Crispin Williams writes about a social problem facing our children.
“It is a major problem of our times. And apparently getting worse. Social services cannot cope, waiting lists for assessments are impossibly long”
There are probably statistics to prove it but anecdotal evidence is rife enough to believe that a vastly increased number of children experience some sort of mental health issue than in the past. Be it ADHD, autism, anything else on the ‘spectrum’ or just undiagnosed bad or unconventional behaviour. My own son had major issues (eventually diagnosed as ADHD and autism) when he was younger and I was absolutely amazed by the number of people I spoke to who had a child, grandchild or other relative – or the child of a close friend or neighbour – who had these type of issues.
It is a major problem of our times. And apparently getting worse. Social services cannot cope, waiting lists for assessments are impossibly long, help and interventions are so thinly spread as to be useless and those children who do get assessed are swamping schools with ever-increasing numbers of EHCPs (Education, Health and Care Plans).
“Surely, a major study is called for”
But why? What research has been done? Probably bits and pieces into possible causes but has anyone looked at every single possibility? Surely, a major study is called for.
Below, and definitely in no particular order, I suggest a list of factors that might be responsible or partly responsible. I would like to see them all investigated, whatever the cost. Understanding the root of the problem would be a necessary start to addressing it.
“Children are easily overwhelmed by too much information and nowadays they are swamped with stories of world affairs, politics and other goings-on”
Parenting: including lack of parental interaction due to parents being busy at work, etc. and the effects of single-parent families.
Lack of discipline: at home and at school.
Diet: there are so many additives in our food these days.
Social media: I don’t need to explain.
Overload of information: a child expert recently said to me that it should be a parent’s job to keep a child’s world small. Children are easily overwhelmed by too much information and nowadays they are swamped with stories of world affairs, politics and other goings-on of no direct relevance to them.
Radio waves: maybe a conspiracy-type theory but the air never used to be crammed full of mobile phone signals.
The reader may well be able to add to this list but the point is made. For the sake of all of us, we need to get to the bottom of the matter.
‘I consider Trial by Jury as the only anchor yet imagined by man, by which a governmentcan be held to the principles of its constitution’ — Thomas Jefferson
When our memories grow short, long-fought-for rights can easily be abandoned, once-valued principles all but forgotten.
One such principle is that sovereignty[1] resides in the people. The people are the creators of government, and thus superior to their creation. A corollary of this superiority is that people have the rightful power to check[2] their own government, to keep it within the bounds of what is lawful and constitutional.
“The right to trial by a jury of one’s peers is enshrined in Magna Carta and is, according to that constitutional document, an everlasting birthright of the people of this land”
The right to trial by jury in criminal cases stands as one of the most effective checks against the tyranny of government. It is, as Winston Churchill put it, the ‘supreme protection invented by the British people for ordinary individuals against the state’.[3] The right to trial by a jury of one’s peers is enshrined in Magna Carta[4] and is, according to that constitutional document, an everlasting birthright of the people of this land.[5]
Sir William Blackstone, the English jurist, judge and politician, wisely warned us of those who would seek to erode or do away with the ‘sacred bulwark’ of trial by jury by appeals to convenience:
‘Trial by jury ever has been, and I trust ever will be, looked upon as the glory of the English law…So that the liberties of England cannot but subsist so long as this palladium remains sacred and inviolate; not only from all open attacks (which none will be so hardy as to make), but also from secret machinations, which may sap and undermine it; by introducing new and arbitrary methods of trial; by justices of the peace, commissioners of revenue, and courts of conscience. And however convenient these may appear at first (as doubtless all arbitrary powers, well executed, are the most convenient) yet let it be remembered, that delays and little inconveniences in the forms of justice, are the price that all free nations must pay for their liberty in more substantial matters; that these inroads into the sacred bulwark of the nation are fundamentally opposite to the spirit of ourconstitution; and that, though begun in trifles, the precedent may gradually increase and spread, to the utter disuse of juries in questions of the most momentous concern.’[6]
And A.V. Dicey, the much-quoted British jurist and constitutional law theorist, confirmed this hard-won right:
‘The right to personal liberty is, in a legal sense, enjoyed by every Englishman, and means in substance a right not to be subjected to imprisonment, arrest, or other physical coercion in any manner that does not admit of legal justification. This right is secured, not only by those definite provisions of the law which prohibit such acts as wrongful imprisonment, but also by the system of trial by jury, which secures that no man can be punished for a crime unless twelve of his fellow countrymen are convinced of his guilt.’[7]
“Being randomly selected, the jurors are independent of the government and thus bear no vested interest in it”
A jury is a tribune of the people (or country).[8] Being randomly selected, the jurors are independent of the government and thus bear no vested interest in it. Further, they are representative of the full range of views, morality and common sense that exist among the people.
