President Paul Kagame told youthful Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) on Thursday that the rigorous training they receive is to toughen them for life ahead and remind them that they should not take things for granted.

The Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of RDF met with over 1000 Officer Cadets at Rwanda Military Academy in Gako where he urged them to be ready mentally and physically to defend national interests at the highest level.

“We must build our capacity to defend our interests, our development, our people… do the best you can do. Do everything to the best level that you can, with precision and the way it should be done”.

President Kagame reminded Officer Cadets that the rigorous training they undertake was to prepare them to handle challenging situations. “It teaches you to be aware, to alert you that life is not as smooth as everyone wants”.

“You meet those obstacles. It’s creating those obstacles that you are likely to meet so that when you meet them, you overcome them with the more ease than it would have been, if you hadn’t been taken through this and practiced it,” President Kagame said.

The cadets sat in a well organised setting with social distancing.

He pointed out that part of the training is to help the perfect whatever they are doing, even simple things like dressing smartly, walking upright and firm as well as giving them the right mindset, confidence and pride.

He said that the training also will prepare them to do whatever they are studying in a more efficient manner, where those training to be doctors or engineers know that they have to study as much as they can to be the best. The academy offers degree courses in different disciplines.

The Officer Cadets who interacted with the President are in different intakes and faculties; Social and Military Sciences, Engineering, General Medicine, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics as well as the one-year Officer Basic Training intake.

President Kagame was welcomed by the Minister of Defence Maj. Gen Albert Murasira.

The meeting of Officer Cadets with the President of the Republic and Commander-In-Chief of the RDF, the first of its kind at the Rwanda Military Academy, was also attended by the Minister of Defence, Major Gen Albert Murasira, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Jean Bosco Kazura, Security Advisor to the President, Gen James Kabarebe, Service Chiefs and the RMA Gako Commandant, Maj Gen Innocent Kabandana.

The Thursday rain could not deter the meeting with cadets.

The session was interactive.

The cadets had a chance to ask the Head of State questions.

The RDF cadets

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