International

Rwanda: Kagame Secures Fourth Term in Office with 99% Vote

Published

5 months ago

Jul 16, 2024.

Rwanda: Kagame Secures Fourth Term in Office with 99% Vote

Paul Kagame, the long-serving president of Rwanda, has secured a fourth-term victory in office with a resounding 99.15 per cent of the votes in Monday’s presidential election.

According to provisional results, Eko Hot Blog gathered that with about 79 per cent of ballots counted so far, the country’s electoral commission has reported these early figures. Approximately 9.5 million Rwandans registered to vote, out of a population of 14 million.

Kagame’s challengers, Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda and independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana, each garnered less than one per cent of the vote.

This outcome mirrors Kagame’s 2017 victory, where he also received nearly 99 per cent of the votes.

Final results are expected by July 27, though they may be announced sooner.

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In an address at the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) party headquarters in Kigali, Kagame expressed gratitude to Rwandans for their trust.

Kagame first came to power as the leader of rebels who ended the 1994 genocide and assumed the roles of vice-president and de facto leader until 2000, when he officially became president.

At 64, Kagame could potentially remain in office until 2034, following a 2015 constitutional amendment that removed the two-term limit.

While Kagame has received international praise for fostering peace and economic growth in Rwanda post-genocide, he has also faced criticism from human rights groups and Western nations. However, he remains unperturbed by external opinions regarding his extended rule.

On Saturday, Kagame reaffirmed his legitimacy, stating that his mandate comes from the people.

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