President Paul Kagame held talks with Bill Gates, founder and Chair of the Gates Foundation, focusing on strengthening collaboration in healthcare, agriculture, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital infrastructure to support Rwanda’s long-term development.
The meeting took place on the evening of July 20, 2026, during Bill Gates’ visit to Rwanda. His trip is aimed at assessing the country’s progress in improving healthcare and understanding the impact of programs supported by the Gates Foundation.
As part of his visit, Gates toured a syringe manufacturing facility in Rwamagana District. He was also scheduled to visit Mwulire Health Center and meet with a community health worker to gain firsthand insight into how Rwanda’s healthcare system operates from the village level.
The projects visited by Gates are among those supported by the Gates Foundation, which has been a long-standing partner in Rwanda’s development, particularly in the health sector.
According to a statement released by the Office of the President, Village Urugwiro, President Kagame and Bill Gates discussed expanding the partnership between Rwanda and the Gates Foundation.
The statement noted that the discussions focused on accelerating cooperation in healthcare, agricultural development, artificial intelligence, and technology infrastructure to drive Rwanda’s economic and social transformation.
Before meeting President Kagame, Gates visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial, where he paid tribute to more than 250,000 victims laid to rest at the site. During the visit, he learned about the history of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and Rwanda’s remarkable journey of recovery and national rebuilding.
In the memorial’s visitors’ book, Gates praised Rwanda’s resilience and progress.
“It is inspiring to see how Rwanda has rebuilt itself after the tragedy of the genocide and is now building a strong nation. This memorial is essential to ensuring that the victims of the genocide are never forgotten.”
Ahead of his visit, Gates said he was eager to learn from Rwanda’s development model, particularly how the country has combined investments in its people, strong institutions, and effective public service delivery to achieve measurable progress.
He highlighted Rwanda’s significant health achievements over the past two decades, noting that since 2000, deaths among children under the age of five have declined by 80 percent, while maternal deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth have fallen by 85 percent.
“What impresses me most is not one specific achievement,” Gates said, “but how Rwanda’s long-term investments in its people, strong institutions, and service delivery continue to produce meaningful and lasting results.”
He added that these gains have been made possible through sustained investment in primary healthcare, support for community health workers, and the strengthening of key public health institutions, including the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC).
