President Paul Kagame addressed questions about his three-week absence from public view last June saying he was on holiday with his grandchildren and questioning why three weeks away from public life should be considered unusual for a head of state.
The absence triggered widespread speculation and social media rumours about his health, to the point that the Rwandan government issued an official denial.
In his Jeune Afrique interview, Kagame said: “Why is three weeks too much for not me personally not being seen in public? Why should it be too much? And even take a month it can disappear.”
He said he has been learning to take holidays and spend time with his grandchildren. On his health, he said:
“If you take 100 people randomly from France, London, UK, America and include me among them, and you want to investigate how healthy they are, I come among the top 10.” He did not explain specifically where he was during the three weeks or give further details about the nature of his absence.
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