprises”, he added.
President Kenyatta regretted the tragic events in South Sudan and Central African Republic adding that Kenya will continue engaging all the players in search of peace in the troubled countries.
“Our troops like those of Rwanda have been deployed to protect civilians, while our diplomats work overtime to forge stability and then peace. We must not allow those crises to escalate any further into the kind of mass atrocities that would betray our determination to ensure that “never again” is a real promise” said the Head of State.
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