Rwandan President, Paul Kagame, has successfully secured his fourth term re-election in the just-ended Rwandan election, winning 99% of the votes. His people wanted him, which isn’t exactly surprising. Kagame's win means that he continues to lead the eastern African nation to triumph as he has done for years. But, what does Rwandan support mean for the country and its future?
Election Results and Voter Turnout
Rwandan President Paul Kagame has won the presidential election with 99% votes for the fourth term under the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF).
His rivals, the Democratic Green Party’s Frank Habineza and the independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana, received a cumulative vote of below 1%—Frank Herbineza received only 0.53% and Philippe Mpayimana, only 0.32%. The electoral authority established that approximately 9.5 million eligible voters voted in the election, and more than 98% of these voters were there for Kagame.
Kagame’s Background and Rise to Power
Paul Kagame's journey to the presidency started with Rwanda's turbulent history. He was born into a Tutsi family and fled to Uganda as a refugee during the 1959-1962 revolution, where the Hutu drove out the Tutsi population.
He joined active politics in Uganda when he served President Yoweri Museveni's rebel army forces when they were formed. He served in the intelligence unit to help Museveni to power in 1986.
The Rwandan Civil War that raged from 1990 to 1994 due to ethnic differences between the Hutu and Tutsi, resulted in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, where about a million people died. General Paul Kagame (at the time) of the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA), had a major input in ending the genocide and restoring order in Rwanda.
Economic Transformation and Governance
Following the genocide, Rwanda experienced ruins. Paul Kagame, together with his administration, gathered the country from the dust. Kagame is continuously praised for positioning Rwanda as one of the fastest-growing economies, with an average economic growth rate of 7.2% from 2012 to 2022. International development partners, such as The World Bank and IMF, have praised Kagame for improving healthcare, education, and technological advancement in the nation.
Kagame's Plan For The Next Five Years
At prior press conferences, Paul Kagame has expressed his commitment to continuing Rwanda's development.
In a recent press conference before the election, the Rwandan president said, “Rwandans want more development, and that's my focus for the next term. We’ll attract more investments, ensure people can feed themselves, and the faster we can achieve this, the better".