- Several dozen heads of state and dignitaries from across Africa attended the event
Rwandan President Paul Kagame was inaugurated on Sunday for a fourth term after securing a landslide victory in last month’s elections, where he received over 99% of the vote.
The inauguration ceremony took place in Kigali’s 45,000-seat stadium, which was filled with crowds from early morning. Several dozen heads of state and dignitaries from across Africa attended the event.
Kagame, who has ruled Rwanda since the 1994 genocide, took the oath of office before Chief Justice Faustin Ntezilyayo, vowing to “preserve peace and national sovereignty, and consolidate national unity.”
The July 15 election result, which saw Kagame win 99.18% of the vote, was widely expected. Rights groups have criticized the election process, highlighting the lack of democratic freedom in Rwanda. Only two candidates were permitted to run against Kagame out of eight applicants, with several prominent critics excluded from the race.
Frank Habineza, leader of the Democratic Green Party, garnered 0.5% of the vote, while independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana received 0.32%.
Kagame is credited with transforming Rwanda since the genocide, during which approximately 800,000 people, mostly Tutsis and moderate Hutus, were killed. However, his rule has been marked by allegations of repression, with opponents and rights activists accusing him of governing through fear, using tactics such as intimidation, arbitrary detentions, and enforced disappearances to silence dissent.