Rwanda: President Kagame to Seek Fourth Term in Office

By Samuel Ouma

Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame has declared that he will defend his seat during the next election slated for August 2024.

Kagame, 65, announced his candidature during an interview with the French-language publication Jeune Afrique on Tuesday, September 19.

"I am happy with the confidence Rwandans have shown in me. I will always serve them as long as I can. Yes, I am indeed a candidate," said Kagame.

When asked if his decision to run for president again would elicit a reaction from the West, Kagame said that what the West thinks cannot give him a sleepless night.

“I’m sorry for the West, but what the West thinks is not my problem," he was quoted.

Kagame was elected president in April 2000 and has served as the nation's de facto leader ever since the 1994 genocide ended.

He was re-elected in the 2003, 2010 and 2017 elections with over 90 per cent of the total votes.

The Rwandan constitution was amended in 2003, granting the president a seven-year term that may be renewed once. However, another reform in 2015 abolished the seven-year term, allowing Kagame to run again.

While Rwanda is regarded as one of Africa's most stable countries, human rights organizations believe otherwise.

They have accused Kagame's administration of ruthlessly treating his opponents, including extrajudicial killings. Accusations that the government has denied.

Rwanda's media has also been denied the right to operate freely.

According to the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index 2023, the country is ranked 131st out of 180 countries.