Kagame Warns Youth Against ‘Religion of Alcohol’

President Kagame has arrived at the Gabiro Combat Training Center for an interactive #MeetThePresident session with participants of the 16th cohort of Itorero Indangamirwa on Tuesday

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has issued one of his strongest warnings yet against alcohol abuse, telling young people that excessive drinking could destroy their lives before they achieve their ambitions and undermine the country’s long-term development.

Addressing participants of the 16th cohort of the Itorero Indangamirwa civic education programme during the #MeetThePresident session at the Gabiro Combat Training Centre, Kagame urged the youth to reject what he described as a growing culture of alcohol consumption.

“As young people, we need you. We love you. But first and foremost, take care of yourselves,” Kagame said.

“This religion of alcohol, I think people even recruit others into it. Alcohol is killing you. It’s killing young people.”

He said alcohol abuse had already claimed many lives among older generations and warned that many young people were now following the same path.

“The older ones are already gone. It has killed so many older people like us. Others are already on that same path and seem unable to stop.”

Kagame appealed to the participants to remain focused on the purpose of the Itorero programme and the country’s development agenda.

“But I want to warn you and beg you: everything we have been talking about, what brought you here, and the plans we have for our country, this thing will kill you before you realise your ambitions.”

His warning comes as Rwanda grapples with rising alcohol consumption, particularly among young people.

A survey by the Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC) found that the prevalence of alcohol consumption increased from 41% in 2013 to 48% in 2022, reflecting changing drinking patterns across different age and gender groups.

The upward trend has heightened public health concerns over both excessive drinking and the growing danger posed by illicit alcohol.

Government officials have repeatedly warned that counterfeit brews mixed with toxic substances, including methanol, have caused dozens of deaths, permanent blindness and severe injuries in recent years.

In response, health authorities and police have intensified crackdowns on illegal alcohol production, shutting down illicit brewing sites and destroying contraband worth tens of millions of Rwandan francs.

The government has also expanded public awareness campaigns aimed at reducing harmful alcohol use, particularly among young people, while integrating substance abuse prevention into broader efforts to combat non-communicable diseases.

Kagame linked the issue directly to Rwanda’s future, warning that the sacrifices made to rebuild the country after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi should not be squandered by self-destructive behaviour.

“We always ask ourselves: where are we leaving our children? What kind of people are we leaving behind?”

He said those who liberated Rwanda had established policies to reunite citizens, rebuild institutions and drive economic transformation after decades of conflict.

“People liberated this country. They put in place policies to bring Rwandans back together, policies that would drive development, so that Rwanda could move forward instead of remaining a poor country dependent on others. Are you going to let all of that be undone? Please, don’t. I ask you not to. Do not be the ones who bring about such a tragedy.”

The Itorero Indangamirwa programme is a national civic education initiative designed to instil patriotism, discipline, leadership and civic responsibility among young Rwandans.

Kagame’s remarks reinforced his longstanding message that Rwanda’s continued progress depends not only on government policies but also on the discipline, health and choices of its younger generation.