President Paul Kagame has clarified that while he wished all three of his sons to join the Rwandan Defence Forces (RDF), each child has the right to choose their own path including pursuing business or other careers. He also dismissed speculation that his daughter, Ange Kagame, is being groomed to become Rwanda’s next president.
Speaking at the Unity Club Intwararumuri forum on November 8, Kagame explained that his eldest son, Ivan Cyomoro Kagame, prefers entrepreneurship over a military career.
“I told them all that I would like them to serve in the military, but one of them said, ‘This is not for me. I want to work in business and take care of you all.’ I told him, ‘Do what you want,’” Kagame said.
His younger sons, 2LT Brian Kagame and Capt Ian Kagame, both joined the RDF after completing studies at the Sandhurst Military Academy in the UK, following their father’s guidance but on their own terms.
“I advised them to finish their Master’s degrees before entering the military, but they chose to enlist earlier. I told them it was okay the military also offers learning opportunities, and they understood the path I had taken,” he added.
On the topic of his daughter Ange, Kagame dismissed social media rumors suggesting she is being prepared to become president: “Recently, I saw posts claiming I am preparing my daughter to lead the country. Who is preparing her? Certainly not me. She is her own person, and she will live her life like any other Rwandan.”
The President emphasized that all his children, like any Rwandan, have the freedom to pursue their own ambitions. “I cannot designate anyone as president, and even if they were interested, it must be their choice. Politics is theirs to decide, not mine.”
President Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame have four children: three sons and one daughter.
Author: Justinmind HARERIMANA