A recurring principle of Common Law is that the power to make decisions of great importance and consequence is retained by the people and never delegated to government. Thus a jury is convened to make decisions regarding the fate of those accused of breaking the law. This decision is so vital that it is not entrusted to government. The jury stands supreme.[9] It is a check upon governmental abuse of power.
“If the jury feels a law is unjust, or that a law has been unjustly applied, then they in effect throw the case out of court by voting ‘not guilty’ and thus ensure corrupt laws (and the corrupt application of laws) work no ill upon the people”
Under its full and (I would submit) rightful power, the jury may:
1. Have all evidence made available to them. If the Government have the power to set the rules by which evidence may be introduced, then it might as well be given the power to frame someone. All the lawfully gathered evidence must be made available to the jury.
2. Deliberate in secret. The jury must be free to meet and discuss their thoughts in secret, in a spirit of safety, knowing that they will not be influenced, punished or harassed, either at that time or in the future, by government or its agents. Attempts by government and its officials to interfere with or observe jury deliberations are wholly unacceptable to a free and fair trial.
3. Not be punished in any way by the Court. Again, for a free and fair trial, the jury must not fear any form of punishment or penalty for performing their duty.
4. By unanimous consent, vote the accused ‘guilty’ or ‘not guilty’ of wrongdoing, regardless of whether they think the accused has broken the law or not. Government may not bind the conscience of the jury. If the jury feels a law is unjust, or that a law has been unjustly applied, then they in effect throw the case out of court by voting ‘not guilty’ and thus ensure corrupt laws (and the corrupt application of laws) work no ill upon the people. This is called jury nullification because the law is nullified.[10]
If this were otherwise, especially in regard to the latter point, the jury would serve no purpose in providing a check on government; if it was forced to vote a certain way it would become a mere tool for enforcing the laws of the government of the day. The jury therefore decides if someone is guilty of wrongdoing, not of acting illegally.
Lord Camden, debating in the House of Lords in 1792, gave the following cogent argument for this very principle. The record states that he said, ‘he must contend that the jury had an undoubted right to form their verdict themselves according to their consciences, applying the law to the fact. If it were otherwise, the first principle of the law of England would be defeated and overthrown. If the twelve judges were to assert the contrary again and again, he would deny it utterly, because every Englishman was to be tried by his country; and who was his country but his twelve peers, sworn to condemn or acquit according to their consciences? If the opposite doctrine were to obtain, trial by jury would be a nominal trial, a mere form; for, in fact, the judge, and not the jury, would try the man. He would contend for the truth of this argument to the latest hour of his life, manibus pedibusque. With regard to the judge stating to the jury what the law was upon each particular case, it was his undoubted duty so to do; but, having done so, the jury were to take both law and fact into their consideration, and to exercise their discretion and discharge their consciences.’[11]
Recent changes also need to be reversed by:
(1) ensuring jurors are nearer to the original concept of ‘peers’—that is, those of the same social status and general background (the principle being that jurors can relate to the accused);
(2) ensuring jury members are of sufficient experience to be considered mature (jurors can, of course, still be challenged by those representing the accused and accuser to ensure fairness);
(3) requiring that the guilty verdict be by unanimous consent—if even one juror doubts guilt, that should be sufficient to dismiss the case.
