Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa has been taken to task on accessibility for people with disability during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa in 2024.

In a joint press conference in Kigali, Rwanda on Sunday at the conclusion of the 2022 CHOGM, an African journalist in questions directed at the Rwandan President, Paul Kagame said that he was not able to leave his hotel room for six days to cover the international conference due to his disability.

“I faced a lot of difficulties for the last six days of not being able to leave my hotel because of being disabled,” the journalist said. 

“And I thought Rwanda was a disabled-friendly country as I was told but for the last two days I’ve had some help, so you can see me now.”

Mr Kagame was then asked what steps he intends to take as the current Chair of CHOGM to ensure Rwanda and Commonwealth nations are inclusive and disable-friendly. 

Turning to Fiame, the journalist said: “And that was to the Samoa Head of Government, I am coming to Samoa, you will see me but as a disabled person what do you promise me? Thank you.”

Responding to the journalist, the Rwandan President apologised on behalf of his government and said his government has formulated policies for people with disability and even catered for their infrastructure as well as political representation.

However, he admitted there are always gaps in the government's service delivery rollout despite the best of their intentions. 

“If you look at some of the details, even in infrastructure provisions for disabled people are there. Maybe they are not everywhere, and that’s what I want to come to.

“I think it is always going to be a problem in terms of detailed implementation of things we had intended to do, so that’s where things must have gone wrong and that is what I am apologising for. 

“It means we have almost the intention, we have almost everything in place, but somehow people who should be connecting solutions to the need fall short in many cases.”

Samoa’s Prime Minister, in response to the question, said the country has an active disability organisation that advocates to the Government for policies but accepts that different countries have a varied ability to respond.

However, Fiame assured the journalist that his concerns will be taken on board in terms of planning for the next CHOGM in Samoa in 2024.

"What we need to ensure that we can provide for special needs and you know we are a developing country and where our facilities may not have ease of accessibility, you can be assured, you will have some very fit Samoan people working with you to assist you,” she said.

Fiame and Mr Kagame were accompanied at the joint press conference on Sunday by the Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland together with the Guyana President Irfaan Ali and Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio.

The concluding joint press conference on Sunday to officially close the CHOGM 2022 was live-streamed on YouTube.