One of the leading sports media outlets, ESPN, published a story in July that deliberately undermined Rwanda's partnership with the NBA. A month after their hatchet job, two US senators, Marsha Blackburn and Jeff Merkley, sent a letter to NBA commissioner Adam Silver accusing the league of working with a dictatorship government.

Related: ESPN: When sports channel turned into political tool

In their letter, the two senators accuse the NBA of "playing ball with dictators”, and demanded the league to outline their relationship with the Rwandan government, and describe the steps the league is taking to improve the lives of Rwandan people, including those subject to ‘human rights abuses’ by the Rwandan government.

The ESPN documentary was full of recycled allegations of crimes which Rwanda under President Paul Kagame’s leadership is accused of, including human rights violations, lack of political space and freedom of expression.

Related: ESPN used to serve Rwanda detractors' interests

The NBA operates in over 200 countries and territories. ESPN chose to bully Rwanda over this partnership, just to feed a political agenda. ESPN was on a mission to distort and undermine Rwanda’s progress, and try to persuade the NBA to cut ties with Rwanda.

For decades, Western media has become a platform for a sinister anti-Rwanda agenda, and a section of American leaders with hidden agendas always find a way to back these baseless allegations.

It is regrettable that Blackburn and Merkley borrowed some of the criticism of Rwanda from the discredited ESPN channel, which has been proved a mouthpiece of Rwanda’s detractors, undermining the country’s progress.

The animosity of Blackburn and Merkley towards Rwanda is more personal rather than representing the views of the institution or government they serve. US senators have a track record of serving the interests of individuals with ulterior motives who pay them to do their bidding including tarnishing Rwanda’s image.

Senator Balckburn is no different.

In October 2020, a Congressional Integrity Project published a research exposing Blackburn’s long history of self-dealing to enrich her family. It was established that she used campaign funds worth more than USD 370,000 to line the pockets of her daughter and son-in-law.

How can a corrupt senator who does not care about her own citizens’ welfare, be concerned about Rwandans and their human rights? Where does she get the audacity to call an elected leader a dictator?

The senators’ letter only exposed their white supremacist behavior and arrogance towards the East African country.

President Kagame is a democratically elected leader, who was, in July, voted by 99 per cent of Rwandans. By calling the Rwandan leader a dictator, the senators undermine Rwandans’ free will to choose their leaders, and their democracy.

Rwanda is no stranger to US senators publishing untruths and rehashing tired allegations against the country which are often peddled by its detractors. It is shameful for these Senators to serve as advocates of anti-Rwanda lobbies’ narrative built on mere fabrications, while deliberately ignoring the facts about the Rwanda-NBA partnership.

Since 2018, Rwanda has successfully partnered with NBA. Kigali has annually hosted the league’s first Basketball African League (BAL). Rwanda has also partnered with other NBA business partners to develop other sports facilities, especially promoting talents of young Rwandans. According to Rwanda Development Board, BAL generates $10 million per year for Rwanda's economy.

By standing in direct opposition to the country’s development agenda, and undermining its democracy, Blackburn and Merkley have revealed their true colors.