News Desk

Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda, both feared and admire, is set to extend his 24-year rule as president in the election which he is expected to win by a landslide. President Kagame has dominated every election since 2000 with over 90% of the vote, even securing 99% in 2017. At 66, he is criticized for stifling opposition and targeting critics, even ones from abroad. He faces two approved contenders, while others were barred by the state-run electoral commission.

Kagame has led Rwanda since his rebel forces ended the 1994 genocide, which claimed around 800,000 lives. He is credited with Rwanda’s economic revival and national unity. Dr. Felix Ndahinda, an expert on the Great Lakes region, acknowledges Kagame’s role in Rwanda’s stability over the past 30 years. Despite defending Rwanda’s human rights record, critics view the election as a mere formality.

Approximately nine million people are registered to vote, with two million being first-time voters. A provisional winner is expected by Tuesday morning. Voters will choose the president and 53 members of the lower House of Parliament on Monday, with 27 other MPs elected the following day. Many young Rwandans, like first-time voter Sylvia Mutoni, have only known Kagame as their leader. Even as vice-president and defense minister from 1994 to 2000, he was the de facto leader before becoming president in 2000.

Opposition candidates Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party and independent Philippe Mpayimana, who together secured just over 1% of the vote in 2017, remain undeterred.