RWANDAN President Paul Kagame has again won the national election, securing a 4th term as President.

He was declared the election winner on Tuesday, July 16, by the President of the country’s Electoral Commission, Chrysologue Karangwa.

Kagame, who represented the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) polled 7,099,810 of the total 9,071,157 votes cast.

His opponents, Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party, garnered 38,301 votes, and Phillipe Mpayimana, who contested as an independent candidate won 22,753 votes.

Addressing the nation, Kagame expressed gratitude to Rwandans for granting him the opportunity to rule the country for another five years.

“The results that have been presented indicate a very high score, these are not just figures, even if it was 100 per cent, these are not just numbers. These figures show the trust, and that is what is most important. I am hopeful that together we can solve all problems,” he said.

Kagame has been president of Rwanda since 2000 and a de facto leader of the country since the end of the 1994 genocide. In 2017, he won the election with over 98 per cent of the votes.

As a result of the country’s 2015 constitutional amendment which allowed him to seek an additional three terms, he also became eligible to contest in the current election.

Although the election granted eligibility to contest more than once, it reduced the presidential terms from seven years to five years starting in 2024.

The president’s campaign centered around giving Rwandans inclusive development, security, and improving citizens’ livelihoods without leaving anyone behind.