On this last point, William Blackstone stated:
‘It is the most transcendent privilege which any subject can enjoy, or wish for, that he cannot be affected either in his property, his liberty, or his person, but by the unanimous consent of twelve of his neighbours and equals. A constitution, that I may venture to affirm has, under providence, secured the just liberties of this nation for a long succession of ages.’ [12]
The jury is a powerful tribune in preserving liberty, for without its unanimous consent the government may punish no person, and all its unjust laws and oppressive application of laws are of no effect. Trial by jury is the final legal check on tyranny and thus a hallmark and safeguard of a truly free people. It is thus vital that we defend this right for ourselves and our children.
1. Sovereignty has reference to that which is superior or supreme, it is nothing more or less than the power of self-determination. All sovereignty resides in the individual because it is individuals who possess free will. National sovereignty, for example, is only a representation of the individual sovereignty of each citizen of that society.
2. ‘The right to bear arms, the right of juries to nullify the law, and the right of revolution all have the same root: the inalienable right of the people to control the government when they believe it has become destructive of their liberties.’ (The Rise and Fall of Jury Nullification by James Ostrowski, see Recommended Reading below).
3. ‘…the great principle of Habeas Corpus and Trial by Jury…are the supreme protection invented by the British people for ordinary individuals against the state. The power of the executive to cast a man into prison without formulating any charge known to the law, and particularly to deny him judgment by his peers for an indefinite period, is in the highest degree odious, and is the foundation of all totalitarian governments.’ (Winston Churchill, minute to the Home Secretary, 21st November 1943; emphasis added).
4. ‘No freeman shall be taken, imprisoned, or disseized [dispossessed], or outlawed, or exiled, or in any way harmed—nor will we go upon [condemn] or send upon [imprison] him—save by the lawful judgement of his peers or by the law of the land.’ (Magna Carta AD 1215, Clause 39).
5. ‘…men in our kingdom shall have and hold all the aforesaid liberties, rights and concessions well and peacefully, freely and quietly, fully and completely, for themselves and their heirs from us and our heirs, in all matters and in all places for ever…’ (Magna Carta, AD 1215, Clause 63). Those rights include the right to due process of law, the right to trial by jury, and the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
6. William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England, Book 4, Chapter 27
7. A.V. Dicey, An Introduction to the Study of the Law of the Constitution, 10th ed. (London: Macmillan, 1959), p. 207.
8. A jury trial is a trial by country (as opposed to a trial by government). Towers wrote: ‘And in all pleas of the crown, the prisoner is said to put himself for trial upon his country; which is explained and referred by the clerk of the court, to be meant of the jury, saying to them, “which country you are”.’ (An Enquiry Into the Question, Whether Juries are, or are not, Judges of Law, As well as of Fact; With a particular Reference to The Case of Libels, Joseph Towers, 1764; available on-line at http://www.constitution.org/jury/cmt/towers/towers.htm). Lysander Spooner wrote: ‘The object of this trial “by the country,” or by the people, in preference to a trial by the government, is to guard against every species of oppression by the government. In order to effect this end, it is indispensable that the people, or “the country,” judge of and determine their own liberties against the government; instead of the government’s judging of and determining its own powers over the people. How is it possible that juries can do anything to protect the liberties of the people against the government; if they are not allowed to determine what those liberties are? Any government, that is its own judge of, and determines authoritatively for the people, what are its own powers over the people, is an absolute government of course. It has all the powers that it chooses to exercise. There is no other—or at least no more accurate—definition of a despotism than this.’ (An Essay on the Trial By Jury by Lysander Spooner; see Recommended Reading below).
9. ‘The power that puts the jury above the law can never safely be entrusted to a single person or to an institution, no matter how great or how good. For it is an absolute power and, given time, absolute power corrupts absolutely. But jurors are anonymous characters who meet upon random and unexpected summons to a single task (or perhaps a few), whose accomplishment is their dissolution. Power lies beneath their feet but they tread on it so swiftly that they are not burnt.’ (The Conscience of the Jury, The Right Honourable Lord Devlin, Law Quarterly Review, July 1991, Vol. 107, p. 404 as quoted in Reclaim the Law (see Recommended Reading below)).
