Rwanda One: Mixed Feelings As Kagame Ascends For The Fourth Time

Rwanda, one of the cleanest nations on earth, went to the polls on Monday June 15, 2024, with 9.7 million citizens being expected to vote.

Among the contestants for president were incumbent president Paul Kagame who has led the country for 30 years since the 1994 genocide, and two other contestants: Frank Habizena and Philippe Mpayimana.

With other candidates being barred to contest, the two faced off Kagame in a weak opposition campaign and subsequent election that saw Kagame win a 99.15% of all votes.

Kagame, who voters say has reunited the country, came to power as a de-facto vice president following the genocide and was later named president in 2000, and has been ever since.

The previous elections have been accused of not being fair by human rights' groups with Kagame being labelled as a modern day dictator.

His fourth term comes after a 2015 referendum that lifted limits on the number of times one could run for presidency, giving him the chance to rule as president up to 2034. The referendum also reduced the presidential term from seven to five years.

Despite widespread support, Kagame has been accused of suppressing free speech and chocking political competition.

The international community has expressed its views after the poll results, with Kenyans on X calling Rwanda’s system: less of a democracy and more of an autocracy.

Kenyans, who have been putting on a fight against bad governance for the better part of June and July, have hollered at young people in Rwanda for supporting Kagame’s rule.

“So these people only know how to clean the streets of Kigali and nothing about democracy? For such a small country like Rwanda maybe ten Kenyan Gen Z’s can awaken their counterparts, for we are generous anyway,” one user wrote.