By 
RWANDA – Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame is set to extend his 24-year rule by another five years in a landslide victory, according to partial results from Monday’s election.
Kagame has reportedly secured 99.15 percent of the vote so far, with approximately 79 percent of ballots counted, the electoral commission announced.
The 66-year-old faced no meaningful opposition, with leading figures banned, as reported by the BBC.
His two opponents, environmentalist Frank Habineza and journalist Philippe Mpayimana, have garnered 0.53 percent and 0.32 percent of the vote, respectively.
In an address at his Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) party headquarters, Kagame thanked Rwandans for their trust.
“These are not just figures, even if it was 100 percent these are not just numbers. [They] show the trust, and that is what is most important,” he said.
The full provisional results are due by 20 July, with final results expected by 27 July.
These results mirror the 2017 election, where Kagame also faced the same candidates and won with 98.8 percent of the vote.
At least three aspirants were disqualified from running this year, including outspoken critic Diane Rwigara.
Kagame has been the de facto leader of Rwanda since the end of the 1994 genocide and has served as president since 2000.
While rights groups accuse him of curtailing freedoms, his supporters credit him with presiding over economic growth and helping to end ethnic divisions.
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