10. ‘For more than six hundred years—that is, since Magna Carta, in 1215—there has been no clearer principle of English or American constitutional law, than that, in criminal cases, it is not only the right and duty of juries to judge what are the facts, what is the law, and what was the moral intent of the accused; but that it is also their right, and their primary and paramount duty, to judge of the justice of the law, and to hold all laws invalid, that are, in their opinion, unjust or oppressive, and all persons guiltless in violating, or resisting the execution of, such laws.’ (An Essay on the Trial by Jury, 1852, Lysander Spooner; see below). Compare this with the following extract from the Report of the FCDA, Europe; Cannabis, the Facts, Human Rights and the Law: ‘In the governance of men and women, few if any matters are of greater consequence than the diligence and precision with which the judiciary observe and adhere to the civilised code long established for the determination of an accused person’s guilt or innocence. At least the equal of all other aspects of importance of this code is the Right and Duty of the jury to judge of the justice of the law. All governments, comprised of as they are of human beings, are fallible. Governments are capable of passing bad or oppressive (i.e. illegal) laws, and authorising and organising the enforcement of such bad laws. If juries were limited in their role to decide guilt or innocence only on the evidence produced by the state prosecutor of whether the accused had broken a law or not, any jury acting in this restricted way would not be able to protect good fellow Citizens from unjust laws or oppressions of the state. These inadequate ‘show trials’ are observed to take place in the tyrannies of totalitarian dictatorships and are traditionally scorned for the mockery of justice that they are when compared to the democratic high standards Trial by Jury. Some term other than Trial by Jury is necessary to describe a court ritual enacted where in the jury is not informed of the jurors Right and Duty to judge on the justice of law, without which real Trial by Jury cannot be said to have taken place’. (ISBN: 0-954421-1-6. On-line reference: http://www.ccguide.org/fcda.php).
11. 29 Parliamentary History 1535, 1536; final emphasis added.
12. William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England, Book 4, p. 379 (Oxford, 1769).
Fully Informed Jury Association (organisation) Highly recommended and informative web site concerning fully informing juries as to their rights and duties. https://fija.org/
Copyright 2004-2025. Darren Andrews. Reproduced with permission.
When Douglas Adams wrote about the bureaucratic and officious Vogon in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, I can only assume he had just experienced passport control at Entebbe International Airport, the airport for Kampala. Once navigated, I met-up with the hotel driver.
As a former British Protectorate, Uganda reassuringly drives on the correct side of the road. You might not be aware of this when you see the ubiquitous motorcycles traveling the roads, but broadly they do. The driver pointed out we were on a Chinese built highway, the tolls from which would apparently go back to China for 50 years. The original roads still existed and were busier but for those who paid (the hotel driver chose the route) this was by far the quicker option. This has always struck me as a good way of getting roads built in the UK. With no money in the Treasury, we could upgrade our network with private enterprise to fund toll roads for those willing to pay. In what was a theme, once he had established I wasn’t American, the driver wanted to talk football, and about his love of Arsenal.
“Armed guards at the front of every major building and indeed my hotel, didn’t fill one with a sense of confidence”
Growing up next door to a Ugandan Asian family, like many my first thought of Uganda is of Idi Amin. Amin ruled the country from 1971 to 1979, despite his relatively short period of rule, and its ending over 45 years ago, the shadow of his time can still be felt. Uganda has one of the fastest growing economies in Africa, at about 6% per annum. Kampala the capital, however, feels part of a chaotic country. Armed guards at the front of every major building and indeed my hotel, didn’t fill one with a sense of confidence. Also as pre-warned the safety evident in Kigali is not readily felt here.
