Rwandans Head to Polls as Kagame Looks to Secure Fourth Term

Rwandans are voting to elect their next president, with incumbent Paul Kagame widely expected to win. Polling centres opened at 7 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) for the more than 9 million eligible voters. Kagame, who has been in power for nearly a quarter of a century, is praised for stabilising Rwanda after the 1994 genocide. He is running against Frank Habineza and Philippe Mpayimana, while several other candidates were barred from running due to prior criminal convictions.

Kagame, running on the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) ticket, has faced criticism from rights activists and Western nations for muzzling the media, stifling opposition, and supporting rebel groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Despite these concerns, he has promised continued development and stability. The election follows a constitutional amendment in 2015 that allowed him to extend his rule, with Kagame having won more than 90% of the vote in previous elections.