President Kagame secures 99% of vote in Rwandan election

• President Paul Kagame has amassed an unassailable lead in the ongoing general elections in Rwanda
• Kagame has been touted to floor his contestants by a landslide by many local and international political analysts
• Kagame promises to continue to tow the path of economic redemption and take the country to new levels

Rwanda's incumbent president, Paul Kagame, who has reigned unabated for the past 24 years, has been reelected in a fresh general election.

The people of Rwanda said they are content with Kagame's economic policies and exploits and see no reason to remove him from office in the election.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has amassed an unassailable lead in general election. Image: Getty
Source: Getty Images

Kagame was the country's first democratically elected president in the year 2000 and has been credited with many courageous and sagacious interventions which have delivered the country from the pangs of miseries that would otherwise have had them sunk deep in mud.

Kagame's heroic status began taking shape back in the 20th century when the country was hit with a genocide after the then-incumbent President Juvénal Habyarimana was assassinated, and a group of rebels grabbed power.

Kagame led the militia which fought for the restoration of the status quo back in the country.

Ever since then, the population has seen voting for the 66 years old as a token of appreciation for delivering them from the jaws of reckless rebels.

Kagame criticised for stifling competition

Critics, home and abroad, have noted that the long, unchallenged Kagame's reign has been because he has been actively dousing the flames of any serious contender, with many aspirants banned from the ballot.

Many believe his popularity and policies would have been better tested if he had given equal access to all aspirants.

Kagame wins by a landslide

When Kagame won the last election in 2017, about 7 million citizens were registered to vote. This year, however, there has been a surge, with 9 million announced to have been captured by the nation's electoral commission.

According to a report by Voice of America, the incumbent has already secured 99% of the 79% of the ballots counted so far, making all but sure to continue piloting the affairs of the state.

Five things to know about Rwanda

A tiny nation with a tumultuous history indelibly marked by a gruesome genocide, Rwanda has undergone a dramatic turnaround in recent decades but is dogged by criticism over rights abuses and lack of political freedoms, Legit.ng earlier reported.

The former German and Belgian colony is hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) this week, 13 years after it joined the club of mainly former British colonies.

Source: Legit.ng