The new morning brought about a tour of some major sites and a chance to experience rush hour traffic. It is unfair to compare most countries roads with the UK which are some of the safest in the world. I am used to countries where people drive in a more disorderly fashion, however this is normally done at a slow or at least slower speed than we tend to drive in the UK. In Kampala the omnipresent motorcycles drive not only with little concern for the rules of the road, but they drive at speed!
“The people I met were overwhelmingly polite and friendly, but my tour driver told me not to open the windows in busy places”
Peoples Christianity and Islamic faiths are very openly displayed here, given the risk from traffic, I can fully understand this. The people I met were overwhelmingly polite and friendly, but my tour driver told me not to open the windows in busy places. I noticed when we stopped in traffic, he and other drivers would make sure the central locking was engaged.
Kampala has stark contrasts between modern high rises, more historic buildings, low rise small business blocks and areas that have the look of shanty towns. At one point on our tour, Google maps was telling the driver to turn onto a new road, one that I could see displayed on the map. “Road”, interesting terminology to describe the deep ditched mud path in front of me. This was not in the countryside or even the suburbs, this was half a mile from the British and Rwandan High Commissions in the centre of the city.
“I encountered some of the friendliest and open people I have ever met. The markets are crowded and full of people wanting a sale but also contain some amazing fresh fruit and great conversations”
A walking tour gave a great opportunity to see more of the city up close. One guide was keen to point out you must never trust a zebra crossing in Africa, and once you learnt to navigate them having three motorcycles driving at you from two different directions was not so concerning! My experience was Ugandans are outwardly tough, the Luganda language spoken by locals appears brusque. Yet also I encountered some of the friendliest and open people I have ever met. The markets are crowded and full of people wanting a sale but also contain some amazing fresh fruit and great conversations. One market I visited was full of second-hand clothes, originated in western countries and transported by the Red Cross. I was told the number of donated clothes overwhelms those in need, and these are often meant to be burned but make their way via criminals to the markets. I personally thought this was a great use of the clothes, as someone who has donated my share of old cloth, why not let someone make a few bob from it. I would hope they can find a way to take out the criminals and let some free enterprise flourish.
Arriving during an election period (local and a general election are being held in January 2026 and have a long run in), provided an opportunity to learn about the local politics. Uganda however is not a place it’s wise to ask too deeply about political leanings. The country has a president who is both head of state and head of government. Yoweri Museveni (M7 as he is known) has been the president since 1986. The Parliament of 557 members is elected with a mix of constituency, woman only, and other group representatives. Freedom of the press is limited, although both online and in the street, I did see papers appearing to criticise the government.
Still, it was interesting to see the election posters adorn many of the streets for both national and local elections. The posters make politics appear more straightforward than in the UK with many candidates calling for a ‘Protest Vote’ and a range of parties running including one straightforwardly called the Peasants Party. One driver I asked told me the election campaigns were everywhere, with occasions of people fighting each other. He went on to say he didn’t get political and “as long as the country is peaceful, I’m good”. Uganda has never had a peaceful transition of power, and perhaps the best summary came from a visit to the statue of Luhondeza. He was the first gorilla who, with his family group, allowed people to get close to take photos. This action (or rather his lack of it) opened tourism to large parts of Uganda. It is said he has done more for the people of Uganda than any president had.
Central Kampala has a very distinct uptown district, full of shops apparently only government officials can afford to use and a clearly poorer but more colourful downtown area. I was told getting a good job “is not easy, you have to be connected. Someone in the Government has to know you”. You also need to speak 3 languages, the local language Luganda, used for business and most interactions. Swahili, spoken by the Army and used for unity within it’s ranks and to connect with other East African armed forces, and finally English.
Some interesting discoveries for me included the separately owned Catholic and Anglican banks, used by their respective communities. Strange though this may seem, it was not so long ago here, that this distinction was common for the Royal Bank of, and Bank of Scotland. It’s important to show respect to your elders, when arranging a taxi for me my guide needed to chat to the elderly taxi drivers for a while to show them some respect before passing them business. One of the things you notice is what a young country this is, with a ‘old’ building being pointed out to me from 1930, and an ‘old’ market from the early 1900s. I visited the historic site of the Basilica of the Uganda Martyrs, Namugongo, where 25 martyrs were killed for refusing to renounce their Christianity. An event that happened only in 1885.
