President Kagame has issued a rallying call to leaders in Southern Province to adopt a new mindset that will help address key challenges, if the area is to achieve socio-economic transformation for every citizen.

Kagame was addressing a crowd of 800 opinion leaders in Huye District who had come from all the districts that make up the province on the evening of Thursday, August 25.

It was also the head of state's first day of the citizen outreach programme which kicked off in Ruhango District.

In his remarks, the President narrated a story of grasshoppers that are collected and put in a jar or 'any other container'.

But, he said, as soon as there are more than two, they start tearing each other apart, despite facing the same fate from the owner.

"Let us not be like grasshoppers," he said.

"There are challenges ahead of us, we might tear each apart or not, but in the end, we have challenges we have to face."

There is a silver lining, the head of state said.

"The good thing is to know what awaits us...if you have a way to confront them, confront them, but let us not tear apart those whom we share the same challenges."

Kagame went on to challenge the leaders into adopting a new mindset as well as a new thinking.

He likened the situation to shame being a revolutionary sentiment.

"Shame is a revolutionary sentiment. When you have shame, you keep assessing yourself and it triggers a commitment to not do the same mistakes again. There comes a new mindset, a new thinking," he said.

The head of state will during his four-day tour visit different districts in both Southern and Western provinces.