President Kagame awarded Order of Excellence

President Paul Kagame has been honored with the Order of Excellence, the highest accolade in the Bahamas, for his unwavering friendship towards the Government and people of the Bahamas. This esteemed recognition is classified in the first category of seven most significant orders in the country, ranking third after the Order of National Hero and Order of the Nation.

On Monday, President Kagame received the order as he attended the 50th Independence anniversary celebration of the Bahamas, which was attended by leaders from various Caribbean countries.

The distinguished honor was bestowed upon him by the country’s Governor General, Sir Cornelius Smith, and Prime Minister Philip Davis.

In his gratitude, President Kagame expressed appreciation to the Prime Minister of the Bahamas for extending an invitation to attend the Golden Jubilee of Independence celebration. He lauded the Bahamas as a symbol of stability and prosperity in the region, serving as an exemplar for smaller island developing states worldwide.

During his visit, President Kagame emphasized the significance of nurturing the existing relations between the Bahamas and Rwanda, as well as fostering closer ties between the Caribbean and Africa.

He emphasized the undeniable common history shared by the two regions, unaffected by the vast ocean that separates them. President Kagame acknowledged that these strong bonds form a solid foundation for building robust and extensive cooperation to tackle the challenges faced by countries like theirs.

President Kagame humbly accepted the order as a testament to the growing friendship between their nations and expressed his deepest appreciation for the honor bestowed upon him. He acknowledged the value of this recognition in strengthening the bonds between Rwanda and the Bahamas.

The Bahamas, an archipelago located in the Caribbean Sea, spans a land area of 13,878 km² with a coastline of 3,542 km. To provide a sense of scale, this land area is roughly 112% of the size of Sydney. Ranking as the 28th largest country in the Americas and 161st worldwide in terms of area, the Bahamas holds significant geographical importance.

On July 10th, 1973, after 300 years of being a colony, the Bahamas peacefully transitioned to nationhood by gaining independence. Since then, July 10th has been celebrated as a national holiday throughout the archipelago and in Bahamian foreign missions. Prior to gaining independence, the Bahamas served as a British colony and currently holds membership in the Commonwealth, of which Rwanda has been a member since 2009.

President Kagame’s visit to Caribbean countries followed his attendance at the 45th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) held in Trinidad and Tobago, further solidifying Rwanda’s engagement with the Caribbean region.

PM