We must experiment the Kigali lessons

It is very common when we learn or see something, but we easily forget about it. This mostly happens when we fail to put the skills we acquired into practice, and as time goes on, the knowledge fades from our brains.

The Bible also tells us in Luke 7:18-23 that even John the Baptist, who had prepared the way for the coming of Jesus Christ, at a certain point became doubtful whether they should expect another messiah to come.

John’s disciples brought word to him in prison of all that was happening. John called two of his disciples and sent them to Jesus. He told them to go and ask Jesus if he was the expected one (the Messiah), or should they look for someone else?”

So the men came to Jesus and said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the expected the Messiah, or should we look for someone else?’” At that very hour, Jesus healed many people of sicknesses and infirmities and evil spirits; and he gave sight to many who were blind.

So he replied to them, “Go and tell John about everything you have seen and heard: the blind received sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news preached to them. Blessed is he who does not take offence at me.”

When John’s messengers left, Jesus began speaking to the crowds about John: “What did you go out to the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing [entirely unsuited for the harsh wilderness]? Those who wear splendid clothing and live in luxury are in royal palaces! But what did you go out to see?

Similarly, last week, some senior leaders of the parties to the peace agreement went to Kigali to learn from Rwanda how it managed to come out strong despite the 1994 Rwanda genocide. The team was trained in post-conflict peacebuilding, reconstruction, and stabilisation.

They were also taught about Rwanda’s experience after the 1994 genocide. How Rwanda was able to use that experience of genocide to emerge as a secure country in terms of security, food security, development, cleanliness, and peaceful citizens is a mystery.

“We were able to take that experience, especially in conflict analysis, to analyse our conflict and to put together some solutions based on the root causes of the conflict,” Dr Martin Elia Lomuro told journalists in Kigali.

“I think this has been a very useful seminar and I believe all my colleagues, both the representatives of the various political parties that are partners in the agreement and our army and police officers, are already born again.”

The five things: security, food security, development, cleanliness, and peaceful citizens, are the most important lessons that the team needs to copy from Kigali if they are to answer the question Jesus asked John the Baptist.

 “But what did you go out to see?” This is not the first time that the leaders have had a learning visit to Kigali. It is one of the many visits. Unfortunately, the positive thing they often learn about Kigali is not being taken into implementation. As such, the knowledge disappears off and again, another group is sent to Kigali to find out how Rwanda managed to recover after the genocide and why Kigali is being referred to as the Singapore of Africa, Africa’s greenest and smartest city. 

So, sometimes we become like John the Baptist, who sent his disciple to find out the very Jesus he once preached about if he was the one or if they should expect another messiah.