National Leadership Retreat: unique way of holding leaders accountable

President Paul Kagame addressing Government officials during Umwiherero .PHOTO:COURTESY

As part of continuing efforts to rebuild Rwanda and nurture a shared national identity, the government of Rwanda has drawn on a set of home grown initiatives to enrich its development programs. These are all drawn from Rwandan culture and traditional practices.

One of such initiatives is the National Leadership Retreat, also known as Umwiherero. The concept of Umwiherero refers to a tradition in Rwandan culture where leaders convened in a serene place to reflect on issues affecting the society. The objective of such a convention was to identify problems with clarity and come up with their solutions.