“Despite being a republic, Uganda has at least 5 kingdoms. Kampala is in the largest and the one the country gets its name from, ‘Buganda'”
No visit to Kampala is complete without a stop at the Gaddafi National Mosque, yes that Gaddafi. The National Mosque of Uganda as it is also known, has a capacity of 25,000 (although not for the first time what I was told and what I can verify online differs). Opened in 2008, work was started in 1972 by Idi Amin, stopped in 1976, and in the early 2000s Colonel Gaddafi picked up the effort to complete the build. Sitting on Kampala Hill and with a 272-step minaret it can be seen from many vantage points across the city.
Despite being a republic, Uganda has at least 5 kingdoms. Kampala is in the largest and the one the country gets its name from, ‘Buganda’. The Kingdom has had 36 Kings in an 800 year period, and old Kings, are said not to have died, but only, to have gotten lost. The first son never becomes King but is instead an advisor to the second son who takes on the role. The Kabaka Palace, located in the city and modelled on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, looks down to the Kingdoms Parliament. The road between the two buildings has a prominent roundabout with a gate used only by the Kings car. The King is said to only go in straight lines, and as such he needs a path through the roundabout.
The Palace, and Kingdom has been part of many political events since independence, but now they are ceremonial, and the Parliament discusses only cultural issues. My guide was trying to explain that although she is Ugandan, she sees her main identity as Bugandan, with her Ugandan identity being secondary. She had thought these multiple identities might be difficult for someone who is both an Englishman and a Brit to grasp.
Sadly, part of the history of the Palace was the site serving as the torture chambers for Idi Amin. Milton Obote was the second and seventh President of Uganda. His first period of office, and his actions towards the opposition was so bad people initially celebrated when Idi Amin overthrew him. I asked a guide if he was any different the second time, the guide said yes, as the second time “he had grudges”. Still Amin was by far worse, the small concrete basements in the Palace grounds would hold 100 people in them. The last one of which would have people piled up to die, to make room for more to come in. In this you could see the marks of people clawing to get out on the walls. It is believed some 25,000 people died in these chambers, just some of the 100,000 – 500,000 people who were killed by his period in power. Despite this some people in Uganda still think he was a good leader, although these are apparently mainly the families of those who were given the businesses of the Asians who he expelled.
“these very slums reflect the rapid urban growth and increased prosperity of the country”
The Kampala metropolitan area of ~8 million people is a crazy, busy city. People in bright modern clothes can be seen exiting slum housing, but these very slums reflect the rapid urban growth and increased prosperity of the country. The number of motorcycles (and I might add repair shops) indicates the level of industriousness in the country. Hopefully the economic progress can be coupled with some political progress for a more stable and peaceful future.
First impressions count they say, well my first impression of travelling to Kigali International Airport impressed. So many countries could learn a thing or two from their arrivals. Exiting the plane, you are straight to passport control, which is staffed sufficiently for the number of arrivals. Once through, bags arrived quickly, and you are straight through customs to exit with hotel pick-up drivers waiting and a taxi rank nearby.
I appreciate the numbers through an airport matter for this. But not having to walk miles through an airport or to a taxi rank positioned as far as possible from arriving passengers is quite the pleasant surprise. It’s almost as if making people feel welcome is, welcoming. One thing to add, Rwanda has a closed currency with the Rwandan Franc not readily available to purchase overseas. So, at the exit of the airport they have a bureau de change, handily positioned to remind those of us about to walkout with no local currency.
“On the journey into the city, we quickly bonded over the international language of football”
Hotel pick-up was smooth and as my first trip to Rwanda the driver and greeter were keen to speak with me. On the journey into the city, we quickly bonded over the international language of football. The driver was a Liverpool fan, and the greeter was a Manchester City one. Both were suitably impressed I had a Crystal Palace season ticket. They were keen to talk about Arsenal, one of the majorly supported clubs in the country. Also, one who advertise ‘Visit Rwanda’ on their shirt. We spoke about who might contend for the league title this year, and all laughed at Manchester United, the other majorly supported club in Rwanda.
