Rwanda’s burnished international reputation stirs controversy given criticism of its
governance system. Existing explanations prioritise Rwanda’s performance-derived
legitimacy and the use of the “genocide guilt” in leveraging international scrutiny. This view
creates several analytical gaps. This chapter offers sociological reasoning for Rwanda’s
strategic propping of its global image. It draws on expert interviews and content analysis of
relevant documents from policy, media, and grey sources. The experts engage with national
policy and development cooperation goals on a daily basis. They also have background
knowledge of governance. Their rich profile helps us examine Rwandan elites and their
strategic blending of international norms and cultural heritage to boost and construct
Rwanda’s global image. State elites craftily align Rwanda’s homegrown initiatives to its
foreign policy goals as they impressively communicate adherence to international norms
while highlighting their innovative virtues for local challenges. By telling their “innovative
stories” elites blur inherent contradictions and compel their audience to prioritise local
success over shortfalls in political governance.

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