Rwanda’s President Dismisses Chamisa’s Claim Of Helping Him On Rwanda ICT Policy, Twitter Starts #ChamisaChallenge

Zimbabwean opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party leader, Nelson Chamisa’s claim that he helped Rwandan leader Paul Kagame to turn around his country’s economy through helping him on Rwanda’s ICT policy has set the internet and social media world ablaze.  Speaking at a rally in Beitbridge, Chamisa said;

Look what my brother Paul Kagame (Rwandan leader) is doing for his country. I helped him on his ICT policy, on how to turn around the country when we met in Geneva, Switzerland and he was happy with my presentation. He (Kagame) asked and enquired about me from former president Robert Mugabe and he told him that I belonged to his party Zanu PF, but I told him (Kagame) there and there that I belong to MDC party led by the late Morgan Tsvangirai.

Chamisa was once the Minister of ICT whose tenure was marked by some successful initiatives such as increasing the access of internet in Zimbabwe.

Many people have labeled Chamisa’s claim a lie. These allegations come in the background of reports that he lied to have met President of United States, Donald Trump who promised him $15 billion if he wins the upcoming elections.

 Now Twitter users have introduced a challenge on Twitter called #Chamisa Challenge mocking Chamisa.

Rwanda’s President, Paul Kagame enters the scene-Chamisa is lying

Chamisa’s claim gained the attention of Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda on Twitter who dismissed Chamisa’s claim by saying that he doesn’t know Chamisa and they never discussed anything.  Rwanda’s President went on to say that Rwanda’s ICT projects predated MDC.

President Kagame, Rwanda’s leader for the past 14 years and the chief architect behind Rwanda’s revival, has made entrepreneurship, especially tech-related entrepreneurship, a priority. President Kagame has also pushed for developments like electronic business registration, which enable companies to be started in as little as three days compared to the 30 days required in Kenya, the 32 days required in Uganda, and the six days that starting a business in the USA takes.

Kagame almost caught lying

After Paul Kagame’s tweet, pictures emerged showing Chamisa greeting Rwanda’s president. Some have said that Chamisa or Biti may have met Paul Kagame but it doesn’t mean that they discussed anything concerning Rwanda’s ICT policy. But a disproportionate number of people are saying that Rwanda’s President is the one lying since he said he doesn’t know Chamisa. However, by saying ‘I don’t know this man’, I think Paul Kagame meant that he doesn’t know him personally as well as to have had discussions with Chamisa.

Social Media starts the #ChamisaChallenge

Twitter users have now started a challenge on Twitter of mocking Chamisa by uploading pictures with various kind of leaders and him (Chamisa) claiming to have discussed something with them.

Did Chamisa really help Kagame?

Its hard to know whether Chamisa really discussed anything regarding Rwanda’s ICT policy with Paul Kagame. Rwanda’s president said he doesn’t know Chamisa yet we saw pictures of them together (although it doesn’t mean that they discussed anything). Then again, I find it hard to believe that Chamisa help Paul Kagame with ICT because Chamisa was new to the ICT Ministry hence Rwanda’s president could not have sought help from a newbie