The extent to which European but especially Premier League football is followed here is astonishing. English football (along with the odd Barcelona and Bayer Munich) shirts are commonplace to see in the streets. All my guides on tours spoke to me about football after finding out I was from England. The hotel restaurant I was staying at had constant reruns of Premier League matches. The laughing at Man U became a theme. Including with the guide who as a Man U fan felt deeply embarrassed by their lack of success in recent years.
“I also wanted to be somewhere where the economy was on the up and people looked forward to a brighter future, so getting out of Labour’s Britain was a must!”
You might wonder what took me to Rwanda. Well, I fancied a city break. No gorillas in the mist or safari for me. I wanted to see a rapidly developing city in an economically growing state. With the capital being voted a top 3 city for travellers in Africa, and a country with the continents 6th fastest growth rate at ~8%, Kigali fitted the bill. I also wanted to be somewhere where the economy was on the up and people looked forward to a brighter future, so getting out of Labour’s Britain was a must!
Whenever I visit a country, I like to find out a little about the local politics. Given the tragic events of the early 90s, here one must tread carefully. On the journey to the hotel, I was already being regaled about what a great man the President, Paul Kagame is. On arrival at the hotel the Presidents picture was centred above the check-in desk. On two subsequent tours the guides were keen to tell me what a good government they had and how it was focused on Security, Education and Health.
It’s worth noting Wikipedia states “Rwanda has low corruption levels relative to most other African countries; in 2014, Transparency International ranked Rwanda as the fifth-cleanest out of 47 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and 55th-cleanest out of 175 in the world.”
My general impression was that there is much love and respect for the President. Still, it’s important to say, Rwanda is an authoritarian, de facto one-party state. I could read about this and criticism of the government on the internet from my hotel room. This is something, post the Online Safety Act, I’m less sure about in the UK. However, given the events of the genocide in April 1994, one can understand why many of the people of Rwanda are keen to have strong, stable government.
“Rush hours see busy roads full of taxi motorcycles. These dart around seemingly driving at anyone and anything until it moves!”
One of the immediate impressions was the youth and vibrancy of Rwanda. The median age at 20 years old is a full 20 years younger than the average age in the UK. Rush hours see busy roads full of taxi motorcycles. These dart around seemingly driving at anyone and anything until it moves! Another immediate impression is how green the city is. Houses rather than blocks of flats are the main accommodation, and the main streets are tree lined.
“Women would walk down the street carrying heavy loads on their heads with a mobile phone in hand. Mobile phones were everywhere, and the country seems to run off ‘WhatsApp’”
Kigali is named after the largest hill in the area. It is all hills, and the views are amazing from almost any point. The outdoor feel and developing nature of the city, made it to me seem somewhat of a cross section between Goa and a Spanish island. Murals are commonplace often reflecting on the rebuilding post genocide. The mix of old and new was all around. Driving down the modern roads you often see a street cleaner brushing away the sands and earth with a very traditional brush akin to a witch’s broom. Women would walk down the street carrying heavy loads on their heads with a mobile phone in hand. Mobile phones were everywhere, and the country seems to run off ‘WhatsApp’. This was how all my tour guides contacted me, and whose logo was used on many a shop and even for the hotels lift maintenance. Although I had mobile data, Wi-Fi was commonly available.
The streets were safe to walk, although I did attract some attention in the downtown and market areas. This was unsurprisingly less true in the areas frequented by ex-pats. Although the country has rapid growth, my impression was alongside unemployment, there is a fair amount of underemployment. On a brief visit outside the city, you could see a drop in wealth. Motorcycle taxis turned into bicycle taxis, and the streets were full of impressive shop fronts to not so impressive buildings. This compared to a city with a mix of very modern and older but still good conditioned buildings. All this said, I saw none of the slums I’ve seen in other developing nations but did see lots of new building work and rapid development.
