Rwanda has its own governance scorecard, which when compared with the international reports gives a rosy picture of the state.
In an interview, the Rwanda Governance Board CEO, Anastase Shyaka, dismissed suggestions that the governance scorecard could be a reaction to some international reports that rarely portray Rwanda well.
The deviation between the government and international reports is in the measurement of political rights, media freedoms and civil liberties.
Kigali often finds itself on the defensive against international reports that portray Rwanda as less democratic and accuse the government of human-rights abuses.
If it is not Human Rights Watch (HRW), it is Amnesty International, Freedom House or the Mo Ibrahim Foundation that issue negative reports about the Rwandan government.
However, the country has its own governance scorecard, which when compared with the international reports gives a rosy picture of the state.
Recently, Rwanda published a report that portrays a glowing image of the government’s performance in 2016, which could become a positive reference for policies and a boost for President Paul Kagame’s third term this election year.
The Rwanda Governance Scorecard 2016 is the fourth edition of the report, which is an annual self-assessment tool for government, offering an in-depth look at how it performed across all sectors.
Some findings in the report are different from those indicated in recent reports by international organisations like HRW and Reporters without Borders, which claim that the government undermines civil liberties and freedoms.
In an interview, the Rwanda Governance Board CEO, Anastase Shyaka, dismissed suggestions that the governance scorecard could be a reaction to some international reports that rarely portray Rwanda well.
“The scorecard is one among other homegrown solutions showing that Rwanda is making commendable strides towards building and sustaining a social developmental democratic state,” he said.
Safe walking at night
Among its findings, the report shows that the government performed best in providing security to its citizenry, scoring 92.62 per cent — the highest among six key indicators.
The 2015 Gallup Global Law and Order Report ranked Rwanda among top countries in the world where people feel safe walking alone at night.
The scorecard also shows that government transparency and accountability scored 86.5 per cent — a similar assessment to the Corruption Perception Index 2015 released by Transparency International showing that the country is the fourth least corrupt in Africa and 44th globally.
The deviation between the government and international reports is in the measurement of political rights, media freedoms and civil liberties. According to the government scorecard, political rights and civil liberties scored 81.8 per cent, and rule of law scored 79.6 per cent.
Media freedoms and respect for human rights both scored above 85 per cent each.
The latest HRW report states that the government continues to limit the ability of civil society groups, media, and international human-rights organisations, and criticises its policies and practices.
Mr Shyaka said such reports do not portray the “true picture” on the ground.
“If someone says civil society freedom is low in Rwanda, I say they are mistaken. There is great improvement policy-wise. We are happy with the trends we observe in the civil society and media sectors at the moment,” he said.
UN resident co-ordinator for Rwanda Lamin Manneh said that “justified government controls” do exist, especially in the media, and that they should be captured in the context of Rwanda’s historical and cultural context.
Brian Kagoro, a Zimbabwean pan-African and human-rights activist, urged Rwanda to promote self-assessment and accountability of local government services.
“Rwanda should share these great ideas with the region and the continent,” he said.
