The presidential election race in Rwanda, set for July 15, kicked off on Saturday with a total of nine million registered voters. This marks the first time the presidential election coincides with legislative elections.
Paul Kagame, who initially became president through a parliamentary election in 2000 and subsequently won universal suffrage in 2003, 2010, and 2017 with over 90% of the vote each time, faces competition from his 2017 rivals, Frank Habineza and Philippe Mpayimana.
Several prominent opposition figures such as Victoire Ingabire and Bernard Ntaganda have been disqualified from running due to past convictions. Diane Rwigara‘s candidacy was rejected due to non-compliant documents; previously excluded, she was acquitted in 2018.
A constitutional amendment in 2015 reduced presidential terms from seven to five years, potentially allowing Kagame to stay in office until 2034 if re-elected.
In addition, the legislative elections have been aligned with the presidential election, featuring over 500 candidates competing for 80 parliamentary seats. Direct voting will decide 53 representatives, while 27 seats have been reserved for women, youth, and disabled individuals, who will be chosen indirectly.