He made the remarks on Friday while opening the 17th National Congress of the RPF–Inkotanyi at Intare Arena, attended by more than 2,200 party members.

“I do not know of any nation with citizens better than ours,” President Kagame said. “I say this because of where we have come from: divisionist politics, genocide. And yet we have reached a point where our people stand together, even as the world keeps trying to take them back to that history.”

President Kagame noted that attempts by outsiders to divide Rwandans and create conflict among them have failed because citizens chose unity over division.

“The first place where outsiders who seek to destroy us have failed is with our citizens. They tried to divide Rwandans again, to create conflict among them, but our people resisted—and those efforts failed,” he said.

Addressing governance and leadership, President Kagame emphasized the importance of combining independent thinking with collective action.

“You should be thinking independently, individually, but most importantly, act collectively. That is when it becomes meaningful and yields results,” he told party members, adding that while everyone has personal concerns, shared values and collective responsibility must guide national action.

He further stressed that although change is inevitable, core values must remain constant.

“But even as things change, and they must change continually, not everything changes. There is always something that remains constant: who you are, and the values and aspirations that define how you should live and respond in the midst of change. The core must remain constant,” President Kagame said.

On the fight against corruption, President Kagame reiterated that it remains a foundational principle of the RPF–Inkotanyi.

“The RPF has always said we must fight corruption. That principle does not change. What changes are the methods we use to fight it. The principle itself does not change,” he said.

The 17th RPF Congress served as a moment of reflection and recommitment, reinforcing unity, integrity, and collective responsibility as the pillars of Rwanda’s leadership and continued transformation.