Fundamental Principles of the Rwandan State
Senior 6 · History
Fundamental Principles of the Rwandan State
Lesson 3 of 4
25 min
Chapter V of the Constitution is titled "Duties of the State and of citizens". Most constitutions spend pages on what the state owes its people. This chapter also sets out what the people owe the country and one another. Read four of its articles.
Article 46: "Every Rwandan has the duty to respect and consider his or her fellow beings without discrimination and to maintain relations aimed at safeguarding, promoting and reinforcing mutual respect, solidarity and tolerance."
Article 48 (1) and (2): "The State has the duty to put in place development strategies for its citizens." "All Rwandans have the duty to participate in the development of the country through their dedication to work, safeguarding peace, democracy, equality and social justice as well as to participate in the defence of their country."
Article 49 (2): "Every Rwandan has the duty to defy superior orders if they constitute a serious and obvious violation of human rights and freedoms."
Article 52: "The State and everyone have the duty to preserve and safeguard memorial sites of the Genocide against the Tutsi."
Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda of 2003 revised in 2015, as revised in 2023, official English text.
Three things stand out. Article 48 splits one task between two actors: the State plans, the citizen works. Article 52 gives a single duty to both at once. And Article 49 (2) is remarkable in the light of 1994, when many people who took part in killings said they had only obeyed orders. The Constitution now makes refusing such an order a duty, not a matter of courage alone.
Definition
Civic duty: something a citizen is required, by law or by the Constitution, to do for the community, such as respecting others, obeying the law and taking part in development.
Civic engagement: taking an active part in public life beyond what the law strictly demands: voting, joining umuganda, attending village meetings, volunteering or speaking up against injustice.
Superior orders: instructions from a person in authority, such as an official, an officer or an employer. Under Article 49 (2), such orders do not excuse a serious and obvious violation of human rights.
The State's duties are the ones only a government can carry out: making and enforcing laws, running institutions, planning development and organising elections. For example, Law N° 59 of 2018 turns principle (a) into criminal law: denying the genocide, minimising it or justifying it is punishable by five to seven years in prison. A citizen's duties are the ones no government can perform for them: how you treat a neighbour, whether you forward a hateful message, whether you refuse an unlawful order. Where the circles overlap, the Constitution asks both to act, because neither can succeed alone. A memorial site kept by the State but ignored by the community, or a river protected by law but polluted by its neighbours, is not really protected.
Principles are tested in ordinary moments far more often than in Parliament. The table works through six situations a young Rwandan could meet. Cover the last two columns and decide for yourself before you read them.
| Situation | Principle at stake | A response that upholds it |
|---|---|---|
| A message in a class group chat mocks classmates by their supposed "ethnic" origin. | (b) no divisionism; Art. 46 | Do not forward it. Say plainly that it is wrong, and report it to the school; if it spreads genocide ideology, it can be reported to the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB). |
| During the commemoration period, someone at a gathering says "both sides suffered a genocide". | (a) fight denial and revisionism | Correct it calmly with facts: a "double genocide" claim is a form of denial named in Law N° 59 of 2018. Protect survivors present from further hurt. |
| In a school election, a candidate says only boys should lead the student council. | (d) equality of women and men | Challenge the claim, vote on merit, and encourage girls to stand. The Constitution treats equal participation as a principle, not a favour. |
| Two neighbours quarrel about a boundary and threaten each other. | (f) dialogue and consensus | Take the dispute to the Abunzi Committee for mediation before it becomes violence or an expensive court case. |
| An elderly widow in the village lives in a leaking house. | (e) social welfare | Raise it at the village meeting after umuganda, so the community and local leaders can repair it together. |
| A local official tells residents they will lose services unless they support one party. | (d) rule of law, pluralist democracy | Refuse (Art. 49), and report it to the Office of the Ombudsman or the National Electoral Commission. |
Warning
Do not confuse duties with slogans. An answer such as "citizens should love their country" earns little. Name the duty, cite its article, and give a concrete act: "Article 46 requires every Rwandan to respect others without discrimination, so a student who refuses to forward a divisive message is carrying out a constitutional duty."
Tip
Role questions have two halves. When a question asks for "the roles of citizens and government", examiners expect both, in balance. Build a two-column plan first (State | citizens), make sure each column has at least three points with an article or an example, and only then start writing.
Important
Discuss. Article 49 (2) makes it a duty to defy superior orders that are a serious and obvious violation of human rights. Why might the authors of the Constitution have thought this duty necessary? What makes it hard to carry out in practice, and what could a school do to prepare young people for it?
Practice
Sources and credits
Written by Ganzaa: the analysis, the Venn diagram, the situations table, the definitions and the exercises. This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
