East African state’s leader seeking to extend 24-year tenure

Rwandans are casting their ballots in presidential and parliamentary elections, which are widely expected to hand another term to President Paul Kagame.

Kagame has served as head of state since 2000, having been de-facto leader since 1994. In the last three elections – in 2003, 2010, and 2017 – he secured more than 90% of the vote.

African Union observers have been deployed at polling stations nationwide, and preliminary results are expected by July 20. In parallel with the presidential election, Rwandans are also casting their votes for members of parliament on Monday and Tuesday.

Kagame, 66, is seeking a fourth term of five years, after a 2015 constitutional amendment reduced the presidential term from seven years.

His two rivals – Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party and independent Philippe Mpayimana – are the same contenders that ran in the 2017 ballot, in which they garnered less than 1% of votes between them.Other presidential hopefuls, including some of Kagame’s most outspoken critics, were barred from the election for various reasons, including prior criminal convictions.

President Kagame has highlighted security, stability, unity, and economic development as key priorities in his campaign.

Speaking at a rally in the northern Gakenke district on Thursday, he stated: “We chose to rebuild ourselves and our country, which was destroyed by bad politics and irresponsible leaders.”

Addressing the crowd, he continued: “You have rebuilt yourselves, you have built your skills, and you have competent leaders at all levels. Therefore, you must do everything possible to ensure that Rwanda continues its path towards sustainable progress.”

The vote is taking place amid rising tensions between Rwanda and the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo). Kinshasa accuses Kigali of supporting the M23 rebel group, which is engaged in conflict in DR Congo, a claim that Kigali denies.

The election also follows the collapse of an asylum seeker deportation agreement that Kagame’s government had negotiated with the UK. Following the Labour Party’s victory in the British elections on July 4, the new prime minister, Keir Starmer, announced that the deal would be abandoned.