Communication, communication, communication is universally crucial to everything and anything.

Unfortunately we are simply not doing nearly enough to share our good stories or address the not so good ones.  We read good things happening in Rwanda, but only surface type headlines.  A few tweets here and there, an article once in a while, TV or radio program – but we are still barely scratching the surface.  I appreciate the example of MYICT, the Office of the President, the Office of Government Spokesperson, the awesome Rwanda Immigration, Ministry of Defense/MOD Spokesperson, Rwanda Air and Akagera Aviation- who inform us about what they are doing and what’s upcoming👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾.  They are proof of what good communication means – so what are the rest of so called “communication officers” doing everyday?  

Just this week in a discussion with a friend, he posed some poignant questions and went on a much appreciated rant about the absence of a culture which values information communication.  I was following an event on Twitter, on a subject he’s done extensive research on and wondered why he wasn’t there.  He simply asked, “do our leaders conceptualize the need to communicate the way you do?”  I think few do, sadly most don’t and we see this everyday. 

This week we saw HRW come out about an “illegal detention center” in Kigali and this had me shaking my head.  I know of this center and see nothing illegal in it because many you have gotten off the street where they spent days sniffing glue, smoking weed, survived the dreaded “sealed well” – sachet which has alcohol content of over 50% coating as low as 200Rwf. Center has taken petty thieves off our streets, even parents call on police to take their children in an attempt to rescue them from drugs. But did HRW think about any of this, no and why should they when they are clearly committed to always smearing Rwanda? 

Back to my friend’s rant – he really made ask what communication officers and those who hire them are doing?  I know some of you will say, the good shall speak for itself, but is it???!  We know there are organizations and people, including a few Rwandans abroad, whose mission is to paint our Rwanda as a bad place to be where many are suffering.  They have no interest in seeing any good and even when they do, they dismiss it.  Each of our institutions has a communications officer and they easily out number those enemies of progress in Rwanda.   

Therefore, I ask, what are these communication officers doing everyday?  As my friend put it, when, where, and to whom do these officers communicate?  And if there is no evidence of such communication, can we conclude that they aren’t up to the job they were hired to do, what my friend calls “legalized theft in form of a monthly salary, a position without deliverables.” 

We absolutely need to deal with this communication issue in order to take on our enemies who continue to get away with no sense because there is no information or misinformation.  My friend thinks we could easily reduce them by 3/4 through communication and the remaining 1/4 we cant satisfy them no matter what we do for many reasons.   I think he is spot on.  There are people who think government is made up of Ugandans or those who think President is from Ruhengeri lol – Ibaze nawe 😂😂😂.  These we can accept and not even bother to counter.  However, there needs to be effective communication to counter deliberate misinformation. This will only happen when communications officers DO THEIR JOB i.e. COMMUNICATE, EVERYDAY!  Otherwise, remove those positions from the payroll, hire those who are driven and passionate about communication! 

That will be all.