“The music in them blended seamlessly between western and African tunes. The short walks between bars were along what felt like very safe streets with taxis if needed, readily available”
An organised tour of some of the nightlife took in a few spots. All were more like Mediterranean restaurants with entertainment, than like a pub in the UK. The music in them blended seamlessly between western and African tunes. The short walks between bars were along what felt like very safe streets with taxis if needed, readily available. The only challenge was the steep hills, made no easier by the cheap and strong drink available.
Sadly, no visit to Rwanda is complete without visiting some of the memorials of the genocide from the early 90s. It’s worth first noting some background on the country. Rwanda is populated by Bantu peoples who are believed to have arrived in the area about 1000 BC. Originally the people were organised into clans with countries beginning to emerge in the 1600s. The Kingdom of Rwanda emerged as the dominant state and reached its greatest extent during the 19th century.
The Berlin Conference of 1884 assigned the territory to the German Empire, although the first European to cross Rwanda didn’t do so until 10 years later. In World War 1 Belgian invaded Rwanda, and from 1922 ruled under League of Nations mandate. During the colonial period Rwanda was ruled though its monarchy which continued until a referendum voted for its abolition in 1961, a year before its independence from Belgium.
“I neither have the knowledge or desire to write extensively about the genocide in 94. I will however mention a few of the sad memories I will take away”
Rwanda’s relationship with Belgium is complex, many in the country speak French and the memorial to the Belgium UN Peacekeepers in Kigali is well respected. There are also some Belgium cultural references around. However diplomatic relations were severed in March this year over actions in the Congo.
I neither have the knowledge or desire to write extensively about the genocide in 94. I will however mention a few of the sad memories I will take away. The Ntarama Church Memorial has a stain still on the wall of the Sunday School from the blood of the children whose heads were smashed against it. I was told the militia had felt it was a waste of bullets to shoot the children. Many of the sites had piles of victims clothing still covered in blood, this included clothing of children and babies. One site had 5000 bodies buried in it, with 300 recently added after being discovered earlier this year in a pit, next to the site of a roadblock used in April 94. Another site had 45,000 bodies in it, with 10,000 having been killed on site.
Some of the identifiable remains were in rows of family coffins you were invited to walk down. Many were not identified as the whole families had died. One site had a display cabinet with about 140 skulls on display where you could see the club, arrow, and machete marks that had killed them. The Kigali Genocide Memorial had pictures of those mutilated, the worst being those of the children on a looping video which no one I saw, me included, could stomach to watch all of.
“The MDR, one of the major political factions in Rwanda at the time had a motto of “Death or life. We will triumph”. As I said, the warning signs were there”
The stories of the events leading up to the genocide gave me many thoughts to ponder a few of which are below:
I was previously unaware of the extent of atrocities committed before 94 (notably in 92 but at other times as well). The warning signs were there.
We should take extremists seriously. The MDR, one of the major political factions in Rwanda at the time had a motto of “Death or life. We will triumph”. As I said, the warning signs were there.
Sometimes it takes force to deal with evil. Instead at the time the UN was drawing down it’s force of Peacekeepers in a country with no peace.
The use of roadblocks and identity papers to single out Tutsis from the population highlighted to me the systemic risk of national identity cards.
“my break wasn’t about the past. It was about seeing a burgeoning city of today with a bright future”
However, my break wasn’t about the past. It was about seeing a burgeoning city of today with a bright future. The untold story of the 21st Century has been the massive economic boom seen in Africa. Rwanda is very much part of that. Kigali International is a major hub airport for the region, and various conversations suggested there is a lot of trade and personal connections with nearby countries.
My one concern was how much change was government led. My impression was there was more room for private enterprise to keep growing the economy. If current growth rates are sustained in 10 years, the economy will have double in size. Rwandans are proud of the rebuilding their country has undergone and the high level of safety in the country. It would be great to make a future trip to see that progress. For now, however, next stop Kampala.
