KAGAME FOLLOWS TWEETERS FOR THE FIRST TIME, BECOMES THE MOST FOLLOWED AFRICAN LEADER

President Kagame's follows 36 Twitter accounts on the social network.

bY KENNETH AGUTAMBA
With 700,200 Twitter followers, President Paul Kagame is the most followed African leader on the social media platform, followed by his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta – with 629, 426 followers.

Yet since joining Twitter in May 2009, President Kagame was until this week not following anyone’s Twitter feed.

However, things changed dramatically on the President’s verified Twitter handle (@PaulKagame) on Wednesday as the account started to follow several tweeters.

The last time we checked around midday today, the President was following 36 Twitter accounts.

His first two ‘follows’ shows that indeed family comes first, both literally and figuratively; his children Ivan and Ange are the first accounts he’s followed.

The next three are unsurprising but interesting: Imbuto Foundation, the charity organisation founded and headed by the First Lady, Jeannette Kagame; as well as his East African counterparts President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya.

He also follows President Macky Sall of Senegal, several high-profile friends of Rwanda around the world, among others.

As the number of Twitter accounts President Kagame follows continues to grow, it will probably give us insight into what catches the presidential eye.

Just taking a glance at the accounts Kagame follows gives us a glimpse into his personal interests. His interests obviously lie in the fields of economics, finance, philanthropy, health, ICT and diplomacy.

Kagame has previously said that even as he was not directly following account feeds he was able to follow what’s happening on the social networking site thanks to his follower base. 

Accounts President Kagame follows

1.Ivan Kagame (@ivan_k23)

2. Ange.I.Kagame (AngeKagame)

3. Imbuto Foundation (@Imbuto)

4. Yoweri K Museveni (@KagutaMuseveni)

5. Uhuru Kenyatta (@UKenyatta)

6. Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton)

7. Macky Sall (@macky_sall)

8. Presidence Mali (@PresidenceMali)

9. Jose Manuel Barroso (@JMDBarroso)

10. Philip Hammond (@PHammondMP)

11. Michaelle Jean (@MichaelleJeanF)

12. Bill Gates (@BillGates)

13. Mike Bloomberg (@MikeBlommberg)

14. Tony O. Elumelu, CON (@TonyOElumelu)

15. ITU Sec Gen’s Office (@ITUSecGen)

16. Helen Clark (@HelenClarkUNDP)

17. Michel Sidibe (@MichelSidibe)

18. United Nations (@UN)

19. Milken Institute (@MilkenInstitute)

20. AfDB_Group (@AfDB_Group)

21. ITU (@ITU)

22. Broadband Commission (@UNBBCom)

23. Partners in Health (@PIH)

24. Government of Rwanda (@RwandaGov)

25. Rick Warren (@RickWarren)

26. Ashish J. Thakkar (@AshishJThakkar)

27. Jeffrey D. Sachs (@JeffDSachs)

28. Grace Hightower (@Grace_Hightower)

29. Strive Masiyiwa (@StriveMasiyiwa)

30. Africa Leadership Network (@Prosper4Africa)

31. Global Citizen (@GlblCtzn)

32 Jendayi E Frazer ( @JendayiFrazer)

33. Jared Cohen (@JaredCohen)

34. Clinton Foundation (@ClintonGlobal)

35. World Economic Forum (@wef)

36. Rabbi Shmuley (@RabbiShmuley)

So, whom will President Kagame follow next? You never know, it could be you.

CREDIT SOURCE: http://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/article/2014-11-20/183247/